Boston

Growing up in Myrtle Mo (no population sign) was, in my memory, idyllic. I know this sounds like I made it up, but we didn’t lock the doors at night. Our cars sat unlocked in the carport with the keys in the ignition. I’m positive it’s not that way now, but it’s how I remember it growing up.

All to say that I don’t handle vandalism, theft or any sort of destruction well, actually not at all.

When Jack and I got married in 1983 and moved to Jonesboro we loved the anonymity. We were in a new place, a city where we could drive around and imagine who lived in the “big” houses or go to dinner and not know a soul…..And then it happened. Some horrible criminal stole my ferns.

It was unbelievable!! My hanging ferns that were so pretty on my little front porch were missing. I was beside myself! I called the police to report the theft. I swear I heard laughter in the background as I tearfully gave my report. The police took my address, the time of day etc… and then asked me to describe.

I yelled “Boston!” “They were my Boston ferns!”.

Since my Daddy was the sheriff back in the day, I fancied myself a detective of sorts and spent the next few weeks driving the neighborhood looking for and knowing I would recognize my ferns.

Didn’t happen

As I mentioned earlier, I don’t handle theft or vandalism well. Thus my revulsion when watching the horrendous events of this week. And before you give me the “but what abouts” let me assure you I didn’t handle those well either.

I’m a law and order gal. Follow the dang rules people. Don’t tell me how much you LOVE this country while defiling one of it’s most sacred spaces.

But…

Believe it or not, facebook posts from acquaintances assured us last night that all of the demonstrators (not rioters) were peaceful and they even sang God Bless America (at least it wasn’t Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA) and that all of the photos of the destruction and violence were fake news. The culprits (if there were any) were surely Antifa or BLM wearing Trump hats, carrying Trump flags and wearing Trump shirts.

She knew this because her cousin’s friend saw it on Facebook.

Seriously.

Heck, teachers in our town took leave (sick days, gratuity days, bereavement days?) to join in the peaceful songfest among the thousands. During a pandemic no less. According to their posts, they only made it to the scaffolding, darn it all. Better luck next time?

I don’t know much, but I can assure you that if one of my children and his friends headed to JHS to break in, trash the place, zip tie the principal and a few teachers and kill a policeman…. and my son said “mom I promise I was just in the parking lot singing the fight song” …I would not only be devastated by his actions, he would suffer the consequences of the crime….

I’m sorry if I’m not to the “Kum by Yah” stage yet. I’m still sickened, disappointed, sad, scared and nauseous that this has happened in our great country.

I fear it’s not over. Not at all.

And I wonder…what do my Jewish brothers and sisters think when they see the 6mne (6 million not enough) shirts or the Auschwitz staff shirts? How disgusting. And how hurt are my black friends who see the Confederate flag carried in the Capitol to replace the American flag? And really….. don’t we all believe that if the rioters had been black they would have been shot?

Patriots?

Do not confuse my words. I have many Republican friends who are just as upset as I am. They would NEVER engage in this kind of behavior. Never. We disagree on lots of policy but not this. I think I am the most sorry for the Republicans who feel as if their party has abandoned them….The Mitt Romney’s of the world are beyond disgusted. Can you blame them?

So now what? What can we do?

Pray this ugliness doesn’t rear its head during the Inauguration. Please.

Even if you hate Joe Biden down to your toes…. pray for no violence.

Even if you’re sure all the Democrats are going to hell, pray for no violence.

Even if you think Donald Trump is your savior, pray for no violence.

For the record, I now lock my doors. My car is locked and in the garage. My ferns are still Boston and they stay in the backyard..

I still sing “God Bless America”.

But Lee Greenwood? Not so much.