• At first I misread this and thought that Erik Loomis was visiting the American grave of Ralph Garr, the former Atlanta Braves outfielder and NL batting champion. I’d never heard of the actual subject of this grave-visit mini-history, Colorado Gov. Ralph Carr.
I’m glad to have corrected that, even though, for most of Carr’s political career, as Loomis says, “the guy was a right-wing, anti-New Deal toad.”
But there’s also this, Loomis writes: “More than perhaps any other politician in the entire United States of America and almost certainly than any politician in the American West, Ralph Carr rejected the idea of locking Japanese Americans in concentration camps during World War II based on their race.”
And on that subject, Gov. Carr was eloquent, principled, and fierce. Loomis quotes from speeches Carr gave on the topic to Colorado voters who were not predisposed to agree with him:
They are as loyal to American institutions as you and I. Many of them have been born here — are American citizens, with no connection or feeling of loyalty toward the customs and philosophies of Italy, Germany and Japan. … I am not talking on behalf of Japanese, of Italians, or of Germans as such when I say this. I am talking to … all American people whether their status be white, brown or black and regardless of the birthplaces of their grandfathers when I say that if a majority may deprive a minority of its freedom, contrary to the terms of the Constitution today, then you as a minority may be subjected to the same ill-will of the majority tomorrow.
The Japanese are protected by the same Constitution that protects us. An American citizen of Japanese descent has the same rights as any other citizen. … If you harm them, you must first harm me. I was brought up in small towns where I knew the shame and dishonor of race hatred. I grew to despise it because it threatened [pointing to various audience members] the happiness of you and you and you.
This is how leaders need to talk whenever the majority decides to “deprive a minority of its freedom.” Especially when it’s not popular to say. That is, after all, what the “lead” part of “leader” means — that you’re not following public opinion, but shaping it. Or, at least, providing the opportunity for it to be shaped according to what is true and real and right.
True and real and right are compelling, even to those who are inclined to prefer their opposites, That doesn’t mean speaking this truth is some magic trick that will instantly transform public opinion (“If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets …”), but it certainly means that not speaking up for this truth will further confirm the majority’s prevailing contempt for the minority group being threatened, oppressed, and plundered.
I am not talking on behalf of transgender or immigrant or BIPOC Americans as such when I say this. I am talking to all American people when I say that if a majority may deprive a minority of its freedom, contrary to the terms of the Constitution to, then you may be subjected to the same ill-will of the majority tomorrow. It threatens the happiness of [pointing to various straight, white, male Christian audience members] you and you and you.
(N.B.: I’m also happy to note that Ralph Garr is still alive and well.)
• Congratulations to the new owners of the Cedar Falls Mobile Home Park in Bangor, Maine — the people who live there. Cedar Falls just became the latest resident-owned, resident-governed community, which beats the hell out of being a billionaire-owned community.
No kings. No landlords.
• The Powers That Be don’t want you to read William Stringfellow, but J. Scott Jackson thinks you should anyway: “So, You Want to Read William Stringfellow?”
• Jeffrey Epstein was a billionaire and a sexual predator who used his billions to evade legal consequences for his actions for years — until Julie Brown and the Miami Herald shined a spotlight on the corrupt justice of the sweetheart deal arranged for him. That sweetheart deal was orchestrated by Alex Acosta, who was rewarded for his service to the Billionaires Are Above The Law Club with a cabinet appointment from President Trump in 2016.
That’s a small club, so all the members know each other, but Trump and Epstein had been especially chummy. In 2002, before Epstein’s first arrest and sham-trial, Trump said: “I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy. He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”
Yet somehow ever since Epstein’s death in 2019, he’s been the subject of MAGA-world conspiracy theorists certain that some leftist cabal is hiding secret Epstein documents that will vindicate their “terrific guy” and prove that celebrities are harvesting adenochrome and also somehow that the “Me Too” movement went too far and must be rolled back. Or something.
That’s the backstory for this: “The Trump Administration’s Epstein Stunt Is Turning Into a Vast Right-Wing Feud.” If you recognize the names of all of the MAGA influencers and podcasters and radio hosts in that article, you’re probably “too online.” But also please enjoy the spectacle of all of those vipers in the same burlap sack, turning on one another.
For a snarkier take on this whole story, see Wonkette: “Documents Proving Epstein Was Murdered By Deep State Still Missing Somehow.”
• Border Patrol agents may not be completely useless after all. They’re doing important work seizing contraband chicken eggs from would-be smugglers at the border.
• Undine points us to this account of the “rotten business” of “When Madame Tussaud’s Caught Fire, 1925.”
Being a white evangelical Gen-Xer, reading that inevitably made me think of Steve Taylor and the song whose lyrics provided the title of this post.
I think Taylor’s intent, back in 1984, was for “Meltdown” to be a song about how an eternity in Hell awaits all those who fail to “get saved.” The song stumbles painfully whenever that intent becomes explicit. But for most of the song, it overcomes that intent and works quite well as a simple memento mori.
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