From the Democrats of Hemet-San Jacinto

Hope Springs Eternal

I am writing this article on Easter Sunday, right in the middle of Passover, and just before Ramadan.  The Hindu holiday Holi was in early March.  These are all spring holidays and each of these religions celebrate a new beginning with these holidays.  Easter celebrates a new life after death.  Passover is a time of reflection and joy when we emerge from our cocoon of doubt to fly freely on the wings of faith.  It is the celebration of the Jews being freed from Egypt known as the Exodus, a new life after slavery.  Ramadan is a time when Muslims can reconnect with God and begin a new chapter in their life.  Spring is such a wonderful time with blossoms and flowers.  Spring is a time of joy and celebration.  Yet many of us cannot enjoy our traditional celebrations today.  We are sequestering, avoiding our friends and family, hoping to avoid catching the Covid-19 virus, and wondering when all this will end.  But as all of these religions teach, there is hope.  If we do our part, if we listen to the experts, the health professionals, we will get through this together. 

The Water Beetle

Once, in a little pond, in the muddy water under the lily pads there lived a little water beetle in a community of water beetles. They lived a simple and comfortable life in the pond.  Once in a while, sadness would come to the community when one of their fellow beetles would climb the stem of a lily pad and would never be seen again. They knew when this happened; their
friend was dead, gone forever.  Then, one day, one little water beetle felt an irresistible urge
to climb up that stem. However, he was determined that he would not leave forever. He would come back and tell his friends what he had found at the top.  When he reached the top and climbed out of the water onto the surface of the lily pad, he was so tired, and the sun felt so arm, that he decided he must take a nap. As he slept, his body changed and when he woke up, he had turned into a beautiful blue-tailed dragonfly with broad wings and a slender body designed for flying.  So, fly he did! And, as he soared he saw the beauty of a whole new world and a far superior way of life to what he had never known existed.  Then he remembered his beetle friends and how they were thinking by now he was dead. He wanted to go back and explain to them that he was now more alive than he had ever been before. His life had been fulfilled rather than ended.  But, his new body would not go down into the water. He could not get back to tell his friends the good news. Then he understood that their time would come, when they, too, would know what he now knew. So, he raised his wings and flew off into his joyous new life!

My hope is that we come out the other side of this pandemic with lessons learned, that under regulated capitalism will never respond effectively to major disasters, that we must plan in advance and stockpile equipment.  Covid-19 has shown us that our plans were not sufficient and our response was woefully inadequate.  Simply put “too little and too late”.  The tax breaks for the wealthy have led us to this disaster and if not reversed will keep us from doing better the next time.  If we don’t learn our lesson for this disaster, we will be unprepared for the next one whether it be another virus or climate change, or earthquake or whatever.  And we need to elect a President with compassion and the leadership skills to lead this effort.  If only the current President would have given the same priority to this pandemic that he gave to the wall.

Dick Gale
President of Democrats of Hemet-San Jacinto