There’s a little book out there titled On Tyranny:Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, from Yale history professor Timothy Snyder that I believe is a must-read for anyone interested in the current affairs taking place in our country as well as abroad.
It’s an easy, brief read ( it’s a small book that is just a little over a hundred pages long) that gets to the point with twenty short essays that outlines the tendencies of authoritarian regimes from the 20th century, focusing on the Nazi and Soviet forms, and puts them in a concise framework that enables you to identify the pattern that their actions followed in their respective rises to power. Some of these actions seemed innocent and easily defensible, even normal, at first glance in their time. But when you place them into a larger template, they became ominous omens of the bad times ahead.
For instance, most tyrannical regimes often begin with their own private security forces, paramilitary units, that morph into enforcers and terrorizers for the ruling despot. Think of the SS of the Nazis. My ears pricked recently when I heard a politician in the state of Washington say that he was going to enlist the Oath-Keepers, a right-wing paramilitary group, as a security force for his public appearances. I am a person who seeks out patterns in everything and the way this fit into the pattern of authoritarianism alarmed me immediately.
The book points out these type of things then serves as a guide to standing against these measures when you see them taking place in your own time and place. It serves as a guidebook that one hopes will never have to be used. But vigilance requires awareness and preparation. Democracy is a system that doesn’t just happen. It is not natural and must be carefully guarded and maintained. It will always be under attack by those who look to usurp the power of the people for their own ends. That, unfortunately, is natural.
I really urge you to obtain this little book. Right now you can currently get it for under $5 on Amazon. It’s the best $5 investment you’ll make today.
I am in a rush this morning with plenty to do in the aftermath of the Principle Gallery show as well as getting ready for my next show at the West End Gallery which opens in July. There’s a lot to do. But the habit of doing this blog required that I at least make an effort this morning.
I thought I’d share a video of some of the work of Henri de Toulouse-Latrec, the French painter who glorified the night life of late 19th century Paris, especially the fabled Moulin Rouge. He is one of those painters that never leaps quickly to my mind when I think of my favorites but whenever I look at his work it inevitably draws me in and fascinates me. I love the dark tones of his work and his sense of design in the compositions of both his paintings and his well known posters.
I have to send out heartfelt thank yous to everyone at the Principle Gallery. They are a very special group of people. Affectionate thanks to Michele, Clint, Pam, Pierre and Haley for their friendship and encouragement. There’s so much I could say but I think they know how we feel about them.
There are colors that really trigger reactions within me. Most people would no doubt think that the color red would be the main one and perhaps they are right. The Red Tree is certainly the thing that would come to mind for those who know my work. And Red Roofs and Red Chairs.
Sunday morning. It’s quiet which I like immensely. Early mornings are my favorite time, when there are fewer people stirring, fewer yahoos who feel it is their right and profound duty to create as much sound as they can in order that the universe might know they are alive. Those rare times when traveling, I like to get up early and prowl the streets of wherever we might be, taking in the landscape and buildings in a much quieter setting. The few people who are there are either early morning folks like myself who gladly soak in the quiet or they have somewhere to go and are still quietly dazed from being dragged from their bed.
Really busy this morning as I try to wrap up everything for my Truth and Belief show that opens June 2 at the Principle Gallery. As it always is at this point, a week from delivering the show, there is still 
a lot to do including what seems like a million little, nit-picky details, those small touches that I find make a big difference.
Today and the next several days ahead are busy for me as I do prep work for the June 2 opening of my solo show at the Principle Gallery. Even though it’s really hectic it’s not a disorienting kind of chaos. I’ve done this so many times that I understand the rhythm and timing that is required for these preparations.
Sunday morning and I just want to hear some music, something that will make me think, maybe move me a bit. I didn’t know what I was really looking for when I came across this John Prine song from his 2005 album, Fair and Square. Even though I say it’s his song it was actually written by songwriter R. B. Morris. John Prine just sang it in that way he has that can either make you laugh or cry depending on the song.
Redtree Times 