Mary Ann

Dawn Wells, Mary Ann of Gilligan's Island, wrote of Meryl Streep's speech at the Golden Globes:

"Amazing depth and perception radiated in Meryl Streep's speech tonight at the Golden Globes as she accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. Thank you Meryl for making us artists proud"


This was apparently controversial to many of her followers prompting some very negative responses.  I only just heard about it, and had this in response.

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I'm just catching wind of this post, and after seeing similar reactions from people I have known for many years, I am once again amazed at the inability for people to think for themselves. This really doesn't come as any surprise because we are not trained throughout our lives to do that. We are trained to go to pep rallies and root for your team. It starts at a young age, and carries on throughout life. Most people are not critical thinkers. That is not an attack on anyone's character. It's just a fact.

This explains the defense of anything Trump says even when it is immoral, and or juvenile. This "man" gained most of the VAST majority of the Christian vote in this country. This fact alone speaks volumes as to what people know about their own good book they claim to believe in. People operate on keywords, without depth, and only superficial knowledge. Just say "Jesus" and they will listen... even though that person may not make a confession of sins...

As a manipulation technique, that's brilliant, if you're Donald Trump. It worked beautifully. But, that good book says you will know them by their fruits. Somehow his rotten apples got their vote. At least the serpent in the true used fresh fruit, just forbidden.

Now, we even have the Jim Baker crowd declaring that Trump may very well be JESUS returned, or at least his forerunner, although I don't remember there being any forerunner mentioned for the 2nd coming other than the shout of an archangel. But, I don't read it like I used to. From cover to cover and over and over, I did, and had to break it down to this.

There are nine pieces of fruit and six pieces of armor. Love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. By these "fruit" you will know them.

The six pieces of armor are the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the Word...

Now, I realize we live in a time where the largest group of people out there do not identify with any religion. I am not a big fan of religion. There are thirty thousand flavors of Christianity worldwide, not to mention all the other religions in the world. I'm only expressing this here because the people who don't like what Meryl Streep said, which is bewildering to me because it was said with the greatest dignity, and grace; are the same people that protest your post I'm assuming because they were Trump supporters and there is a very good chance they also identify as being Christian. Dear Christians, please explain what she said that offends you? I listened to the same eloquent speech and thought it was well said.

If it was the "birther" comment, then it just proves my point that people latch on to keywords and can't substantiate their claims. Other than that, are we not a nation made of all different kinds of people? The most cherished documents of our nation were written in such a way as to leave room for people of faith of different opinions, cautiously against anyone trying to impose their interpretation above all others, and against anyone intending harm against anyone for their beliefs.

Jesus is not mentioned in our nations documents. The generic term "God" is. This was done by intention, and our founders were hardly orthodox in their views with such as Thomas Jefferson dissecting the Bible, removing all the mention of miracles, and keeping only the moral teachings. That's fine for Thomas Jefferson, but personally, I believe in miracles. I've seen them. However, 'you will know them by their fruits'...

The scientific mind, and this scientific generation denies these things. Perhaps they haven't been exposed to the same supernatural things others have, but while this was never a nation expressly "Christian", it was predominantly populated by Christians. We've been arguing about that since our inception.

I don't believe in atheism, but if an atheist doesn't intend to harm anyone for believing in God, and they operate in peace, then fine. I also don't believe in people like Jim Baker and his crew who say that Donald Trump might be Jesus. But, if they're not trying to cause harm to anyone for disagreeing, then let them believe what they want. It's just that I also believe when Jesus returns he's not going to be elected president. It will be an unmistakable event where every eye will see and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord preceded with the shout of an archangel... and he's not some guy from Queens born with a silver spoon in his mouth that somehow managed to get the Christian vote.

So, when you have a president elect who mimics disabled people, categorizes Mexicans as criminals, talks about building walls instead of bridges, and Tweets like a Twit on Twitter, then it's time we check our belief system before we go calling him the Messiah. After all, have you ever met a white guy named Jesus? That's a Latin name, the Latinos pronounce as HEY-SUS, not GEEZ-US. And, that's a good reason to believe God loves Latinos if you ask me!

Why would the translators of scripture choose to use the Latin name when translating into English what would be more accurately translated as Joshua? I can't answer that question, but that's what they did. Maybe they foresaw we needed that bridge on down the road where we are today in need of 'a bridge over troubled water'.

