Conflict Resoluion

 Never fear. Just because you read something about a "California teacher with a beef against the president opens fire..."

That was not me. 

Rather instead I spent this past Saturday evening at my home in California, along with my wife and cat, whom also have a beef with the president, but chose to ignore this year's White House Correspondents Dinner, the one that ended in gunfire. 

I was alerted to the disturbance like many of you when alerts started coming across various media. Mine came from Al Gore's Internet where I was abruptly assured that, once again, the convicted felon had not been harmed in this latest attempt on his life. 

This would be the hat trick, if I may borrow the hockey parlance for a third shot on goal. The suspect, that teacher from California who had a beef with the president, was subdued and taken into custody. The officer who was shot was wearing a buttetproof vest and was reported to be "doing great" at a local hospital. 

The rest of us? 

It seems that the overwhelming sentiment was that folks who were trying to watch the NBA playoffs were upset because their game was interrupted with an appearance by the former game show host assuring us that he was unscathed. This was the kind of announcement that used to bring a sigh of relief to those of us who hold the office of the President as something to regard with honor and pride. This is not the current climate in the United States. Someone tried to kill the president. Allegedly. Contrast this with the coverage of JFK's assassination or even the attempt made on Ronald Reagan. How quickly can we just get back to our sportsball coverage? They were wrapping up the NFL draft, for heaven's sake. 

The question to everyone's answer would be "will this change the national discourse away from affordability, the war in Iran, or the Epstein Files?" The most scurrilous sentiment that I encountered in my own mind was that the "very stable genius" had not quite finished composing his prepared remarks for the gala, and was relieved when he didn't have to be heckled by members of the press corps who have suffered his indignation for the past decade. 

Even more likely is that we have arrived at a point in history when we are confronted by a Congress that does little else but wrings their hands and waits for the next election to deal with the Orange Worst. I continue to maintain that no one deserves to be shot. I am a proponent of non-violent action, but I am a porponent of action. 

And yes, I am a teacher from California who has a beef with the "president."