When We Turn Reality Into Myth

Supposed Mythical Beings Now Walk the Streets and Stop to Stare Us in the Face

In the past, it seemed that the mythical meanings of events were more subtle and hidden, but no more. They walk the streets with us and often stop to stare us in the face. Myth can mean a traditional, sacred, or universal story, a story of heroes and heroines, creator beings and destroyers⎼ a story revealing a more intuitive way of viewing life, an invisible realm that parallels our usual one. And it can also mean an untruth or false belief.

And today, our president illustrates both meanings. He has taken lies, corruption, a lust for power and vindictiveness against opponents to such historic levels he has become for many larger than human, a wanna-be deity or devil, a destroyer being walking the halls of our capital. And for too many others who follow him blindly, he’s an angel of vengeance.

But instead of this mythical being living only in story and legend, he’s very human and all too real. And what we, the rest of us, are called to do can seem like something only a hero could accomplish. But usually we don’t feel heroic; we feel like ordinary beings facing a reality that is extraordinarily unbelievable, frightening, and despicable.

For example, the DT administration is planning to destroy or abandon satellites that collect information about pollution and carbon build up in the atmosphere, as well as terminate the collection of weather data that collects vital information on hurricanes.

And why the enmity for weather information? It seems the only reason for terminating the satellites is to end scientific research into⎼ and proof of⎼ human-caused climate change. He wants to block the availability of information that can be used to protect the environment and protect the sustainability of human life on the planet. And instead, he wants to empower private entities and corporations to abuse it.

Politico reports that DT has stopped information from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program from being distributed to users. This includes data on hurricanes that has been crucial in protecting people who live on the coast from dangerous weather conditions. Weather collection has greatly improved since Katrina, but DT’s actions can put that at risk, and put lives at risk. Will free weather reports and all regular weather satellites be destroyed next?

When I was teaching high school, students wanted me not to use the word ignorance. They disliked anything that sounded like abuse, bullying, being unfair; and calling someone ignorant can do that. And I loved that concern by students. But ignorance can also serve a powerful descriptive purpose. The root ig means not, opposite of. And nore comes from the Latin gnarus, meaning aware or to know. Ignorance is not knowing, not-seeing what’s right there to see and know. It has a connotation of willful not-knowing.

In the past, ignorance was considered a detriment, even dangerous for a politician. Now, we have a president working to create a reign of ignorance, particularly about who he is. He’s pushing ignorance and greed over accurate knowledge and favoring the advancement of a few wealthy and politically powerful individuals over protecting the health and safety of all of us on this planet.

And instead of protecting our health, he’s undermining it. He’s dismantling health research, distorting the science of vaccines, firing Health & Human Services personnel, and ordering public health scientists and researchers to remain silent. The misnamed Big Beautiful Bill could strip 16 million people from their health insurance and close many hospitals, which could jeopardize the whole health care system.

And he lies so brazenly and persistently he makes truth almost impossible to discern. For example, by constantly shouting lies about Democrats stealing the 2020 election, he magically transformed claims of stealing an election into lies. He can then go out and steal an election.

He also makes truth difficult to discern by undermining education itself. He’s threatening to end public schooling for the majority and replacing it with for-profit and religious schools. He’s trying to end teaching the truth of historical topics he doesn’t want known, like slavery and other aspects of Black history in the US.

He dislikes and fears academic freedom and free speech so he’s acting to destroy the independence of colleges and universities, forcing them to shape their teaching to fit his personal and political agenda. He’s destroying the robust cooperation between government and universities that in the past produced productive discoveries that made our nation stand out over others. For example, drugs for lung cancer or immunotherapy treatments have both been developed through government and university cooperation.

He’s even pressuring museums and institutions like the Smithsonian to close exhibits he doesn’t like on aspects of US history and culture. He actually said the museum focuses too much on “how bad slavery was.” Does he think slavery was good?

Maybe in some mythical universe, meaning a world dominated by giant-sized lies and hateful beliefs, DT’s actions might appear rational, sane, beneficial. But in one where truth is usually valued and studied, the common good often fostered, and “ordinary” people encouraged to act as heroes in their own stories, his actions are perceived as enervating, corrupt, and malignant. And they must be stopped.

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