Central View

When a “feel-good” story about dogs triggered an avalanche of cruel comments on social media, I wondered what hope there is to unify our country.   This week, I noticed a news clip about the Biden's dogs moving into the White House.  It was a sweet, benign story, but Trump supporters responded with vulgar, unrepeatable comments. Of course, hate transcends political affiliation. Democrats also know how to throw plenty of shade on social media.  While it not healthy to repress our feelings, we have taken this too far. It is not necessary to post every nasty thought that pops into our minds. We have collectively forgotten that there is a time and place to express our displeasure. Like toddlers who don’t know how to make it to the toilet to throw up, we emotionally vomit all over Twitter and Facebook. But there is no parent to clean up after us. We spew our anger and hate, and leave it to grow into a vile, wretched stench thus causing a perpetual gag reflex of hateful regurgitation.

It was as if a magnetic force pulled me toward the angry mob. Back in 2014, the NBA Hall-of-Famer turned sports analyst, Charles Barkley, had insulted San Antonio women with cruel remarks about their weight. He also characterized the Spurs players as being too old and un-athletic to win a title. To Spurs fans this was sacrilege. Shortly after he insulted the city, Barkley covered a Spurs basketball game on their home court. My husband and I were at that game.   As we exited the arena, we saw a large crowd gathered behind the set where Barkley and his colleagues were broadcasting “Inside the NBA.” Though I can’t remember who the Spurs played that night, or if they won, I distinctly remember how quickly I was engrafted into the mob. I stepped toward the people to see what was happening, and suddenly I felt the urge to join the screaming crowd, “CHUCK YOU SUCK!” (And far worse profanity that rhymes with Chuck.) Before the words flew from my mouth, I caught them. I turned to my husband and

Now that things have settled down at the U.S. Capital, I am taking a moment to breathe and give thanks for what happened in Georgia on Wednesday.  With much credit to Stacey Abrams, the obvious rock star of "get-out-the-vote," t he Rev. Raphael Warnock, a black pastor, and Jon Ossoff, a young Jewish man, were elected to the U.S. Senate.  T wo “firsts” for the peach state.  I am grateful for Abrams and the generations of people who worked tirelessly for the ideals upheld in the U.S. Constitution -- equality for all and religious freedom. Long before Abrams or either of these men were born, brave souls worked against the deadly force of oppression and  created space for their moment of victory.   The terrorists who stormed the Capital will not steal that space. When I saw that unruly mob in the Capital, I wondered, “Do they carry those ridiculously huge confederate flags to hide their small-mindedness? What do they hope to accomplish?” Despite all their bravado, the rioters pr