I know people who have accepted Donald Trump's explanation of what he did in mimicking the disabled reporter, but if you believe that I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'll sell you. I know people, I never thought would vote for such a guy, because of what basically amounts to peer pressure did. When everyone around you is doing something, you might tend to do it too. I worked in environments like that. I understand the herd mentality. I see it every single day in action. It's everywhere. In fact, we are wired for it. So, when someone breaks the mold, they are labeled as a black sheep. It's a tough place to be, especially if you're not a Liberal and you didn't vote for Trump. Especially, when you are a believer and can't understand how other believers could vote for Trump.

Yet, that is America, where we can agree to disagree, but if anyone can show me why all the uproar over Meryl Streep's words and make sense of it beyond superficial disapproval, then please do.

We do not live in a theocracy. For believers, there is God's law, and there is Grace. For those who are not believers, we have the the laws of our country. The biggest problem on both sides of the fence are that we legislate morality. Yes, our roots are in Judeo-Christian beliefs and the ten commandments are the foundation, but beyond that we don't need any laws for behavior in a nation founded on openness to ideas as it relates to faith. What we could use is a lot more decency from the left and the right. As far as I'm concerned the government does not belong in your church, your bedroom, or your garden, but who can disagree with laws against lying and stealing and murder...

So, here we are today in a society that includes people of all races and even gay people. I don't understand homosexuality, but this isn't a theocracy. So, we don't stone people to death for that here. Some think we should, but then we would be imposing our own beliefs upon others when the Christian faith is not by imposition, but by conviction. You can't force someone to be a believer. What we should require of every citizen is that you mind your manners.

After the election there was a rally downtown. They called it the F*** Trump rally. I did not attend. I'm not a "rally" kind of guy, and with all the anger that was being displayed and still is, except by Meryl Streep, I am reminded of one soul standing the crowd surrounded by angry protesters against Trump who were holding signs saying "F*** Trump" and "Not My President". Like it or not, unless you're seceding from the United States to form your own country, he is your president! Nonetheless, there was this one woman standing there calmly holding her sign that simply read, "Trump Is A Creep". We need a lot more of this kind of disagreement especially when whoever is elected is hardly going to affect your life.

I know all about anger. I lived many years with it as one of my most identifying traits. I'm not happy about Trump. I don't like him one bit. He represents what I like to call Mansion Capitalism, when we need a more modest approach to capitalism. We have created a nation full of people who are not satisfied. In some cases, that is justified, largely even our poor are rich compared to the truly poor across the globe. We need a lot less greed and lot more gratefulness. We've got greed at the bottom and greed at the top, suits and ties, suits and ties not.  We need a welfare system, but we also need welfare reform.  We need to learn from the lady in the crowd of angry protesters.

There isn't and there never has been a perfect president, nor shall there ever be one.  The best we can do is make sure everyone is taken care of, because I hate to tell you this if you come from the "self-sufficiency" crowd, it does take a village.  The question is whether you come from the Department of Peace, or the Department of Piss People Off.  If you're pissed at Meryl Streep and therefore pissed at Mary Ann... I don't understand.  What I do understand is Donald Trump spends most of his time trying to piss people off, and I'm no Liberal.

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Greed at the bottom, greed at the top

Suits and ties, suits and ties not

Greed at the bottom, greed at the top

Walk down the street, you see it everywhere

People sittin' on the corners asking you to share

People sittin' in mansions want another over there

People on the corners with government checks, from the

People in the mansions, and the middle class deck?!?

People sittin' on the corners after free lunch

Sayin' gimme, gimme, gimme, just one of your bucks

Lunch might be free, but the crack is not

Greed at the bottom, greed at the top

People in the mansions say get your own

Let the crumbs fall straight... straight to the ground

The ground where people sleep because the shelter is full

The ground with the side walks meant for us all

The ground with the homeless and citizens

The ground where the homeless miss the trash bin

Greed at the bottom, greed at the top

It's a two way street, like it or not

One way says another, and another says not

Greed at the bottom, greed at the top

It's a two way street, with one lane blocked

Greed at the bottom, greed at the top

Suits and ties, suits and ties not

Where's my mansion, some of us ask

Where's my golden shower in the forecast

Where are my women, and where is my bed

Mansion capitalism, at its best

Greed at the bottom, greed at the top

People want more and won't ever stop