Last Summer of Freedom?
Last Summer of Joy?

Last summer of knowing we’re all allowed to find our own way?

Last summer of knowing we don’t have to be afraid to tell the truth or do the right thing?

(Or is it too late? Does the mere possibility of the coming evil start to freeze our style, crimp our voice? After all, don’t we know that if we’ve spent hundreds of pages criticizing Trump we now fall into the category of people who, in the worst case scenario of a fully successful Trumpian coup of the US government, will be targets of state oppression, retribution, punishment? But what choice do we have but to go for broke? And is that not true also of you, dear reader? After all: You or somebody you love is bound to at some point be different, or want to tell the truth, or want to say no to corruption, or otherwise be unwelcome in a collaboration of religious extremists and an immoral egoist — a collaboration founded on the principle that if you can’t get the country to vote for you and/or your policies, the right thing to do is to force yourself and your policies on the country. I feel rough hands sliding under my shirt down my back, and I want to wriggle out free, but now other hands catch me from all sides and explain that for the good of the nation and the nation’s leaders [which now amount to one supreme national Good], I must take this.)

Last summer of knowing our nation is imperfect but at least we the people have the tools
both
to prevent our government from becoming a tyranny where honesty and fair play are punished and dishonesty and collaborating with oppression and corruption are rewarded,
and to help nudge our government towards the better?

Last summer to breathe free and clear?

Last summer to trust maybe not every detail of our government, but the bulk of it, and our ability to correct its errors and avoid doubling down on its follies?

Last summer to be a US American in the way that you always took for granted?

Last summer of freedom?
Last summer of joy?

Author: Bartleby
Editor: Amble
Copyright Andy (Watson)