The Wall of Shame

Here’s what I wrote in a recent Facebook post:

I agree with this Administration. We need to build a wall. Let's do it. Put it around Capitol Hill and call it the Wall of Shame. Put on every Congressperson's name who just voted against our future, was so callous and cruel as to hurt our children by endorsing the least qualified candidate. (Meanwhile, call them all and say they will be remembered next time we go to the polls.) I believe we could go further and arrest them all for high treason, for letting money speak louder than democratic principles, ignorance rank higher than knowledge, greed surpass care.

"Keep America Stupid" is their new mantra, insuring that they can keep fooling the voters of the future by taking away anything approaching actual education and critical thought. Someone who can't think is someone who can be bought and sold and fooled and ruled and counted on for mindless compliance. Meanwhile, teachers, let's re-double our efforts to tell truth to children, teach them to distinguish between poison and protein, teach them to care, to question, to stand up and stand for something larger than mere money and power. Close the door to your classroom, gather the kids in a circle and be the change we want to see in this world.

The likelihood of getting permission to build the wall is zilch, but while we still have the Internet, why not a virtual wall that people post daily on Facebook and such? Or buy billboard space in Times Square? Or buy space on the TV trays on airplanes and paper them with the Wall of Shame. Start each Daily Show displaying the image and adding and subtracting as needed? So If any of you readers out there have both the time and computer skills to make a virtual wall and put on the names of all the people dismantling democracy brick by brick, crippling the foundation of any standard of human decency and removing the cornerstones of human culture and civilizations, can you work on it and send it to me? Around the edges the title:

THE WALL OF SHAME, CONTEMPT, DEGRADATION, DERISION, DISGRACE, DISHONOR, IGNOMINY, INDECENCY.

HEREIN ARE THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO IN THE FIRST MONTHS OF THE YEAR 2017 ARE PERFORMING AND ENDORSING ACTS OF TREASON TO DEMOCRACY, BETRAYING THEIR CONSITUTENTS THEY SWORE TO REPRESENT, COMMITING CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, SHAMELESSLY, AUDACIOUSLY, UNABASHEDLY, CRUELLY AND VICIOUSLY USING POWER AND MONEY FOR PERSONAL GREED AND GAIN IRREGARDLESS OF THE DAMAGE TO INNOCENT FELLOW CITIZENS. THEIR NAMES SHALL BE PUBLICLY DISPLAYED UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THEY ARE REMOVED FROM OFFICE OR PUBLICLY SHOW REMORSE AND ASK FOR FORGIVENESS OF THEIR SINS. WE WILL NOT FORGET.

First names up are the President and Vice-President, soon to be followed by all the cabinet members and all the congress-people who voted in favor of Betsy DeVos and are likely to do the same with each of the proposed unqualified and morally bereft candidates for yet more dangerous positions.

The saving grace of democracy is some measure of accountability. While these folks are wildly rejoicing in their apparent limitless power to re-shape the nation according to their image, with contempt for multiple viewpoints, democratic tradition and choosing qualified people over merely rich people, they need a reminder that we are watching. And we will not forget.