A Book, Some Deep Thoughts and Hockey - That's Life

I'm in the middle of reading a rather sobering book. Now, normally I'm fiction all the way - adventure novels, fantastical novels, alternative worlds novels. But when the right nonfiction book comes my way and moves up on my reading list to be the next one, I dive into it with as much enthusiasm as I would with a new Tolkien tale or a new plate full of Narnia. So, here's one I'm recommending to you, even though I'm not even half-way through it yet. 

I strongly recommend this book to all of you. It's actually 
a really easy read but it tackles a very difficult subject 
with a thorough look at the historical path that has gotten 
us to the political point we're at. Whether you're 
Conservative or Liberal, or in the USA or elsewhere, it 
can help you understand where our politics is coming 
from, and possibly where it's going to. It's a bit 
frightening, to be quite honest. 

Politics confounds me, but it influences how I can live my life, as well as the lives of those friends and acquaintances both near and far. This book is a bit frightening, but I can absolutely see the pattern the author, Bradley Onishi, is pointing out in its' pages. The title? "Preparing For War - The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism - and What Comes Next". If that doesn't send shivers down your spine, it should. It should. Grab a copy, read it. If you're in the USA, read it and think hard about your town or city, your state and your national elected officials. Are you frightened? You SHOULD be. It's enough to turn my stomach, and I can so easily see the progression through his pages and my own studies of history over many years. 

Kids play together after school - they'll 
gather at one person's house for a few 
hours, or they'll hang out at the local 
library or the playground at the local 
park or school. Kids gather together. It's 
their nature - they are "pack animals" in 
essence. 

Those of you in nations which have existed for centuries probably look at the USA as an upstart - a baby in the world of great nations, movers, and shakers. You're right. We are the new kids on the block - the ones with the nicely paved basketball court and a large lot behind the house for baseball and football pick-up games. We're the house where Mom bakes cookies to give to visiting kids, and the TV has all of the latest games and 3-D headsets. In other words, we're the house where everyone wants to come after school. We've built it that way. 

In my childhood, we'd get home from school, dump 
our books into our rooms, change clothes, and run 
outside. I lived in a block where there were at least 
20+ kids within just a few houses, and there was always 
somewhere to go or something to do. It was great! 

But underneath that wholly welcoming exterior, is an interior that's quite a bit more selective. That interior welcomes everyone with open arms, and then cleans the areas where certain people came just a bit harder. Where the guests might get a meal that's a bit less in quantity, or a bit more burnt or stale than the meal the rest of the family is getting. We're jovial and hospitable on the outside, but we're really not on the inside. That difference is coming through loudly in this upcoming election, and I'm pretty sure that I'm going to once again be ashamed of my own country within another year or two. 

Right now, we can probably add "No Immigrants" to 
this list. That would include just about everyone "else" 
and would make that far right quite happy. It turns 
my stomach, however. It makes me sick and ashamed 
of calling myself a citizen of the USA and what I had 
been taught that we stand for. That freedom, that only 
seems to actually be available to white, Anglo-Saxon 
people, not so much for anyone else. 

But, enough negativity for today because I'm really not pointing out anything you're not already aware of. My ice hockey team (MN Wild) are on an extended road trip, with the final game of this trip taking place tonight. Then they'll have a few days off until they're back home on Tuesday. They'll have several recovery days then, until their next game on Sunday the 3rd, but they return to the road until the 10th because this weekend and next weekend are the Girls State High School Hockey Tournament (just finishing today) and then the Boys State High School Hockey Tournament (starting on the 6th of March). These are MAJOR tournaments, great fun to watch, and a lot of stars of the future are playing in these games. They're FUN to watch, and I plan to be listening or watching all of the Boy's Tournament games. A lot of NHL players came through that tournament. 

This photo is from the Boys State High School Hockey 
Tournament in 2022. Do you see any open seats there 
in the Xcel Center? No? That's because there AREN'T 
any. Every seat is occupied, and many more were turned 
away at the door. The State High School Hockey 
Tournaments pull in the crowds (the boys tournament 
especially, but the girls tournament is picking up 
steam too). This tournament is where you will find 
the stars of the professional leagues and the scouts are 
most definitely watching every game intently. I'm hoping 
my nephew Flynn will be goalie here in a few more 
years. He has that level of talent. 

On that hockey note, I'm out of here. I need to find something positive to focus on, and hockey seems like the best idea today. I'm wearing my Kaprisov jersey, cheering the Minnesota Wild team on their road trip, and watching/listening to the Girls State High School Hockey Tournament which wraps up tonight. The girls may not skate as fast, but they can hit just as hard - LOL. Have an excellent Saturday and weekend, I'll be back on Monday. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.