MUZING FROM THE EDGE: BACK AT THE TREE

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It has been several weeks since our last encounter at the tree. For those who missed it I chose to stick my nose into a situation on behalf of someone else before I had fully thought through the possible consequences. It probably wasn’t the smartest move I have ever made but then I have made so many dumb moves in my life it is hard to sort them all out in terms of dumb and really dumb. Anyway, once I had jumped into this situation before my brain had a chance to really sort it out, I was there for the duration. Like I said, accepting a challenge to meet a guy twice my size at the tree meant I was about 15 ounces short of a pound of brains. But, and you would never guess it now, growing up as a small skinny kid who got shoved around a lot, I was sick and tired of bullies.

Do not ask me what got into me that day because I haven’t a clue. It may have been my Network’s Howard Beale moment when he screams the famous line, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.” Although in 1957 I was 20 years ahead of my time. I really wasn’t thinking too clearly at the time because Beale didn’t have the massive Charles staring him the face. For the good of it or the bad of it I was in it and there was no backing out now. There was one thing that I knew was going to happen that day when I left school headed for the tree. I Knew I was probably going to get my butt whipped, but Charles was going to know he had been in a fight. The little guys were going to win simply because the big guy was going to get hurt in the process of being a bully.

Walking up to the tree that day I couldn’t hear anything but the pounding of my heart. Kids were standing around waiting for the event to start, but they were mere blurs in my vision. I knew there were talking but their voices were just like white noise. Nothing existed except me, my absolute fear, and Charles. I could only focus Charles’ face and his grin. As I walked toward Charles I dropped my books to the ground and kept walking straight at him. Having watched more fights than I had ever been in I knew that most of them had a lot shuffling around holding their fists up. Mostly posturing I guess. I knew I was going to get hurt so I figured my best bet was a surprise attack. My walking turned unto a burst of speed and a flailing of fists. I must have hit him four or five times before he realized the fight had started. That’s when I learned it took a lot to really hurt a big guy. He squared up and the right side of my head felt like it exploded which I was later told was caused by his left hook. I got off the ground with a buzzing sound in head and saw him come at me with a bloody nose and a cut over his eye saying something about me and a greasy spot. His next punch luckily hit me on my left shoulder because it numbed my arm down to my elbow. If it had hit my head the police could have gotten a knuckle print off my temple, whorls, ridges and all.

I had always heard that a solid punch to one’s nose usually takes the fight out of anyone and I was getting desperate. I saw my chance. I put everything I had into that one punch aimed directly at his nose and missed. Instead I hit him directly in the throat. His knees immediately buckled and he started down. At that point I knew if he ever got up he would be so pissed off he would surely kill me. So I jumped on top of him and him in the throat again. Hey, it worked once. Then I started choking him. There was no way I was going to let him get off that ground to beat the crap out of me. After a minute or so two three guys drug me off him and made me let go of him. They said he was turning blue. I wouldn’t know because in my mind I was fighting for my life. All’s well that ends well I guess. He lived and never crossed me or my friends again. I got a reputation as being a bit crazy a dangerous to mess with because everyone was convinced I tried to kill Charles. I figured they didn’t need to know that I was really just a scared skinny kid.

When I last wrote about the tree it was after President Obama gave his State of the Union Address before Congress. During that address he challenged Congress and in particular the Republicans to get to work on behalf of the American people. He was especially emphatic about the health care legislation. Using my experience at the tree I wrote, “But now, the State the Union speech is over, or as was in my case, school is out. It is now time to decide …[ does The President]… recede into the background as [he has] been doing, or.. [does he].. go to the tree. The coming days will tell the story of whether this man will become the great President we all believe he can be, but he must now step out of the background and fight. He can no longer throw these things willy nilly to the congress and say please, now it is do it or else, and there has to be an or else.”

Well, the State of the Union has come and gone. The gauntlet was thrown down and left in the dust. The President and the Democratic Leadership did not go to the tree to face the bullies of the Republican Party. Basically, they let the Republicans thumb their noses at them, and let conservative members of their own party run roughshod over them. They have let the turncoat Joe Lieberman makes absolute fools out of the President and the Democratic leaders in the Senate. Lieberman, who was flip flopping so much on the Medicare for all issue he looked like a fish out of water gasping for air except he was grasping for insurance lobbyist dollars.

All of this comes down to a very simple principle my friends of The Tree. Long before this, long before the State of the Union, it was time for the President and the Democratic Leaders to challenge the bullies and Meet Them At The Tree. And there could be no more shuffling around, it was time for a full on frontal assault. But it just seems that that someone forgot that where bullies are concerned pacification is viewed as weakness.

About Post Author

Bill Formby

Bill Formby, aka William A. Formby, PhD, aka Lazersedge is a former Marine and a former police officer. He is a retired University Educator who considers himself a moderate pragmatic progressive liberal, meaning that he thinks practically liberal, acts practically liberal, and he is not going to change in the near future. But, if he does he will be sure to let you know.
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14 years ago

@Holte and Mike, I would love it if Obama had been able to bring everyone together for a Kumbaya singfest. But it was clear from the start that was not going to happen. It was foolish to trust Joe Lieberman after his antics at Republican convention. Now here we are months from the mid term elections and the Republicans doing just what they needed to do, get the American people frustration, fearful, and confused.

Oso, you are right. LBJ would have been kicking butt from the beginning. Obama’s biggest mistake was expecting the Republicans to do anything differently than they had in the previous eight years of screwing over the American people.

osori
14 years ago

Lazer,
LBJ would have waded right in and kicked ass just like you kicked Charles’ ass. Maybe even Kennedy.

I’m pretty cynical but like I keep saying it’s Kabuki.IMO Obama is a creature of DLC triangulation;he speaks to the base but his actions are for Wall St.

I’m glad you kicked Charles’ ass man!

Admin
14 years ago

I am with you on that Holte. I am not concerned about the Right when it comes to reconciliation, but I am concerned about the frightened Democrats. There are too many of them and their numbers are growing every day.

14 years ago

LAZER – Obama didn’t get where he is by riding roughshod over people, he wants cooperation with the Republicans, I don’t think he’ll get it, but no one can say he hasn’t tried. It seems like we are approaching going it alone time. My big concern is not whether any Republicans jump on board, but if 51 Democrats can be found to support reconciliation. A few Democrats may have to be taken out to The Tree.

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