2/29/20

TOMORROW DOESN'T BELONG TO ME

Who remembers the scene in the classic film Cabaret, (1972)
 where Sally Bowles, (Liza Minelli) Christopher Isherwood, (Michael York) and Maxmillian Von Heune, (Helmet Griem)  stop to have lunch at a rural beer garden in Weimar Germany?
Oblivious to the world, they talk about drinks, parties and travel, while a young peach-cheeked lad begins to sing in a cherubic voice- Tommorrow Belongs To Me.  As the song progresses a couple farmers join in, then waitress and staff, then the entire military troop-Nazis. Sally Bowles and company are forced to leave making the statement, 
"do you still think you can control them? 

The other day I attended a farmers market in the quaint town of Wrightwood in the San Bernadino mountains. I've been going to Wrightwood since I was a kid. My parents have a little cabin not too far from there. In a small community auditorium were a smatter of folding tables with fresh produce, farm raised eggs, homemade baked goods, tamales and the most amazing smoked salmon I've ever tasted. Everybody knows each other.
 The vendors are Mexican, Japanese, caucasian and black. In the corner was a MAGA booth run by a surly looking man & woman. They looked like caricatures of what one might image to be "poor racist trash." They noticed me immediately and grimaced in my direction. 
I glared right back boring holes thru their thin, receding hairline skulls. 
Every now and again someone would walk up and talk to them. 
I wondered why they were allowed to have this booth with ethnic minorities on either side? 
I'm assuming the Wrightwood community approved. 
Someone decided this is equal opportunity. 
The other morning I was at an original diner circa 1948 on route 66 Victorville. As I ate my pancakes a table full of MAGA men were spewing hatred against "illegals," and convinced California will go red in November. "wait and see, " they taunted. As the Mexican delivery man walked by they feyed excuses for their minority rant. Not an apology, but "he's one of the good ones," type mentality.
This slow overtake of MAGA mentality is now present. Not only in red states, but here in California. In parts of rural areas of my childhood memories, and many parts of sprawling LA County.
Let me be clear, MAGA is not about equality. At its core is a racist, xenophobic, supremacist way of thought, with a wish of going back to something that never existed. The current powers in the white house will never do anything for these MAGA people. Ever! They are too poor. Kanye and Steven Miller have the goods $$$. Small town USA MAGA's will never be allowed a seat at the table. They will be the brown shirts.
Tomorrow doesn't belong to me.

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