The Slippery Slope

                                                        

Well, it didn't take that long, after all.

A mere fifteen years since 9/11 and the United States of America, the mansion on the hill, beacon of freedom to the world, is now picking up speed down the slippery slope to destruction.

We didn't know, but Osama bin Laden knew. We didn't know how fragile our democracy was, how lightly we took our basic freedoms. Osama knew that the USA would fold up like a cheap tent if we were confronted by fear. He knew we were fragile and afraid. 

What began as a national willingness to yield personal freedom on the altar of "national defense" slowly, but surely, has resulted in the fracturing of the very institutions of our democracy. 

We were fine with unauthorized searches and wire taps, because, after all, what did we have to hide?

We were fine with racial profiling because, after all, they weren't like us, were they? Non-christian bearded "terrorists" didn't deserve any constitutional protections, right?

We were fine with an under-staffed Supreme Court because, well, this President didn't deserve to name a new judge, who cared what the Constitution said? 

We were fine electing an unfit, unqualified , Russian sympathizer, whose prospective cabinet is rife with conflicts of interest, even after proof of Russian hacking and influencing our election process has been uncovered, because, Trump is a TV star and he tells us what we want to hear. Who cares about the ramifications to the First Amendment? Who cares about his fascistic tendencies? It's simply not important enough to matter. 

Skiing is a fun pursuit. Zooming down hills and slopes can be exhilarating. Unfortunately, this country is heading down a very slippery and dangerous slope, gaining speed with each passing day. When we hit the bottom, it won't be a pretty sight.