The Reign of Witches

Like many other Americans of liberal leanings, I'm still recovering from reelection of W. With almost 60 million Americans voting for the Chimp-in-Chief, it is self-evident that as a nation we are our own worst enemy. We should not fear the remote specter of a WMD when so many of us constitute a much more immediate concern: a WMS (Weapon of Mass Stupidity), by far more threatening to constitutional rights and security at home and harmony abroad than any man-made contrivance.

It is difficult not to be disouraged. We as a nation should have known (and possibly did know) better as evidenced by the fact that most Americans thought the nation was on the wrong track. But fear is a powerful thing. It brings out some primeval herd mentality that clouds the judgement and sends a frightening percentage of the populace retreating into ancient superstitions for salvation and clamoring towards a strong leader for protection, even if doing so entails surrendering individual liberty and, like the leader himself, losing the ability to reason.

Something said by Thomas Jefferson in either 1797 or 98 is so fitting in dark week since Election Day....

“A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to it's true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are suffering deeply in spirit, and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public debt. If the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at stake."