I’m old, and I know it. But I feel grateful to have grown up during times and events which no one in Today’s America will ever experience. Two of the greatest memories I have are related to print publications. Everyone in America looked forward to the Sunday Newspaper. It had something for everyone. For me it was several pages of comics, and they were in color! “Blondie,” “Beetle Bailey” and others filled a part of my morning. The other joy I had was related to weekly and monthly magazines. “Life” magazine was always interesting, but everyone looked forward to one cover of one magazine.

The legendary artist, Norman Rockwell, created 323 covers for “The Saturday Evening Post.” His artistry depicted my America; the 1950’s and 1960’s. One I have never forgotten featured a policeman on a stool in an ice cream shop. He was in conversation with a little boy who was likely eight or nine years old. The “soda jerk” was listening to the conversation. The painting was titled “The Runaway.”

The year was 1958; I was 12 years old. We were taught that the police were our friends. I later learned that this was only a fact if you were white when growing up in Los Angeles. When I attended high school I met young black men who told me a far different story about their experience with some policemen.

Today it is common to see black men and women being abused and even killed by law enforcement; everyone has a video camera on their phones. But what is most distressing is to see law enforcement dressed in military uniforms wearing bullet proof vests, carrying rifles which are meant to kill enemy combatants, and arriving in military vehicles. No longer does law enforcement present a friendly appearance, or a smile that says “I’m here to help.”

I do not trust the police today. They are not trained to perform their duties in the 21^st century. They are defensive and all too frequently shoot first. When they arrive at a protest march it looks like the invasion of Iraq. Donald Trump plans to escalate the situation.

Our former ‘real’ President, Barrack Obama, removed much of the military weaponry from the police departments in Missouri and Maryland when they used these weapons to ‘crack-down’ on demonstrators protesting police brutality. Trump is returning Humvees, bayonets and grenade launchers, among other equipment, and will continue to provide our nation’s law enforcement with these types of weapons.

Let’s tell the truth here; one of the first changes Adolf Hitler made in 1933 was to reform his police and include them in his military; he basically declared ‘martial law.’ Fascism has many components, and two of them are complete loyalty from the military and law enforcement. No longer will our police and sheriffs be allowed to use the slogan “to protect and to serve.” They will now use a new slogan: “to serve the State.”

Half of all Americans are considered ‘low-income’ or ‘impoverished;’ I am one of them. I no longer like my country very much. Our government is corrupt and dysfunctional. I would love to move, but thanks to our government’s support of the one-percent, I can’t afford to leave; My wife and I barely survive, and are struggling to keep our home. And Trump will only make the situation worse.

I miss the “Saturday Evening Post,” and I miss my America. I was lucky. No one born after the turn of the century will ever experience what I enjoyed in our once respected nation. The United States is a totally different country, but we can take it back. We can vote all Republicans from office and demand that our elected officials once again represent us and work for all of our nation’s people. Changes including term limits will bring back democracy and return the power to the people. Join me; you won’t be sorry.

Please re-post; thank you.

Op-ed by James Turnage

SOURCE

Image courtesy of the Saturday Evening Post

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