As a musician, I think I can now empathize with the band on the Titanic. I’ll keep playing, hopefully to provide some comfort, but the truth is we’re all going to drown. We had a chance to choose a captain who wanted to try to lead us toward safety; but instead, we chose full-steam-ahead into the iceberg. I understand the cultists who are so anxious for “heaven” that they voted for the apocalypse. I don’t know why so many other people would rather die than vote for a competent, black woman to steer the ship. At this point it doesn’t matter who you voted for, the floods, fires, droughts, hurricanes, and invasive species are coming for us all.
I tried to bail my little part of the cabin, but my solar panels, heat pumps, and recycling are no match for a President who is determined to drill up and burn every last drop of oil and gas on the planet. I tried to vote “Blue” hoping my vote would provide some help for those who have no voice or power over the degradation of their homelands, but there is no comfort now in living in a “Blue” state. Sure, the folks in steerage - poor, the non-white, the island nations and the Floridians - will drown first, but the whole ship is going down and only Bezos and Musk have “lifeboats.” At least we don’t have to talk about abortion and IVF anymore: no one is going to want to bring children into this climate disaster.
The legend is that the band played “Nearer My God, to Thee” as the Titanic sank. I’ll keep singing ‘til the end and I don’t think it will matter what song comes up at the end of this disastrous journey. I doubt God will want to be near any of us who allowed this to happen to her beautiful creation.
Amen,
Phil Brown
St. Johnsbury, VT