And the enemy is us. . .

The late, great cartoonist Walt Kelly gave America the above cartoon that fits so perfectly with todays woes. I re-drew it (with apologies to Kelly) for stealing his humor and cartoon brilliance.  His comic strip was titled "Pogo" and ran continuously from 1949 until his death in 1973.

We Americans are, as we are all learning,  our own worst enemy. We have the capability, enthusiasm, and desire to do anything we put our mind to do. But, collectively, we will always find a way to kill the grand experiment!  In the above cartoon, Pogo has arrived at that fateful moment and he is now realizing the truth of who to blame. Perhaps more than any other words written by Kelly, it perfectly sums up his attitude towards the foibles of mankind and the nature of the human condition. 

As I think about the recent national election that has put many of us into a tailspin, I am finding the horrible truth  that Pogo found. The old adage of  "there is enough blame to go around," is certainly true. For example, how many of us did not vote? How many of us were keenly aware of the possibilities of how each direction could take us? How many of us knocked on doors to convince others of the options and fateful results before the election? 

In 2020, 67% of the registered voters, voted.

In 2024, 65% of the registered voters, voted. 

Today, how many of us are hiding in our closets and hoping the "enemy's aftermath" will just go away? How many of us are closing our minds to anything that reminds us of the "Great Catastrophe of 2024?"

We need to remember one thing: Some of those who you see as enemies just may turn out to be a friend and help us out of this quagmire. Not everyone on the other side is finding joy in the outcome, either.