Dorrier Underwood

Status Quo Human beings are not objects—well, actually, we are objects, even if we also are so much more. In groups, especially the large groups we call culture, we do exhibit tendencies that Newton applied to objects in his laws of motion. First law:  An object at rest will remain at rest unless acted on by an unbalanced force. In other words, objects tend to keep on doing what they’re doing. We don’t even know the status quo quietly informs us from deep in the background, unobserved, unchallenged, invisible, telling us to pay no mind. Things may not be wonderful, but “they are what they are.” The status quo allows for complaining: That keeps everything the same. And oh, when everything is “fine”--wow!  Such a drug, such a soporific. Back-patting also keeps everything the same. The status quo lulls us: It’s fine. Go back to sleep. CDC discovers a bunch of anthrax samples from long ago— The status quo had “informed” them: Nobody gets anthrax any more. We’r

A couple of weeks ago I happened to catch the tail end of The Rachel Maddow Show. She ended the show as she always does….”Stay tuned for The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell.  Tonight he returns from his three months of battling back from his accident and he has some thought provoking and moving stories to tell from his journey.” Okay, I didn’t really know he had been gone.  How would I,  not being a regular follower of MSNBC?  I was curious and decided to watch longer. Mildly, Lawrence began, “As you can see, I am not wearing a tie tonight and most anchormen always wear ties. And real anchormen don’t cry on their show, either.  It’s not acceptable; if we did, we would make the stories about ourselves.  Heaven forbid, we teach America that it’s okay for its leaders to suppress emotion.  Well, I am not going to wear a tie tonight and I don’t promise not to cry.” He had me now.  What in the world? Where was he going with this? Lawrence proceeded to share his tale of tragedy