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PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
This week’s prompt has us walking along a path under a bridge. To the right there is a narrow stream. The stream is flanked by grassy banks. On the pillars of the bridge you see splotches of mud and muddy handprints.
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Genre: Anecdote?
Word Count: 100
MUDSLIDE
“Back in Abraham Lincoln’s day political candidates fought dirty,” said my fifth-grade teacher.
Suzie raised her hand. “Did they brawl in the mud like wrestlers?”
“Not exactly. What I mean is that instead of proclaiming their own good intentions, politicians spent their time ripping into their opponents.”
“Yeah,” said Billy. “They’d make speeches about the other guy’s nasty deeds to make themselves look good. Right, Mrs. Gerard?”
“Precisely. Fortunately, we’ve moved beyond those times as a civilized nation.”
Today, some sixty years later, head pounding, I switch off a mudslinging, political advertisement on television and sigh. “What happened to ‘civil-ization’?”
Human narcissism never changes.
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Dear James,
No it doesn’t. And today it’s running rampant. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I share your pain. Perhaps some things are cyclical
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Dear Neil.
I suppose that’s a hopeful way to look at it. Thank you for commiserating with me.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I don’t think the mudslinging ever stopped. All politicians and their supporters do it.
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Dear James,
Perhaps not, I just don’t remember the campaigning being as vicious as it is now when we were kids. Thanks for stopping by.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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What a great story.
I would guess, ‘civilization’ has been on a long vacation, or possibly, living under bridges somewhere .
I had a different teacher, learned that lesson in a two-room school.
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Dear Mary,
There’s certainly not much civility these days, is there? Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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There is no longer any “Civil” in today’s politics. It has gone the way of the DoDo. Good story but, unfortunately, not fiction.
Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS
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Dear Jan,
Nope. Civility seems to be a thing of the past. Sigh.
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It’s political party conference season in the UK right now and there’s mud slinging in every direction. If only we could reboot civilisation and start again!
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Dear Keith,
Sorry things are the same across the pond. It’s why I love to swim. I can keep my head mostly under water for the better part of an hour and a half. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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What an excellent story, Rochelle! Actually, it’s not a story, is it? All pretty real I would say (not meaning it’s pretty though).
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Dear Chris,
Sadly this is a true story. Only Suzie and Billy are fictitious. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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You echoed what many of us feel.
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Dear Reena,
What a pity these mudslingers don’t really listen to their constituents. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Perfect last line, Rochelle. The mud slinging is worst and the flood of dozens of texts per day begging for money is a close second. Please make it stop!!!!!!!
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Dear Lisa,
I’m so sick of political ads. None of them share their good intentions. Only what’s wrong with the other candidate. If only we could make them stop. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle, you are welcome.
Shalom,
Lisa
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Sadly true, m’lady. I can remember when politicians in the UK attacked each other’s policies, but never the individual.
And your criminal-in-chief seems to find new ways on a daily basis to drag the bar deeper into the mud.
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Dear C.E.
No argument. 😦
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Sadly nothing changes Rochelle 😔
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Dear Ange,
Sad but true. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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i suppose we’ve been so polarized to the extent that to be civil becomes more of an exception than the rule. we can thank trump for that.
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Dear Plaridel,
Amen.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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So true. We spiral dowen and down. Thank heaven we still have chocolate.
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Dear Patrick,
Yay to chocolate. Thanks for coming by.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I know what you are going through. We all have the same question. But no answer.
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Dear Geeta,
I appreciate your understanding. There really isn’t an answer, is there? Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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And the daily in your face format makes we run for the hills.
Literally.
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Dear Dawn,
Well said. Sigh. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Masterful as alway, well done setting it in a 5th grade classroom. It’s in 5th grade, at least in NY, that students take the history exam (which was implemented in the last 25 years because with the rabid focus on reading and math, the Board of Ed realized history lessons had been neglected!)
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Dear Michele,
Sadly we seem to have lost focus when it comes to history. Thank you for your kind words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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There’s certainly less honour in most situations.
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Dear Chioma,
I don’t believe there’s anything that resembles honour when it comes to politics these days.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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We said, I hate negative campaigning. If you can’t tell me what you’ve going to do, don’t bother me with your opinions on the other side.
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Dear Jen,
My sentiments exactly. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I was going to say, I’m not sure we ever got above the mudslinging. It’s pretty awful these days though
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Dear Laurie,
It just seems in the past ten years or so it’s gotten so much worse. I think politicians need to be vaccinated against rabies and distemper.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Apparently history has taught us nothing as the dirty politics is alive and well.
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Dear Nancy,
Nope…we’ve learned nothing from history. 😦
Shalom (if there is any to be had),
Rochelle
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I used to think political discord was a modern invention. It seemed to get progressively worse throughout my lifetime. Then, I read a book about Alexander Hamilton. At least, modern-day duels only happen on X. Though pistols might be more civil.
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