About to say

Kennedy was about to say in his undelivered speech in Dallas on November 22, 1963 (per Theodore C. Sorensen):

” Words alone are not enough….Where our strength and determination are clear, our words need merely to convey conviction, not belligerence. If we are strong, our strength will speak for itself. If we are weak, words will be of no help”.

We almost missed a great speech, if it weren’t for historian’s preservation. Apparently, the torch (which had been passed on to a new generation just a thousand days earlier) was then quickly handed over, a heartbeat away, to President Johnson, who along with all, graced with his predecessor’s wit and wisdom, taste and class, elegance and briefly “Camelot”.

Unlike today.

Unlike anything we’ve seen so far: the descent at speed uncontrollable (the Viking man at Mike Pence’s still-warm podium).

The Constitution seems to be able to speak for itself, but the Capitol (building structure) needs defending. Shattered glass, shattered hope.

“If we are weak, words will be of no help”.

I learned about strength from observing and benefitting from my Dad’s defending me against the neighborhood bully and his father.

The non-verbal and take-no-prisoners body language oozed out of my Dad speaks for itself.

From that confrontation on, I had a smooth ride in a rough area throughout my childhood.

Back to our leaders, whose torch keeps getting passed on “It’s just another job” quoted Obama. Have they lived up and paid up their debt of honor and oath? We saw immediately after that undelivered speech, a lot of happenings: quagmire in Vietnam, break-in at the Watergate (Kissinger was quoted as saying to Haigh “We’ve got to end this charade as quickly as possible”, or as Ford put it “…our national nightmare is finally over”…but not quite… until a Presidential Pardon was granted – a nice way around and out of admission of guilt).

Then on and on. Words and action. Misquotes and misconstrued rhetoric. “I could be Presidential”….

When an office holder, act like an office holder. When an office seeker, speaks like an office seeker. Attack, attack. Where is the weakest link? The English-as-a-second-language speakers? Wetback?

Come harvest times, who are going to work the orchards. Come supper times, we can order from AI (Would you like to have fries with it? What else) but someone somewhere with a nickel-and-dime wage would have to fulfill the order, put it on the conveyor belt for door-dashers to deliver and send the proof photo to our inbox.

Voila. Blood poisoning. Food poisoning. The swam is here, in us, as our words “will be of no help”.

I invoke myself to the defense of truth i.e. action over words, strength in vulnerability and risk-taking.

I wish my Dad were still alive, to stand up one more time – like father like son – facing the force of tyranny and bullies. But then, “the torch has been passed to another generation”.

Most of us, if not all, are not descendants of a Native American tribe. Perhaps with the exception of our former First Lady, whose jacket – on her assigned trip to the border = says: ” I don’t care, do u?”.

Words alone are enough, in this case.