A former judge sums it up, and gives me a week off

On a recent visit to Atlanta it occurred to me that, as a newly single male, I need to do my own Christmas shopping this year. My situation got more urgent when Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms reminded her voters that that there are only 15 smash-and-grab looting days left until Christmas.

So, I had to make a decision. With the supply chain shortage and not knowing what to buy for Christmas and for whom, do I not write a column this week and not shop for Christmas gifts, or do I fake my own death?

Thus, I arrived at a midpoint, and will quote a great recent piece by a former California judge, Keith Alber.  His Honor’s poignant missive is concise and elegant, unlike my writing. 

“I am a student of law whose age is 85. My first year of college was 68 years ago. One class I took was political science. A half-page of my textbook essentially outlined a few steps to overturn a democracy:

Divide the nation philosophically.

Foment racial strife.

Cause distrust of police authority.

Swarm the nation’s borders indiscriminately and unconstitutionally.

Engender the military strength to weaken it.

Overburden citizens with more unfair taxation.

Encourage civil rioting and discourage accountability for all crime

Control all balloting.

Control all media.

What was printed in 1954 as a possible diabolic nightmare has become an emerging reality. I hope that Americans will unite enough to pen a good finish”