When You Lose Your Voice

Yesterday, I wrote on social media (and reposted here as my Tweet of the Day) about how "It's hard to express how bitterly ironic it is that, for a party humorously claiming to be all about free speech, Trump with full MAGOP approval is essentially eliminating the 'Voice of America."

Rather than go into detail how reprehensible that is, as well, beyond merely "bitterly ironic," I thought it worth letting the director of the Voice of America, Michael Joshua Abramowitz, who was just put on "administrative leave" by the Trump administration, put his voice to the subject and explain eloquently the deeper meaning to this all.

I also have a bonus tidbit at the end, that it an odd, unexpected Point of Personal Privilege.  But somethings such things demand to be heard.

First though, the pointed words from Michael Abramowitz, director of the Voice of America on "administrative leave."

And as always, this isn't about Trump.  It's about the elected MAGOPs in Congress who don't just enable things like this -- "this" being dismantling the Voice of America -- but are complicit in passing Trump policies into law, making them their policies, as well.

That's the statement, and it's all the more galling to read it.

But moving on to the odd Point of Personal Privilege having absolutely nothing to do with the action -- nothing as in "zero" -- but only something that leaped out to me personally (and no one else, seriously) in total, head-shaking surprise.  I hesitate to even mention it here, being so completely separate from the important issue at hand, and this being so meaningless to anyone but me.  (And I'm not kidding about that.)  But that moment of hesitation is over, and so we head back in.

Here's the last paragraph from Michael Abramowitz's statement.  Not the first name listed among those many who reacted to it.

That's what got me to to a double-take.  And then a triple-take.  Rachel Abramowitz is, not surprisingly, the sister of Michael Abramowitz.  She is also a former film writer for the Los Angeles Times, and now a screenwriter along with her husband, Joshua Goldin.

One other thing she is.  She is someone who friends who worked at the Los Angeles Times fixed me up with on a blind date many decades ago.  I doubt my friends at the newspaper even remember.  I find it improbable that even she does.  But it was the only time my friends at the Times fixed me up, so it stands out like a beacon to me.  Besides which, she was very nice, very smart, and I had a good time.  But it didn't work out, which is normal on blind dates.  And she clearly has done extremely well for herself since.  And has impeccable taste and judgement, marrying a screenwriter.  (And becoming a screenwriting herself.)

The family just as clearly comes from good stock.  In fact, when I double-checked things to make sure I was right, I discovered that their parents has very impressive careers in Washington.

But ultimately, I still have to return to Michael Abramowitz, the Voice of America, and the continued damage Trump and the MAGOPs in Congress are doing to the country.  And ultimately, I'm sure, to themselves.