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Each week our Boomer-In-Charge, Hershel Chicowitz, has something to say about life, society, or what's going on... from the perspective of a baby boomer. This is what's on his mind the week of February 15:
I know, I know, we'll all sick and tired of hearing about the impeachment mess. But I do have a few, miscellaneous items to clean up. You may find these provocative. Then again... maybe not.
Bill Clinton continues to confound all of us, and all practical logic as well. Politically, the "Monica mess" is the best thing that ever happened to him. Last January before the story broke, his approval rating was at 50%. Today, it is an an all-time high of 76%. All he has to do is commit a couple assaults and a few armed robberies and he'll go into triple digits.
So now the president is free to "go back to the business of running the country." Will that mean another series of late night, phone sex chats? We'll probably never know... or care. After all, it does not matter one bit what this president actually does, does it? All that matters is what he is perceived as doing... "the business of the country..." whatever the heck that is.
And as expected, the president, who has never in his entire life been held accountable for his misdeads, has already said that this is "no big deal." Oh, I know that last Friday he exclaimed "how profoundly sorry I am for what I did." But this is the same man who told us.... oh, why bother?
But now that he is free of the shackles of impeachment, the first important business of the country that he will attend to is a Democratic fund-raising event in New Hampshire. Gees, the trial could not have ended a moment too soon! How did the country survive while he was held in the bondage of the impeachment trial?
Which reminds me, remember all those Democratic politicians who, during the House impeachment hearings last fall, said that this country could not withstand a trial in the Senate? Remember how they complained that a trial would take months and months, and gravely hurt the country because the Senate could not go about its normal business? Well....
Yet the Senate continues to praise itself for its conduct during this so-called trial. But as usual, that denies simple common sense. About half the senators voted to convict the president; half did not. Do you mean that they all looked deep into their hearts to determine what to do, and it is just a coincidence that the half that voted to convict were Republicans and the half that voted to acquit were [mostly] all Democrats? What are the odds of that??? In the words of the "dean of the Senate, Robert Byrd, himself, "Who's kidding whom here?"
Now, did the actions of the president rise to the level of "high crimes and misdemeanors." Well, the Senate said no. But the much-respected, aforementioned Senate historian, Robert Byrd, took a different view. Speaking on ABC's "This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts" last week, he said:
"Well, let's look at it this way, he has - his actions hurt me, you, all of the institutions of government, hurt the presidency, the executive branch the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Judiciary to some extent. Nobody has gotten off scot-free. The question is, does this rise to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors? I say yes. No doubt about it in my mind."
But there must have been some doubt in his mind six days later when he voted no on both articles.
California Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein's proposed censure motion stated that what he did was totally "unacceptable for a president." "Unacceptable" Her words! Yet she, too, voted against conviction.
So the Republicans were being ugly and partisan when they voted to remove the president. But the Democrats were being "proportional" and following their conscience when they voted not to convict him. That is the way the press is reporting it.
And you wonder why people are cynical of our mis-leaders and the press.
The national polls said that two-thirds of all Americans believed that the president should not be impeached. But last month, our poll here at BBHQ showed that only about half of our visitors thought that he should not be impeached. That says something profound, I think. But I'll let you draw your own conclusions.
If I may, please, I'd like to leave you with these words from someone far removed from the scene, and someone far more learned than I:
"A man who lies to himself, and believes his own lies, becomes unable to recognize truth, either in himself or in anyone else, and he ends up losing respect for himself and for others. When he has no respect for anyone, he can no longer love, and, in order to divert himself, having no love in him, he yields to his impulses, indulges in the lowest forms of pleasure, and behaves in the end like an animal, in satisfying his vices. And it all comes from lying -- lying to others and to yourself."
- Fyodor Mikhaylovich Dostoyevsky
If you want to write more, we're open to offerings from other boomers. If you have something to say of interest to boomers, write it as well as you can in 700-900 words, and send it to us. We can't guarantee we'll publish it, but we'll surely consider it.
For more of Hershel's essays, check the BBHQ Archives or the Boomer Essays.
Hershel will have something else to say on February 22; mark your calendar to come back to BBHQ every Monday.
| The BBHQ Album of the Month is "Old Friends Live on Stage (Deluxe Edition) (2 CD/1 DVD)," by Simon & Garfunkel. If you were fortunate enough to see them in concert last year, I do not have to sell you. The concert was terrific! This album collection includes 55 songs, plus their new recording, "Citizen of the Planet," and one of the songs sung by the Everly Brothers during the concert. The DVD was recorded during their concert in Madison Square Garden in 2003. For any S&G fan, this is a must have! But then, you knew that already, didn't you? |
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The BBHQ Book of the Month is
"Vinyl Highway," by
Dee Dee Phelps. You remember her as Dee Dee, of Dick and Dee Dee.
Together, they took a decade long ride on the rock and roll roller
coaster. It was a heck of a ride! Dick Clark, Quincy Jones, the Beach
Boys, Glenn Campbell, Dionne Warwick, Bobby Vinton... Dick and Dee Dee
rubbed shoulders with all of them. This is her "behind the scenes" story.
It's pretty cool.
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