Squire Abe Z.
Abe
In that "Dear Abe" speaks as George Zidbeck's alter ego, know that both share the same background. For those interested, H. (Honorable) Abe refers you to earlier issues wherein Mr. Zidbeck wrote monthly under the pen name of Country Squire from Feb. 2010 thru April 2013. (See Archives
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Abe vs Country Squire #3
by George Zidbeck
SQ: Excuse my inflection, Abe, but I hope you’re happy over what you did.
Abe: You’ll have to give me a clue on what you mean by that statement. Sounds like you’re blaming me for something.
SQ: Gladly. You encouraged Mr. Z. to head east and north for nearly a week to visit some friends. You thereby, with your compelling impulses to have him travel, had him all to yourself while I waited patiently back at the squiredom.
Abe: Is that it? What do you expect? I remind you that Mr. Z. belongs to me as much as you. Are we to be forever glued to home base and from there ponder the ills and wrongs of this sorry old world? Lighten up. We’ve plenty of time to get ourselves into gear and talk about any of the many crises this country faces. That said, while I traveled up into the western foothills of the High Sierras, I had time to look at what we originally set out to do, and I began worrying that we’re wasting our time. Education? We could talk all year and not have any favorable impact on the subject. Ditto with taxes; ditto with preparing our children for a future that doesn’t look all that promising; ditto with damned near every problem facing not just California, but the whole damned world.
SQ: My, my, listen to my adventurous counterpart. You want us to sit under an oak tree on the squiredom and turn our back on the many ills?
Abe: Maybe, maybe not. I see nations at war, and differing masses of people infected with divergent visions blaming one another. Like right now, we have Demos and Repubs splitting this country. They may not be Sunnis and Shiites blowing one another up with suicide bombers, but each clash or standoff cripples us financially and emotionally. And don’t get me started on our military actions of the past ten years.
SQ: All right, get it out. Normally I’m the one who pontificates and gets your ire. I’ll cut you some slack. What’s the biggest tack in your behind?
You know, lately, I’ve felt like, well, if we haven’t officially declared war according to the constitution, let’s pull the hell out and focus on national issues like infrastructure, the economy, and unfair gerrymandering.
SQ: Even if I think I know what you mean, I’m not sure such a circumstance will take place. It almost sounds like you want us to become isolationists. Like you’re taking the motto America First and changing it into America Only.
Abe: That’s not my intent. But, I am convinced that while we may have an agenda, we have neither time, money, nor influence to effect social change. We’re surrounded by extremists who act like Popes or Moslem mullahs -- like some god anointed them and their hollowed edicts and shallowed pontifications had to be obeyed.
SQ: Oh Abe, Abe, Abe…. Excuse my heavy breathing, but unintentionally you have brought us back to education. Following WW II, the U.S.A led the world with our scientific accomplishments. Today, we’re falling behind. In fact, we’re not number one in any positive area. The notion that no child should be left behind has turned into a fiasco. It kills me that too many schools have eliminated art and musical programs; plus field trips. Also, school administration problems have been magnified by Federal oversight. The Dept. of Education is given too much say on how subjects should be presented. The multiple answer tests to determine a child’s standing and a school’s rating makes me nauseous. And if the Texas School Board that selects textbooks pushes science objectivity aside in favor of biblical creationism; and some state politicos assert their male centrism, many students, especially females, will face reality ill prepared.
Abe: Pardon me, Squire, but it isn’t your heavy breathing that gets to me, it’s your not coming up for air once you start talking at length.
SQ: It’s been a lifelong trait when discussing selected subjects. Sometimes, in the face of outrageous & arrogant posturings that close the door to open dialogue -- like the Tea Party clackers of the Republican clan -- I then I start clacking to get my point across.
Abe: I’ve heard of click and clock; what’s a clack?
SQ: It’s clatter as in making a rattling sound. And I thank you for wanting me to slow down.
Abe: Heh, heh, heh….
SQ: Nice to hear you chuckle. Gives us both a calm break. Actually, so many problems in education face this country, there is no comfortable way for you and I, even in concert with others of similar bent, to suggest the one and true path.
Abe: Such being the case, what can John and Jane Doe, ordinary citizens, do from this point? Likely, many feel as I do, and that means helpless and confused.
SQ: Money counters money. For every dollar from the wealthy 1%, we must muster 101 pennies from the 99%. My bias has such monies going to political progressives, particularly those office holders and candidates not beholden to corporate lobbyists and PACS.
Abe: Easy for you and I to say. We -- you, Mr. Z., and I -- have no funds to divvy from our pockets, and how do we keep the Boss Man tied to the right candidates?
SQ: Not easy for me to speak bluntly, Abe, but we must jointly persuade him to refrain from unnecessary motoring plus encourage him to consolidate his shopping trips. Plus, we can help him stifle his impulse to eat out and pick up the tab as much as he’s done lately. Let’s sit on his shoulder and lightly pinch him when an opportunity arises to help progressive candidates not just in California, but across the nation. Basically, we Americans live in a Republic. The pulse of that Republic depends on the majority votes: first on who gets elected followed by the electees then voting on a wide range of issues. However, over the past few decades, the U.S. Republic has become tainted by corporate wealth coupled to insider lobbying shenanigans.
Abe: And, let’s not forget Congressional bodies passing laws, but excluding themselves. Also, awarding themselves full pensions for serving but one term in office. Equality under the law requires them to sign onto Social Security and Medicare. Both Democrats and Republicans have gone too far. Yep, we are in a mess all right. Not just in education, but in ethics across the board. Damn, Squire, seems like we’re in a sinkhole that worsens weekly. And, once more you and I have deviated from the problem of education to even bigger problems across the board. No way in hell are we gonna straighten out anything even by organizing and kicking in daily chunks of dough?
SQ: First things first, Abe. Let’s keep our characters separate, but stand in agreement that we are small cogs in a great piece of machinery that needs greasing and constant maintenance beyond what a couple of pairs of hands can provide. Let us therefore seek out like-minded individuals and ‘congregate’ into a body that speaks from an organized base. Not to speak as believers of one or two of the Bill of Rights, but as believers in the whole of the Constitution; not to speak as if ordained by some god, but as free thinkers who resent those intruders who desire to limit our freedoms. A Constitution that basically grants each of us the privilege to vote while we might temporarily abide this and that legislation that dents our rights or modifies them to suit narrow interests. We owe no fealty to the wealthy nor are we indebted to any party that shuts down our body politic to suit its narrow interests.
Abe: Damnit, sometimes you -- hoo, boy, I hate to say this -- you speak eloquently with those big and long winded words. I’m with you. Let’s see if we can scour the locals to join us.
SQ: Now there’s a problem. In fact that is the problem.
Abe: Next time then. Right now I’m bushed. Heh, heh, heh.
Write to Dear Abe or the Country Squire
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