I am lucky to have great parents. One of the most important lessons they taught me, from the earliest age, is the notion of good sportsmanship and respect for the rules of the game. We Americans know that even if you compete within the rules, and do your best, you don’t always win. But the most important thing is how you play and how you carry yourself afterward, win or lose. Most of us believe that the winners should show respect for their less-fortunate opponents and that the losers should accept the outcome as fair and work harder to try to win next time. What we don’t like is the winner that rubs it in or the sore loser that claims the game was rigged, or who casts the blame on someone else.
Democracy is no game, to be sure, but these lessons carry over. It can be argued that the most important people in a democracy are not the winners, but instead it is the losers that hold the key, because if the losers don’t accept the verdict of the voters, fair and square, well, the democracy won’t stand for long. Recently the Republicans have played the role of the poor losers and in doing so they have practically ground the peoples’ business to a halt. That brings me to Bernie Sanders, for whom I voted. As the father figure of this unexpected and incredibly encouraging “revolution” Bernie now has a responsibility to his flock to lead by example, to take the high road and abide by the rules of the game and exhibit good sportsmanship. I sincerely hope that after last night’s strong statement by the voters Bernie will reconsider his plans to keep on fighting the wrong enemy and cause a scene at the convention. It’s time to face reality and join the legions of good people in the Democratic party in the true fight, the fight against the Right. Revolutions can happen overnight, but those types usually devolve into mob rule, bloodshed and ultimately some form of totalitarian blow-back. The ones that stick happen more slowly, taking years in the making. Some battles will be lost, but perseverance, unity of command and strength in numbers is the winning combination to win the war. It’s getting late in the day, time to come home. Together we will emerge from the darkness….
- "There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars." — Jack Kerouac
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Internet Resources
- 99 Percent Invisible
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The Guardian
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- Quarter of known bee species have not been recorded since 1990
- Boeing says it will make planes able to fly on 100% biofuel by 2030
- Scottish parliament orders prosecutors to release Salmond leak evidence
- Facebook's 'supreme court' to rule on decision to suspend Trump
- UK weather: country due sub-zero temperatures as Arctic air sweeps in
- What are my options if Google shuts down search in Australia?
NY Times News Feed
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- Biden Signs Orders to Expand Food Stamps and Raise Wages
- White House Orders Assessment on Violent Extremism in U.S.
- Why Biden Can Undo Much of Trump's Legacy Via Executive Orders
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- U.S. Coronavirus Cases Are Falling, but Variants Could Erase Progress
- UK Warns New Coronavirus Variant May Be Deadlier
- Trump and Justice Dept. Lawyer Said to Have Plotted to Oust Acting AG
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Washington Post
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- To fight impeachment, Trump turns to ‘Butch’ Bowers, a South Carolina lawyer at a small firm who has defended state Republicans
- Biden signs executive orders to boost economic relief for Americans struggling amid pandemic
- Biden reverses Trump orders seen as hostile to federal workers
- What happens next in the impeachment of President Trump?
- The case against Democrats nuking the filibuster
- The GOP’s oversimplified pushback on Biden’s executive actions
- Biden administration weighs turning over Trump tax returns to House Democrats
- 2020 was another reminder that power is decided by the people who actually vote*
- President Biden signs order to increase federal food benefits, among executive actions to stabilize the U.S. economy