Cousin Eva and Friend

Two disparate bits of information from cyberspace today – a letter from my cousin Eva in Austria saying that she has decided to give up her U.S. citizenship.  And, from my son, a video of the opening credits from “Pinky and the Brain.”  Both are Trump related – one serious and one silly, but each a disturbing commentary on where we are right now as a nation.

Eva has been a late life ‘gift’ to our family.  Until fifteen or so years ago, we didn’t know of her at all.  Her father was a much younger half-brother of my grandmother’s and, shortly after World War II, he had distanced himself from the family for reasons still not understood and, as it turned out, had moved to Austria, married, and raised a family.  Not until after his death did his daughter Eva discover that we, his American family, existed and reached out to us.

We’ve visited back and forth – Eva coming here, we going there and periodic spurts of correspondence by snail mail and cyberspace.  She has been proud of her dual citizenship and, especially around election times, her commentary and questions have been lively.  As with my other European friends, I’ve often thought how much better informed she is than I.

Back in February she wrote…we are so worried!!! Everything has changed in this last year and D.T rump is at the top of the worrylist; the USA are of course very important for us…. the situation in Europe is getting worse and worse…In all of Europe the right sides are gaining popularity And Trump is unbelievable, stunning us time and again. I really don’t understand his attraction. Do people think he will help them? Please tell me which groups want him!  Sanders seems the best candidate, the others are uninteresting. And what do you think about Hilary?

Rob Paulsen and Maurice LaMarche

I was still digesting her latest news – I decided to give up my American citizenship… when I saw Charlie’s Facebook Posting.  He wrote: I’d love to be able to say this election is all just something we wrote, but these guys have gone completely rogue.  He is speaking of Rob Paulsen and Maurice LaMarche – who voiced Pinky and the Brain – and their remarks Saturday at L.A. Comic Con concerning what Trump would say if elected Prez.  (Charlie was Producer and Head Writer for the P&B show during the last two of its three seasons.)  This is what he was talking about:  http://www.tmz.com/2016/10/30/pinky-and-the-brain-donald-trump-impersonation/

Maybe it has finally happened… we’ve all lost our grip on reality and the world is morphing into a Saturday morning cartoon.  Scary!