Dr. Seuss ... immigration

poor georgie’s almanack

Sweet Dr. Seuss once was a political cartoonist. 

New USA immigration policy brings him to mind.

On getting soft

poor georgie’s almanack: 

Then: Strong handshake, strong sincere smile, strong eye contact. 

Now: Soft handshake (arthritis), soft smile (old teeth), soft eye contacts. 

Blues, blacks, browns and whites

Poor Georgie’s Almanack

The view of USA from abroad. 

Paraphrasing the great Chicago Bluesman Big Bill Broonzy’s long ago lament … If you are white, that’s all right. If you are black, oh brother get back. If you’re brown, stick around … unless you are Puerto Rican.  The Hurricane was your fault and you will just have to sit in the putrid water and rot away along with your kids and cats. 

McCain and the Houyhnhnms

poor georgie’s almanack:

Johnathan Swift wrote about a chap named Gulliver who traveled a lot.

He visited a country where white was black and black was white.

Human looking, semi-domesticated animals were herded around.

As if the 17th century author was writing today, the ruling Houyhnhnms were seemingly intelligent, reasonable horses.

In their language all words sounded like horses neighing (naying).

A dissenter probably would have been called McCain. 

The blood still flows.




poor georgie’s almanack

Random thoughts on wedge issues. 

"A House divided against itself cannot stand."
 
We still are bleeding from the last time that was relevant.

EARTHQUAKE/HURRICANE/TEARS

poor georgie’s almanack: 

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I stood in the bare-bones pediatrics unit of a partially refurbished neighborhood hospital in Mexico City. The massive, violent 1985 earthquake had devastated the building, the staff, and the people they serviced.

Mexico City’s mayor had organized a day of appreciation for the Pan American Development Foundation’s (PADF) board of directors to honor our help in making the hospital and the city whole again. We actually did a lot. having a plane load of supplies on the ground just hours after the quake. Its cargo included high-powered saws that cut through concrete and other debris. The saws were crucial to rescuing trapped survivors.

Having tools like high powered saws stored in our warehouse and the ability to get a company to donate a plane to deliver them on a moment’s notice, were the kinds of big-picture stuff we annually did across the Caribbean and Latin America.

For years as a board member it was important, but abstract … until I experienced it.

The salty tears in that little pediatrics unit were matched by a couple of nurses, also in tears. They were showing us how the most rudimentary medical instruments we had provided, along with the mechanisms to boil the water used to sterilize the instruments, were simple, but life saving.

Yet, while the power saws in downtown Mexico City were freeing people on TV, the boiling water in the pediatrics unit was saving even more lives.

It was a monumental lesson that big can be boastful but small is more likely to be beautiful.

You can help put into the right hands something as simple as a sterilized scalpel and metal tray, or sophisticated construction equipment, or a hidden program to help kids messed-up by an earthquake in Latin America or a hurricane in the Caribbean. You will be as worthy as Bill and Linda Gates and Warren Buffett. (Who really are worth-y.)

Send your spare change, what’s in your pushkie, to PADF, at this web site. https://www.padf.org/donate/. Don’t give until it hurts, but do give until it feels good.

South Park on the Potomac

poor georgie’s almanack: 

Of course he’s sexist and racist and hurtful. 

In many ways, so are you, and so am I. 

It’s just that he doesn’t seem to realize it, or care. 

Good people

poor georgie’s almanack:
In part, good people are good because they were young, they were in love, they still are, and they still hold hands. Think about it.

Immigration walls are not new...an anniversary.

poor georgie’s almanack: 

Walls are not new. 

They come in different flavors and reflect different fears and insecurities. 

100 years ago an Immigration Act requiring literacy was aimed at Irish, Italians, Jews, gays, Asians, and all other non-whites.

Let Us Prey to Let Us Pray

 poor georgie’s almanack:

A Pray on Words.

They said Let Us Prey.

For too many people, all that will be left is Let Us Pray.

Against Mother Nature's advice to the native people, they said, do not let the underbrush burn naturally, we want to live there and enjoy the beauty and smell the fresh air as it is. The land is here for our use, they said. If a 100-year event occurs, our governments will protect us and make us whole, they said. For weeks the forests and houses have burned and ashes have been raining down on America’s west coast. The air has been desecrated. They stay inside.

Against Mother Nature’s advice, they said it is too expensive to build the infrastructure to handle the 100-year winds and rains and floods along the south and east coasts. We assume our governments will protect us and make us whole, they said. As event-after-event occurs, waters and lands have been desecrated. They stay inside, if they have an inside to stay in. 

Against Mother Nature’s advice and relying on Human Nature, they say lower our taxes and cut the local, state and national government services to protect us and make us whole and to keep the power on. And they wait inside for help that others provide and pay for.

Meanwhile, an obviously frustrated Mother Nature is dealing with billions of other planets like ours with semi-intelligent life … planets where her advice is more likely welcome … because it is the nature of any mother to pay more attention and nurture those who follow her advice.

bad hearing

poor georgie’s almanack:
All dressed up for lunch and I heard Susan say, “You look great.”  Turns out she said, “Stand up straight.”

Heartless

poor georgie’s almanack:

Good news for haters.

The list of victims and innocents to attack is unending.

And the heartless shall inherit the earth.

Sugar = Donations

poor georgie’s almanack: 

Political Sugar = Donations. 

Congress is coming back.

 “Just a spoonful of sugar helps the Medicaid go down…”