So, today is the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I only just learned that his given name was actually Michael as was his father’s. His father changed his name to Martin Luther King, and Dr. King subsequently took that name on for himself as well. Dr. King was a great human being and a Great American. He had the courage to take on the enormous challenge of injustice in American society. While he was initially concerned with the need for equal rights for African-Americans, he expanded his mission to that of poor people as well. Mostly, the people who do not admire him are the members of the privileged and elite class in our country. Privilege and class separate people more than race, it seems to me.
Mike has advised me to stay out of political commentary in my blog. He thinks there are enough other people, as well as their dogs and cats, who already have a lot to say about what is going on in this country. So I have to respect Mike’s opinion, but at the same time, this is my blog and after all, Georgia Cat Speaks! So, I just want to say, that a certain individual who shall remain nameless, has had unkind things to say about 2 great Americans from opposite sides of the political spectrum, John McCain and John Lewis. It’s hard to imagine men of greater integrity and courage. Regardless of a person’s political philosophy, you just have to admire them. Go online and read their biographies. (You might want to read about Dr. King as well.) You have to be proud of a country that produces people of such good character. The character traits that I admire the most are those in which people can place their personal interest aside and stand up for what is right for everyone. They are the givers, not the takers. They are the lovers, not the haters. But maybe you don’t agree with me. Feel free to make comments.
I understand that there is going to be an auguration in the next few days. I heard that there have been some problems getting people to sing in this auguration. I have taken the trouble to look into this to some extent. I had thought that possibly I could volunteer myself and my Backyard Soprano cohorts to participate in the auguration. But as I looked into it, I thought that possibly we should stay out of the whole thing. It turns out that an augur is an omen, often of something bad that’s about to happen. So this auguration sounds like it might be the initiation of something bad, possibly very bad, that might be about to happen. Omen, by the way, should not be confused with omentum, which is a membranous layer of fatty and fibrous tissue that covers the intestines and organs in the lower abdomen.
But auger spelled with an “e” is something different altogether. It is a drill bit or a screw, a sharp tool with a helical shaft that is used for making holes. And a tool is a person who has limited mental capacity, who is easily manipulated. A tool is a fool, a schmuck (metaphorically). So, whether it is an auguration or an augeration, I think the whole event is something that I might get involved with and later feel ashamed that I did so. A bit of feline wisdom that I have been taught, and almost always adhere to, is this. If, when you consider doing something the feeling of shame arises within you, you had better not do it. I must say that following this advice has served me well more than once in my life. So, I’ll just sing in the back yard according to my usual custom.
By the way, when the snow melted in the back yard there was still a patch of white which I investigated. It was rabbit fur. I could still smell the coyotes in the area. It’s a dangerous world, and I suggest that you be very careful. There will always be people and coyotes who want to hurt you, kill you, lock you up, or take away what you have. It’s a competitive world out there and some people are like coyotes: very dangerous, and with no scruples.
Have a nice day.