This is not 1925, and I’m not here to reopen the infamous Scopes “Monkey Trial,” or to argue either side of Darwin’s theory of human evolution. There’s quite enough controversy out there already without opening that particular Pandora’s box, thank you.

But as I was recently refreshing my memory on some U.S. history from the 1960s, and specifically with reference to then President Kennedy’s handling of the Cuban missile crisis, I veered — as I often do — onto another subject entirely: the best and worst of our presidents over the 250 years of America’s existence.

For most of that time, we have made tremendous progress in many areas: human rights, civil rights, science, medicine, industry and technology, and foreign diplomacy. We’ve had a number of leaders who were less than stellar; but we’ve had some great ones as well, such as:

But since the turn of the century, I — and a great many of my friends — have frequently found ourselves having to vote for the lesser of two evils. Still, despite their shortcomings, there has always been a measure of statesmanship, a sincere concern for the welfare of the American people, and even a touch of class:

Until . . . this:

Now, this is not just the crazy uncle who shows up for Thanksgiving dinner every year and provides the unintended entertainment by calling everyone by the wrong name, repeating the same stories for the umpteenth time, and loudly belching his way through dinner. That man would be one family’s problem.

But this man improbably holds the highest office in the land, and arguably the most powerful position in the world. And he thinks he is (or wishes he were) either George Washington or Elvis reincarnated — and shares his fantasies with the world via social media.

What makes me wonder whether mankind has ceased evolving and begun regressing is not just one elderly individual obviously losing the script in his twilight years, which is sad and worthy of sympathy. Rather, it is the number of people — people with the power to deal with the problem — who refuse even to acknowledge that there is a problem.

And I have to ask:

By collectively having allowed this to happen, have we indeed reached the end of the line?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/3/26