WikiLeekZ

Good morning,

I wrote this more than 4 years ago and present Cri der Coeur to you unedited from the July 16, 2016 writing. I hope that you will take a few minutes to read and think about what is written before voting tomorrow. -Zeny

July 30, 2016

 

Cri de Coeur

 

To My Friends, Family and Artist Pals,

At an art show yesterday, a fellow artist asked me a question about the upcoming Presidential election. She expressed sadness and a lack of comprehension as to why so many of our citizens have voted in the primaries, and would consider voting in the general election for such a man. “What can we do”?, she asked me.

I replied that recently I’ve asked myself the same question and have decided to act. I told her that I would write to my friends, acquaintances and some collectors that I know and for whom I have an e-mail address to state my point of view.

To many of you who know me well, I’ll be preaching to the choir, to others, you may be saying, “we like Zeny and/or his artwork, but he’s simply much too progressive to have anything to say to me”, and there might one group that haven’t yet made up their minds.

I hope that all of you will spend a few minutes listening to what I am about to say.

I thought that things he said at beginning of his campaign seem almost unbelievable, statements that he surely wouldn’t continue expressing.  At the start, he seemed more or less a side show to the ‘serious’, ‘regular’ candidates of his party that he so railed against, belittled and bullied. He gave some of us an injection of incredulity as he continually made me, and others, exclaim…’can you believe what this guy said today! Or, we may have thought that a particularly onerous statement would surely sink his campaign; but, amazingly, he persisted in saying the most crude, hurtful, ignorant and dangerous statements imaginable; seemingly unconcerned or perhaps unknowing of the impact. It didn’t negatively affect his polling numbers or voters, however.

He repeatedly seemed to me to be singularly uneducated in basic tenets of international geopolitics or of any history at all. Nor, did he appear to be interested in becoming schooled in the elementary points of diplomacy, domestic policy or military history. In fact, he seemed to regale in know-nothing positions or told those who asked for a position statement that ‘he’d look into that’. 

One of the most difficult things for me to understand was his ability to consistently lie about almost everything and not even seem to care. When he would be questioned about a false statement he made, he’d double and triple down on it and shout louder while belittling the questioner. He said so many false things, made so many false statements that for the average citizen, it was impossible to have a normal life and still find the time it takes to fact-check his statements. It was an unending, cascading waterfall of braggadocio, lies and bullying.

I think the press finally just gave up in frustration, assuming that someone making such outrageous, bullying statements would not be around much longer as the primaries progressed. And, the thing is, his followers didn’t seem to care about his false, outrageous statements, didn’t know the difference or, were so disenchanted with their lives and the perceived direction of the country that they were willing to disregard his skewed point of view or his crude, 5^th grade bullying. He bullied, made fun of and ridiculed all sorts of people, not just his opponents. Of course, his opponents now became everyone who criticized him in the slightest way… as well as the many who happened to be Mexican, female, POW’s, disabled, Muslim and many others.  

So, why would people vote for someone who would say the things he said? His followers simply didn’t seem to care, leading him to say "I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose voters," What does that say about his supporters, what does that say about the candidate and about America?

That statement was only about the 100^th, any one of which that he has made that would destroy almost any other candidacy; but he continued on his scorched-earth march to the White House. And he will continue that march to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue unless we all deeply consider what this would lead to…and then vote in November.

Perhaps the press should have some blame in the rise of this person for not fact- checking and calling him out, playing for sales and ratings; equating every bombastic quotation to more viewers, listeners and eyeballs, resulting in greater profits. Perhaps it is his party to blame, taken by surprise and unable to control their restive base. At this point, it doesn’t matter because it’s up to all of the people in our country to carefully consider what we are witnessing.

Some of the things he touted in the beginning made some sense to me. I would comment to a close friend that he seemed to have a few ideas that I could go along with such as…NATO countries paying a greater share of their own defense or a closer look at international trade agreements that were not good for our economy and country. There always a caveat, however, for me when I said that. “But, he makes so many crazy, ignorant, dangerous statements”.

I don’t want my children and grandkids to ask me what I did to prevent this man from becoming our President and have nothing to answer. I’m personally embarrassed and embarrassed for our country that we have a candidate who seems to have no stable inner core of honest self-worth, sense of empathy or understanding of basic tenets of humanity. He just doesn’t seem to care what he says and when there is a heavy push back, he denies ever saying what he said the day before. Words matter to me. I’m personally embarrassed and saddened that we have a candidate for President that is so crude in his speech and actions and so bereft of ideas to improve the life of all Americans. As a country, as a people, we have never, ever countenanced such a person in our public life attaining such a high level of politics or culture.

Looking ahead 3-4 years, we may say…’Why did educated, church-going, kind Americans embrace such a dangerous man? Perhaps it’s the long years of real economic hardship and the war on terror begun after the 9/11 disaster? When people become angry enough or desperate enough, sometimes they’ll support crazies who would never even attract a crowd in normal circumstances let alone come to power.

I ask you to look into your heart and honestly ask yourself if you’d want your kids or grandkids to act and be like him. What kind of country would we have…filled with people who have so little empathy for his fellow citizens or sense of intellectual curiosity for the sciences or for public policy and history? I ask you, who among you constantly brags in public about your accomplishments? Who among you lies and dissembles on a continuing basis? Who among you ridicules, bullies and threatens those who are different or less fortunate than you?

I would not presume to tell you how to vote, or even if to vote. I simply want to appeal to your sense of humanity and dignity of the office of the President and ask yourself if this man is really the person to lead our nation and by extension, all of the nations of the world. Each person can make a difference in how our nation is to be administered in the coming years.

Thanks for your time.

Zeny

If you wish, you may forward this on to your pals.