once upon a time in America

The sun! What a welcome sight, after two days of thick dark damp cloud. The lack of good weather was good, though, because it encouraged me to work. I’ve been doing lots of work-related chores – sorting out computer files, rewriting my book about writing. Very satisfying in the cool and quiet.

I’ve been reading the local paper, too – the Bradenton Herald, which told me yesterday that the governor of Florida, Rick Scott, intends to go on executing people “at quick pace.” In fact, at nearly record-breaking pace – seven executions in 2012. There are 403 people currently on death row.

I read that Obama is making teeny steps toward gun control by attempting to allow states to provide information about mentally ill people trying to buy guns. I try to imagine any other Western country where this would require a ten second debate – and cannot. But then, no other Western country still executes prisoners either, and at quick pace.

Concurrent to all this was an article stating that three-quarters of white evangelical Protestants in America do not believe in evolution. Below that was a section of the paper called “Worship Directory,” listing the local churches with their address and times of worship. This, remember, is for a very small section of a heavily tourist-inhabited state. And here are the churches listed:

 Bahai (one); Baptist (eleven); Catholic; Christian; Christian Reformed; Community Church; Church of Christ; Episcopal; Evangelical Covenant; Jewish (two – “Pluralistic” and “Reform”); Lutheran; Nazarene; Non Denominational; Presbyterian; Reformed Church in America; Salavation (sic) Army; Science of Mind; Spiritualist; Unitarian Universalist; United Church of Christ; United Methodist.

Phew.

I might try Salavating – or else Science of Mind, that sounds interesting. But instead, on this Sunday morning, I’ll use my mind to think about this beautiful day.

Normally, there is nothing, zero, nada about Canada in the local paper here. But, my dear Ontarian friends, in yesterday’s paper, a large central article about … guess who? Toronto’s crack-smoking friend-of-gangs mayor, who insists he is the best mayor the city has ever had and is proudly running for re-election. The article quotes the Toronto Star disputing his claims, but ends that he still has the support of a large number of constituents.

Which, unbelievably, seems to be true.

And I bet not a single one of them believes in evolution either.

Now out into the sun.