RICHMOND, California — My January 7, 2021 story, “Historians Will Grapple With Events of January 6, 2021,” was my 99th SDJW story. This is my 100th. My first story, “Jewish Tourists in Southeast Asia,” appeared in November 2017.
“Why I Write” is a 1947 essay by George Orwell (1903-1950), a pseudonym for Eric Blair. In the mid-1960s I consumed his prose. Orwell, born the same year as my father, died of tuberculosis the day my sister was born – both in London. Orwell wrote with precision, “Good prose is like a window pane.” He described four motivations for writing: Sheer egoism, esthetic enthusiasm, historical impulse and political purpose. I take him at his word and note that one paragraph contained the expressions, “descriptive method,” “descriptive quality,” “describe things,” and “detailed descriptions.” I’m grateful for his acceptance of “scraps of useless information.”
I vividly remember my location when I heard of the Bay of Pigs invasion, and the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. The insurrection of January 6, 2021 has the same memory scorching effect.
SDJW subscribers sent no comments about my January 7th story reacting to the assault on the Capitol. I have a private mailing list of about 110 friends, family, legal and academic colleagues. I only send them a few of my SDJW stories, I don’t want to burden their good nature. For peace in the family committed right wingers do not get political stories. I received twelve comments, a pretty good response rate. I share them below, with their permission, shortest to longest.
A friend – “Thanks.”
An editor – “NO KIDDING!!!!!”
Law colleague – Good Article. History was made in two ways.
Cousin – “Thanks for adding context to this history in the making.”
A friend of 45 years, almost a nonagenarian – “Your usual fantastic write-up. It was quite a day!”
Neighbor – “Well said.” And later in the afternoon, “Looks like we started with 1933 Germany and are ending with 1945 Berlin. All in 4 years this time.”
Law colleague – Thank you so much for sharing, it was a solemn day with mixed emotions indeed.
Omaha friend – “Excellent writing skills but U have had lots of practice! I wrote up the day in my journal which I am leaving to my granddaughter in DC. She continues to work for a company that helps Blue candidates raise money and develop their campaigns She loves politics and has no love for Mr T!”
A friend had been working the phones from her Northern California home to get out the Democratic vote in the Georgia Senate runoff. “I have been thinking about history…I am going to write my thoughts for my 3 ¾ year old grandson for my son to give him some day.
Omaha friend retired to the State of Washington – 4,000 Covid deaths. 5 persons dead as a result of Trump’s attempted coup d’état, including a policeman bludgeoned with a fire extinguisher by a domestic terrorist. Trump is an accomplice to mass murder. Consequences?
- Sharing your article on FB.
Omaha friend retired to Florida – “Your article’s response to yesterday’s events is welcome indeed. The implications of Trump’s “reign” will be felt for years to come. It felt so frightening to see it on TV and really begin to understand how divided this democracy is. I can hear your voice as I read your message. It is comforting. Thank you, thank you.”
Her husband wrote, “Thanks for the article. One can only hope that Wed will change a few minds and wake up the old time republicans.”
Kristen Skedgell, author of a 2008 memoir, “Losing the Way: A Memoir of Spiritual Longing, Manipulation, Abuse and Escape,” responded at length – “Thanks for sending, Oliver. You put the horror of it all so succinctly and accurately. It’s chilling on the one hand, but I want to underscore something you said about the “other hand.” And that was how, in spite of the slow response of law enforcement, the democracy prevailed. The vote was accomplished and the skeleton of our government remained intact, thanks to the elected representatives of Congress who placed their public duty above personal safety.
“Trump could have easily turned yesterday into a victory for tyranny and oppression instead of what it turned out to be- an opportunity to showcase the strength of our system under intense pressure. And were it not for the checks and balances inherent in our three branches of government, we would [be] sitting under the thumb of an anti-Semitic racist misogynistic narcissist rather than knowing that at least one branch of government upheld the constitution.
“I know these mobs will return, probably diversify and show up in different clothes (no masks) [in] cities around the country. They will remain committed to their leader whether he is in or out of office. In fact, he may have more influence out of office because his manipulation will have no limits. Make no mistake, they will continue. But they will not succeed. We will because we live by the rule of law and principle and not by the cult of personality and the capricious will of a madman.
“I joined a ‘Christian’ group from Ohio when I was 14. It turned out to be a far right-wing, racist, Anti-Semitic, neo-Nazi cult but by the time I found all this out, I was trapped. I escaped when I was 29 with an infant and a toddler. I know something of how those groups work. So when you ask who those people are – they could be the ‘nice’ family next door.”
In these one hundred stories, about 70,000 words, I used the word POTUS once, trump only appears as a verb. I want to thank editor Donald Harrison for his equanimity and tutelage, and dear readers without whom this would be virtually purposeless. Orwell wrote against dystopia, so shall we.
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Oliver B. Pollak, Ph.D., J.D., a professor emeritus of history at the University of Nebraska Omaha, and a lawyer, a member of the Institute for Historical Study, is a correspondent now based in Richmond, California. He may be contacted via oliver.pollak@sdjewishworld.com
A man of your caliber….i always enjoy reading your intake on current and historical events.