Trump Pulls Security from Former Aides Despite Death Threats & Black and Women WWII Pilots Dumped from Air Force Classes
What I’m Discussing Today:
Kareem’s Daily Quote: This quote from the movie Conclave had a big impact on me.
WSJ Turns on Trump Over Yanked Security for Aides: Trump has pulled security details for his former aides who are facing credible death threats because they dared to criticize him.
Trump’s anti-DEI order yanks air force videos of Tuskegee Airmen and female pilots: Please, Trump apologists, explain how this isn’t a blatant act of racism and misogyny.
Kareem’s Video Break: At last, our national dream of flying cars is a reality.
This Makes Me Smile: “After his executive order on sex, is Trump legally the first female president?”: Nothing gives the people confidence like executive orders based on misunderstanding basic science. Stable genius or silly dunce?
Kareem Gets Artsy: Hubert Robert: The Fire of Rome, 18 July 64 AD (1785): This dynamic painting of Rome burning has some parallels with recent fires devastating Southern California.
What I’m Watching—Movies: Conclave has been nominated for eight Academy Awards. It deserves each one.
Kareem’s Sports Moments: The sheer explosiveness and gracefulness of movement in badminton is riveting.
Kareem’s Jukebox Playlist: The Guess Who Sing “Undun”: This song shows how powerful the fusion of jazz and rock can be.
Kareem’s Daily Quote
“In the course of a long life in the service of our Mother the Church, let me tell you that there is one sin I have come to fear above all others. Certainty. Certainty is the great enemy of unity. Certainty is the deadly enemy of tolerance.”
Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), Conclave
In the recent movie Conclave (see my review below), Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) addresses the body of cardinals tasked with selecting a new Pope. This quote is from his powerful speech imploring them to vote only after questioning their motivations and beliefs. We currently live in a world where these words are even more poignant.
His words don’t mean that we can never be certain of anything, especially moral principles. But it does mean that we should always be questioning and examining our beliefs to make sure they still hold up under intense scrutiny. I have lived my life always being especially skeptical of any opinion I was absolutely certain of. Whenever I feel cocky about an opinion, I think of these lyrics from “A Puzzlement” from The King and I (I may even hum the tune when I think of them):
There are times I almost think
I am not sure of what I absolutely know.
Very often find confusion
In conclusion I concluded long ago.
Those words make me review my reasons for believing something and if I find a loose board in the logic, I rebuild my opinion from scratch. This is especially important because new information is always becoming available to us and requires all rational people to be vigilant in their ideas. New info can lead to new opinions.
Here’s another quote I use to remind myself of how many dumb opinions I held in my youth (it’s erroneously attributed to Mark Twain):
When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.
Sometimes when I look back at my younger self and my arrogance in being so sure I was right about things I knew very little about, I feel such shame. Obviously, being wrong is a part of growing up and evolving as a human. Yes, it’s easier and more convenient to be handed a book of beliefs when we’re young and to never question them. That saves a lot of time, energy, and self-doubt. However, not examining one’s beliefs is a part of stagnation and resignation.
To not continually question oneself reveals a deep, secret terror that one’s beliefs may not hold up under examination. This is especially true for people who have adopted beliefs merely because they are popular and they want to belong to the majority because that means they will never have to question anything. When I hold a belief that is also held by most people, I think about an actual Mark Twain quote: “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” It doesn’t mean that that opinion is wrong just because it’s popular, but it means I need to make sure my motivation for embracing it isn’t because of the need to fit in.
If we are our beliefs and they prove to be wrong, then who are we? Well, if we are the type of people who are dedicated to self-reflection and rational thinking, then we are humans embracing the mysteries of life and our frailty of reason, but still determined to be good—not because we’ve been brainwashed—but because we chose a good path based on solid reasoning.