Best and Brightest

“Water seeks its own level. Look at them. The Tigris, the Euphrates, the Mississippi, the Amazon, the Yangtze. The world's great rivers. And every one of them finds its way to the ocean.”  

― Alison McGhee, All Rivers Flow To The Sea

One never recovers from debilitating poverty-- seeing hard-working, sweating, self-denying parents and grandparents, even neighbors, sacrificing the pleasures of life for their children. Perhaps this is the reason the poor, in another age, were not as sickly as the wealthy. The poor sweated out the body's toxins which caused disease.

History has been punctuated by men and women with enough intestinal/ neurological/ spiritual fortitude to accomplish. It was not the lazy or indifferent, who walked "the road less travelled" to give the best version of self, in helping others.

In my lifetime, the mantra of "who you know"-- networking, fraternization types-- became the ultimate aim for those seeking success.

It was not until this writer matriculated at the university, that he discovered the importance of cliques-- the fraternity handshake. You see, among hard-working country people, the handshake was a measure of manhood and honesty-- no strings attached. At the country schoolhouse, we just wanted an education. We had not been indoctrinated about the superiority of fraternal groups, such as the freemasons. We still believed that industriousness, hard work, self denial, and ambition would get you there, put you places. One would have starved before depending on government largess from their fellow man. One would have been insulted that political clout had been imposed on him getting somewhere. I will never forget my consternation, even anger, when I learned that the state-supported university, and first state-supported institution in this nation, employed people to ensure that sons of politicians and power brokers, were getting a smooth ride through school, with no problems of any type-- particularly from an honest professor. This writer had a class with the famous Charlie "Choo-Choo" Justice, the UNC-CH football player. Our instructor was told that Mr. Justice should pass his course regardless.

It was at this time in history that the best and brightest got in to medical or law school. It was your ability that landed you there, no letters from well-healed alumni. This writer resigned from the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science), at one time a prestigious scientific body, because science is now controlled by money, instead of knowledge-- philanthropic foundations and government grants. Just as universities and colleges made sure that the sons of the elite were coddled at their institution, like just another agency, universities, medical schools, etc., now keep high-paid representative lobbyists engaged at every government level (local, federal and state), squeezing money from taxpayer funds. Even more ludicrous, and ridiculous, "in the political affairs of men," big money and big politics (campaign workers and contributors) are overshadowing every area of American life. Just follow the money-- political contributions, money from the military industrial complex, money from Big Pharma and her cohorts, money which is already tainted the media, academia, every area of the decency once claimed by this democratic republic. After all, what does morality have to do with integrity? What does lying, cheating, and stealing have to do with the psychological or spiritual personhood of a nation or its people?

War after war has been fought by the sons and daughters of the poor and disenfranchised, while the sons and daughters of the elitist were lapping up prestige and profits at their clubs (country, golf, civic).

The consistent inconsistency of decadent government and bullying superiors, hit this writer many times in the military-- long after eight years of university training. In other articles, I have described one Army hospital near Red Stone Arsenal, where the staff was mostly Nazi transplants. Germany had lost WWII, but the USA moved Nazis to our country. It hit me again one morning, after I had returned-- a blind, 100% disabled veteran-- that the government into which I had poured everything never even gave me a white cane.

Mr. Joe Rush, who is, after 40 years, still working for me, while getting out of my car, after a trip to the grocery store, was carrying the bags and I, as always, was opening the door. I found the back door to be open. Two police officers almost knocked me down leaving my house, and nearly scared me to death. After they had identified themselves, I said, "What are you doing in my house?"

Joe said, "This man is a blind veteran."

One said, "We know he is a veteran. There is a dress uniform hanging in one of his closets." What were they doing in my house-- in my closets.

They said, "We were here to check on you."

Breaking in my back door? They had never checked on me before, and haven't since. The truth is that they had heard me criticize the local police department on the radio and were in my house to embarrass me in some way. Since then, there have been other such occurrences. You see, it has never been the best and brightest, in Eastern North Carolina, or elsewhere, who have been appreciated. Rather, it has always been those with political pull, "picking the flowers which they did not plant."

The communist, Sunni Muslim, who inhabits the White House as president, has not, at any time, selected the best and brightest for government-- only those willing to dance to the tune which he plays. Just think, $634 million was spent on Healthcare.gov, which is not working. So, in order to clear up this debacle, he states that he is bringing in the "best and brightest." The best and brightest should be used in every area of federal, state, and local government, but we all know that government train wrecks are caused by slick, rotten, hazardous tracks. Those who fail are still promoted to better jobs.

One can well understand the passion of the civil rights movement, discrimination of mankind because of skin color and ancestry-- not having won life's lottery. It was so obvious, yet preachers, teachers, and leaders absolutely refused to face the facts. I still remember those African American segregated schools with outhouses and wood-burning stoves for heat. The local politicians evidently enjoyed putting the poor whites and blacks in swamp prisons (prisons in swamps, surrounded by wire fences, snakes, mosquitoes). Today's jails (70% African American inmates). Today's children (72% from African American single family homes). One third of the abortions that happen each day are African American? Why Mr. Obama, Mr. Congressman do you not bring the best and brightest to government to solve many problems?

....Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Matthew 22:37-39