Squirrel Madness
A Microcosm of US Society
As I sit on my couch in this house, I watch squirrels scurrying and scrambling with one another to eat from a bird feeder. I intuit a hierarchy among the squirrels because only one at a time can feed although two can quite comfortably do so. And so, I am reminded of US Society. Today, similar to the 19th century, we are engaged in extreme polarization, but as opposed to human enslavement and states’ rights, this one is entirely fabricated.
Society can and should accommodate all viewpoints (quite comfortably), but not too differently than the squirrels I watch, we have a group ready to rule on a fabrication. Rule? Yes, rule! Authoritarianism, fascism, and a hierarchy are on the horizon for the US because the root of our human nature needs to justify itself. Like the squirrels, we cannot abide anyone else coming to the table. It is an indelible trait of our human nature which we MUST acknowledge. It has always existed; yet, it is coming to the surface with vengeance during these times.
In the current polarized climate, we now feel vindicated to give voice to its natural tendrils: hatred, racism, anti-semitism, self-centrism, and ignorance. This voice assumes a tenor of authenticity and truth in spite of the mountain of evidence to the contrary. Religious fervor and fanaticism are the characterizing traits of the “squirrel madness” around us. No longer shall facts or scientific data stand in the way of wayward and misdirected convictions! We must sit at the table alone and feed alone.
Soon, however, the table will be cold and the food will be bland and tasteless and we will long for the warmth of human embraces and flavor of love. Soon, soon.
