I hope you’ll excuse my punnish play on words in this week’s title, but listening to the pre-election blather by candidates and supporters in the special Congressional race in Buffalo, NY, (to replace sleaze ball, Chris Lee), and the aftermath, featuring Paul Ryan defending his defenseless budget proposal, it has become clearer than ever just how un-unified our Union has become. At the heart of the present shit storm is the Republican battle line of fiscal reform based on kicking the crap out of seventy years of socially secure promises of entitlement programs. Although I would be among the first to agree that these programs are mismanaged, wasteful and, in their present state, unsustainable, throwing them under the bus is neither an answer nor a responsible effort at carrying out the duties of an elected official. And, because we are now into full-blown 2012 election mode, the dizzying number of unspecific lines in the sand will only insure the failure of any forward thinking government response. Our divisiveness has become the start, middle and end to every conversation and the erosion of the best parts of America may already be beyond repair. We are dismantling public education, we have no plan to keep our citizens healthy, our infrastructure is in ruins, our economy is based on nonsensical market trends instead of real goods, services and innovation and a fully and gainfully employed workforce…and 40% of the people, (Republicans, et al), seem to think that that’s OK…unless you fuck with their MediCare that is. There are plenty of very smart people proposing very smart solutions but nobody, on either side, really seems to be listening. Maybe our education system has deteriorated farther than I had originally thought and it’s just a matter of not understanding all of the words and we’re all just living the ‘ignorance is bliss’ adage…except without the bliss.

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On a more positive note, I began this blog nearly three years ago in praise of my brave nephew, Alex, who, despite Asperger’s Syndrome, was able to graduate high school on time. Alex has an incredible singing voice and when he informed me of an opportunity to perform at an Autism Speaks event, we collaborated on an original song and recording in lieu of the expected national anthem or pop standard. The result is “Into the Light”. Check it out on the video link below…and tell all of your friends.