Those funny sick people scattered out between the coasts. The ones that keep the fucking in the family, and can’t afford to go in every six months to have their teeth cleaned like you and me.
We are preached to steadily about their ridiculousness and failings, and taught to view them as an irredeemable basket of MAGA deplorables.
Could be.
But it doesn’t matter whether you aspire to be a good Christian, a good Buddhist, or just a good atheistic or agnostic humanist. When you encounter the damned, the slightly larger half now of We The People, you must approach them with compassion, with empathy, and with a spirit of forgiveness.
Maybe even a dental plan.
But you go on doing you, sunshine. I’m not reverend and I’m not here to preach.
Instead, here is a playlist to help you move in the direction of that spirit of something other than trespassing against those who trespass against us.
Or against our eggs, or something.
Namaste.
***
Jackson Browne: On Writing ‘Take It Easy’
Jackson Browne – Rock Me On The Water (Live BBC 1978)
Jackson Browne – Poor Poor Pitiful Me
Warren Zevon – Poor Poor Pitiful Me (The Original)
Linda Ronstadt 1997 – Poor Poor Pitiful Me (The Best)
Linda Ronstadt – When Will I Be Loved
Linda Ronstadt – WWIBLoved and a surpising cover as a bonus
Steve Earle and Aoife O’Donovan – “Willin’”
Little Feat – Willin’ (Both the original, and the best)
Both the singer and the narrator of the song are exactly the kind of fat, dirty, hairy flyover hillbilly slugs you’re talking about when you post your funny memes.
So is John Lee Pettimore, the proud veteran (and thank you for your service) of Copperhead Road.
I’m not so very different. I’ve been to Tucson and Tucumcari. Tehachipi, and Tonopah.
Seems to me like you probably have been too, though you chose to take the time to shower and shave.
I don’t think the real you really wants to be a Revenue Man, an Eliot Ness sworn to the service of the Satans who run this sad world.
So: one love.
Let’s get together and feel alright for once, again, this time.
One People against the real enemy, not the shoddy fake one our evil owners want us to blame.
***
One love, one heart
Let’s get together and feel all right
Hear the children crying (One love)
Hear the children crying (One heart)
Sayin’, give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right
Sayin’, let’s get together and feel all right
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Let them all pass all their dirty remarks (one love)
There is one question I’d really love to ask (one heart)
Is there a place for the hopeless sinner
Who has hurt all mankind just to save his own?
Believe me
One love, one heart
Let’s get together and feel all right
As it was in the beginning (one love)
So shall it be in the end (one heart)
Alright, give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right
Let’s get together and feel all right
One more thing
Let’s get together to fight this Holy Armageddon (one love)
So when the Man comes there will be no, no doom (one song)
Have pity on those whose chances grow thinner
There ain’t no hiding place from the Father of Creation
Sayin’, one love, one heart
Let’s get together and feel all right
I’m pleading to mankind (one love)
Oh, Lord (one heart) whoa
Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right
Let’s get together and feel all right
Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right
Let’s get together and feel all right