The Normalization Of Deviance

When the space shuttle Challenger blew up in January of 1986, it was found that NASA had become acceptant of bad situations, specifically erosion of the o-rings that joined sections of the solid rocket boosters. Erosion was exacerbated by cold, since the o-rings were rubber, but NASA figured that some excursions to the edge of danger were acceptable against The Big Picture, keeping the flight schedule. It was called The Normalization Of Deviance.

They were proven wrong, and the bitter joke became 'NASA means Need Another Seven Astronauts'.

Now we as a country are there. How on earth did we let this happen?

 We're in mortal danger,

this nation once so great.

We're tolerant of anger,

and normalized the hate

of anyone who's different,

the Muslim and the Jew,

the Catholic and Protestant,

and we hate me and you,

for in our blind acceptance 

of what should be called sin,

we pay the devil deference

and bowing, let him in

to a place whose lease we can't afford

that should be a dwelling for the Lord.

The Five Minute Friday prompt this week is PERSEVERE.

The world will push you to the brink

with click-bait redolent of hate

until within your heart you think

that it's really far too late

to bring back basic decency,

a world in which the social frame

honours all with right to be free,

and dignity's more than a game.

You cannot push your leaders toward

a better thought, nor academic halls,

but you can lay bright virtue's sword

against the rabble at the walls

to cut the heathen ranks right through

and bleeding, come to what is True.

The Beatles would say that all you need is love, but Sylvia would maintain that all you need is vanilla ice cream. I'm with her on this.