Would 115 degrees shake some local attitudes?

How would God advise us on climate change? He created such a beautiful world for us.

 
The sun is hot, as we were reminded in the sequel to "Airplane." Remember? William Shatner and Sonny Bono in the cast? We lost Sonny in a skiing accident. Shatner does commercials for sleep disorder remedies. 

People in the Pacific Northwest are being reminded how hot the sun is. Can the heat crisis out there convince some political conservatives to ask more questions about their fearless leader? Donald Trump? Who says climate change theory is a "hoax?" 

Is this what it takes? The heat crisis could easily visit us out here in the Upper Midwest. When it does, will some members of the local Trump element have their faith shaken a little? 

Would it help if the property or basic welfare of such individuals become threatened? When something like this hits close to home, it ought to shake the most rock-ribbed of attitudes. Shaking that would seem to be a herculean task now. 

I take it personally because the utter zealousness of the Trump-oriented Republicans - are there really any other? - has gotten so wrapped in the Christian faith. Is this what God and Jesus had in mind? Well I certainly don't think so. But the public image of Christianity has gotten ensconced with the most rabid reactionary element. 

Perhaps that's the best word: "reactionary." To say "conservative" is misleading because conservatism is a body of well-defined, most rational ideas. They command respect. I'm thinking of the ideas as dispensed by William F. Buckley and Russell Kirk. They are rational in the sense that they are not merely seat-of-the pants. Adherents can document their soundness even if dissenters might point out, effectively much of the time, that the "real world" can't be managed this way. 

Or as my old college friend Brad would say, "Republicans don't care about people." He's differentiating between ideas and people. 

Intelligent conservatives are always so great at debating. They can "win" debates with their foes so often. This is no guarantee that their ideas can create a reasonably content populace, to ensure that the interests of "people" are truly served. So this is where Democrats come in. Democrats have their own faults or excesses but they care about people at a relatable level - consider Bernie Sanders. Would you trust Sanders to look out for your interests, or William F. Buckley? 

The National Review crowd has become cowed in its feelings about Trump. I'm referring to the intellectual conservatives, the ones who can win debates. This crowd is too willing to accept the bad with the good. Mitch McConnell, the curmudgeonly fossil of a U.S. Senator, found contentment with getting judges approved as if nothing else mattered. See? 

What about caring for the people? Is it only about ideas? 

The likes of Ben Shapiro and Peter Schiff would like to give yours truly a good slap, as they would say the ideas themselves guarantee our best shot at happiness. Would that they could, I'd be a fan. Alas, such is not the case, and now the precious conservative philosophy is at great risk of being tainted by its tolerance if not outright support for Donald Trump. 

Trump is cruel, he is dangerous, he is vain, he is unfeeling and he is dishonest. He has (or had) an attorney, Rudy Giuliani, who appears handicapped by cognitive issues although some new light was shed recently: excess alcohol consumption. We see Rudy on TV and we'd have to conclude we wouldn't want him representing the law profession in our own town of Morris MN. He might get a visit from Human Services. But in the Beltway such eccentricity or dysfunction seems to go along with the norm. 

These people show up on cable TV news programs. Meanwhile we out here in Flyoverland have people in responsible positions who mostly behave like normal human beings. Why do we countenance the aberrations in the so-called "Beltway?" Yes, we might react with amusement. But look at the heat out in Portland OR. Temperature hovering around 115 degrees. 

(accuweather image)

It will reach a point where your property and basic welfare are endangered. And this is while Trump would in no way modify his pronouncements about climate change? Trump admit he's wrong? 

Why do you think Trump's attempt at blogging failed? That's because with blogging, you don't just write a headline, you have to write some body copy. People click on the headline and then they read the body. The problem with Trump is this: he'd have to develop his thoughts beyond the mere one line of the heading. That would take work, would take a modicum of research. It would take self-discipline of the type I am displaying right now. 

Trump loved Twitter because he could "spit out" impulsive thoughts or rants, one little phrase at a time. And then he could put "sad" at the end. It is beyond belief how people who call themselves "Republicans" all across the country still wish to be fawning toward him. We imagine that many are gnashing their teeth. Yes, they might be influenced by "Stockholm syndrome" but it's not just their problem, it's a problem for all of us as Republicans continue to wield so much power with the filibuster in the Senate. 

So the media report on Marjorie Taylor Greene and various other nutcases while the intelligent and restrained folks hunker down in the background. 

Once the 115-degree temperature afflicts out here, affecting us all directly, maybe it will be the wakeup call that is so belated. 

And then, maybe our area Republicans and evangelical Christians, the Jeff Backer crowd, will be scared into realizing there are higher priorities than putting up roadblocks to gay rights. Such silly folks. But we let them lead us so much. We are too easily intimidated by them. 

Backer spoke out against the vaccine by saying he personally wouldn't get the shots. People have died locally who may have been influenced by such statements. The statements come from the Fox News/Tucker Carlson crowd. Will this be an isolated episode in history? The time when Fox News led so many around as if shepherding? And Fox begat OANN which begat Newsmax. Could our Good Lord please intervene at some point? Or maybe William Shatner?

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

This man symbolizes Christianity in the U.S.?