MALALA

Shades of the american woman cometh to mind.  Not until twenty years into the 20th century did she win the battle to vote.  She won it after years of risking her life -- as a human and an American citizen -- protesting against being denied equal rights with male citizens.  She won it after years of being beaten bloody and stoned in her protest marches, some being burned alive in buildings set afire where she dared raise her voice not only against her mistreatment but against the institution of slavery and other injustices in society.  She won it while those "holier-than-thou" prayed against her on waking each day, prayed against her at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and prayed against her before crawling into bed at night.

Will those "holier-than-thou" enemies of Malala admit to the evil of their persecution of women or will they go on being the scum representing the ignorance of the Dark Ages by savagely cutting off women's noses, lashing women with whips, and burying them up to their necks and stoning them to death and shooting them in the head -- as they did the innocent 14-year-old Malala -- for wanting the right to be educated in the 21st century?

When Smiles Mean . . .

They had trained, practiced, and each felt prepared to send the other into a horizontal position.  They were on stage now, the center of attention.  They walk confidently to each other -- the usual four ropes marking the boundary of combat are absent in this battle.  They extend their hands -- without gloves.  They're wearing suits and ties, and they're smiling -- smiling?  When have we seen a fighter smiling as he tries to dominate his opponent with an unblinking, freezing stare?  The referee is there to assure that the fighters fight by the rules.  He or she is seated at a desk -- seated at a desk?  A referee?

Even as a crushing punch -- straight to the jaw or an unhinging blow is unleashed to the solar plexus the giver and the receiver smile -- smile?  The spectators react happily or sadly for their respective contender.  It's as if by some kinetic mix-up the impact of the blows have swerved from the giver and the receiver to the spectators.  But that's only when smiles mean mean smiles.

They'er Here

Lines of men, women, and children circled city blocks in the largest cities in European and American countries.  Frowns of awe were on their faces as they looked at her wherever they displayed her body.  "But she was in the prime of life, so lovely -- how could she just die?" was the gist of one view of death.

Now some people -- once thought to be dead -- are known by many to be thousands of years old.  And mentioning what these people are still doing  will be more proof of their age than meeting them.  We see one each time we breath or look in a mirror or think of a relative.

In the Americas, Columbus made us possible; Presidents Washingtion and Lincoln, and those who wrote the Constitution of the United States kept us -- and keep us -- going.  Thanks, guys.

Obama Et Al

The first speaker said:  "I exist . . ."
The second speaker said:  "You don't exist.  Nothing exists . . . it's all in your mind."
Another said:  "To say that 'nothing' exists is a contradiction."
The first speaker said:  "I am because I can say that I am."
The second speaker said:  "But the seconds it took you to say 'I am', you were changing, becoming seconds older, and how can you 'be' if you're constantly changing, always 'becoming' something else?  It's all in your mind.  There's no such thing as 'matter'."
Eventually a compromise was reached with:  "No matter, never mind."

Then the one classified as "Another" said:  "Then how can people say, 'I support this or that candidate, but in an instant say, 'I don't like what he said; I don't like how he came across in the speech or talk or debate.  I'm voting for the other candidate."

Then a voice seemingly out of no where thundered:  "LOOK -- REALLY LOOK! -- AT A HUMAN.  IT IS A PILE OF FLESH, BLOOD, AND BONES, FRAGIL, FICKLE, EGOTISTICAL, WHIMSICAL, AND AS MORTAL AS ANY OTHER SUBSTANCE OR MATTER.  HALLELUJAH AND GOOD LUCK!