Emails Past and Present
A Reflection Upon Our World

Four years ago, Moh sent me an email from Myanmar on election night. She asked me about what was happening in America. She couldn’t believe that Trump would become the president.

There were others that wondered also like the 10,000,000 Americans who contracted the COVID-19. Why didn’t Trump act before COVID-19 got out of hand? However, acting assumes he had a plan, which he doesn’t have. Tragically, a quarter million Americans aren’t alive to due Trump not addressing the coronavirus.

Fortunately, America had two elections last week. One was in the real world and the other in Trump’s alternate reality. It the real world, Trump lost by five million votes. In his other fantasy world, he won an overwhelming victory.

video

The Saturday Night Live comedic video isn’t a joke. When Pennsylvania’s election results confirmed that Trump lost the election numerically and in the number for the electoral votes, tens of thousands throughout America went out into the streets to celebrate. They were jubilant that our Warlock-in-Chief was dead…presidentially.

My son lives in Chicago and emailed this note.

Thought you'd appreciate this: there's jubilation in my neighborhood this morning at the Biden win. This guy lives around the corner from me and brought out the bagpipes at 10am to celebrate….

This photo was attached to the email.

I did a year of post-graduate studies at the U. Edinburgh at New College and wanted to learn the bagpipes. However, I can’t read music. Nonetheless, I wonder what this bagpipe aficionado was playing as he celebrated a new day for America. I pondered for a few moments and came up with several possible musical masterpieces.

The first guess was that he was playing Amazing Grace. It was written by John Newton who started out as a British naval captain who captained ships that transported slaves to America. However, one day, he saw the light and became an abolitionist. This video is Glen Campbell singing and playing the bagpipes to Amazing Grace.

Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
    That sav'd a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
    Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
    And grace my fears reliev'd;
How precious did that grace appear
    The hour I first believ'd!

Thro' many dangers, toils, and snares,
    I have already come;
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
    And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promis'd good to me,
    His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
    As long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
    And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
    A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
    The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call'd me here below,
    Will be forever mine.

Newton realized that he made a mistake. Slavery and racism are ethically wrong. Essentially, he reformed his mindset. He admitted that he was wrong, and, for the rest of his life, he fought against slavery.

Trump can’t admit any his mistakes. When asked by a reporter what he would do differently now with the coronavirus. He said tersely, “Nothing.” Nonetheless, the death rate among the populations of blacks and Hispanics suffer more than whites due to COVID-19 because of preexistent medical problems

The Chicago piper might have been playing the tune, The Loch Ness Monster.

Trump is always coming up various conspiracy theories. Therefore, that mindset is another of Trump’s notions that some monster that is coming to get you. Hence, that tune fits Trump’s fishy mindset.

Another possible song could have been Beating the Retreat at Edinburgh.

For those that aren’t Scottish, beating a retreat occurs when a piper and drummers beat a retreat at the ending of an important occurrence like a banquet or some ceremonial event at a castle or some stately residence in Scotland. Further back historically, it originated centuries ago. Essentially, a retreat was played notifying soldiers during a battle that they could return to their barracks and rest for the battle next day. In Trump’s case, he will retreat to his bunker and quiver in place.

Trump, in business, in life, and in politics, is a failure. He will act for a couple of weeks as if he was a macho man. Nonetheless, someone needs to help him pack up and more out of the White House.