Wednesday, May 31, 2023

The Cult Of Ignorance - and - Tom Sawyer Was Out In The Rain Last NIght

                                  Tom Sawyer Was Out In The Rain Last Night

                                  An original mixed media painting

                                  9" X 12" unframed


     Those viewers who may be somewhat familiar with this blog,

may have seen this painting previously.  It is one from my series of  book

paintings which I have shown here in the past decade or so.  I chose a 

book painting today as another reminder for everyone to think about all

of our individual rights which are being taken away from us by autocratic

state legislators and governors.  Everything that we do in our own personal

lives, to help us determine our future health and advancement, is under a

constant threat of being taken away from us by the Republican tyrants

who have gained full power in so many of our states.  Perhaps the sadest

part of this new reality, is the fact that we have the Trump Supreme Court

which gives these idiots permission to abuse our personal rights as they like.

     The latest example here in my state is a law which restricts freedom of 

choice in our libraries. The kinds of books libraries can buy and make 

available to readers, are now limited to those which these right-wing politicians 

see as appropriate for their children.  Any one parent has the power to block 

what the children of all the other parents can see and read.  Failure to comply 

with this law results in loss of funding for the library.  

     Libraries have always been the bedrock of American democracy, from

our beginnings.  They were the places where we could go to get the full

information we needed to help us conduct our lives for our own best benefit

and for the best benefit of society in general.  These Republican efforts to stifle

truth and factual information, is a further example of the way they are grooming

this cult of ignorance, to help them stay in power.  I am reminded again of

Socrates famous words that proclaim ignorance to be the world's greatest

evil, and knowledge to be the world's greatest good.  Nothing has changed

in over two thousand years.

    My advice to all readers now, is simple.  When you go to the library, go

directly to those restricted sections, which  contain the books which have 

been given limited access, due to Republican political command.  That is 

the area where you are likely to find some of the best books in the library.

Take those books home and read them.  They will expand your mind and

help you see the world in new colors and whole new dimensions.

     Don't let anyone tell you what you are not allowed to read. It is a 

knowledgeable citizenry which eventually removes tyrants from their 

positions of power.  

                                             Eugene P. McNerney 

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