Ride the Man Down

Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s I read a spree of Western novels, starting with the many works of Louis L'Amour, then Max Brand, Luke Short, and finally the legendary Zane Grey. They were all great writers. I got started on the spree by a suggestion from a friend when I lived at the Siddha Yoga ashram in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Louis L'Amour fever quickly spread among ashramites, at least among males. It was one of the more benign fads that would breeze through the facility.

I loved reading these books, and found them full of wisdom and life lessons. Many quotes stuck in my mind, and this one one from The Broken Gun by L'Amour was repeated in many of his stories: "In my dealings with criminals in the past one thing had become obvious, that all were incurable optimists, as well as egotists. They were confident their plans would succeed, and had nothing but contempt for the law and for the law abiding citizen." (p. 95)

A quote from Zane Grey's Shadow on the Trail has come back most prominently in recent months. He used the term "Ride the man down" to describe the dogged determination of Texas Ranger posses to capture a wanted criminal. They would literally run a man down on horseback, chasing him relentlessly until his horse was exhausted and could go no farther.

The entire planet is in a predicament where a lifelong criminal is the chief executive of its richest and most powerful country. All the intelligence agencies have evidence that he was elected with the help of the Russian government. The FBI is hot on the trail, and the special counsel investigating the Russian hacking of the 2016 election, Robert Mueller, is reportedly focusing his attention on possible obstruction of justice by our president, Donald J. Trump.

The Russian hacking is also being investigated by the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate intelligence committees. There are other investigations in addition to these.

The FBI investigation may be enough to bring Trump to justice. He is already attempting to undermine the probe, calling it a witch hunt, and has begun a smear campaign against Mueller. His propaganda supporters at Fox News and elsewhere are helping him.

They may succeed in discrediting Mueller and the Russian hacking investigation, but it isn't likely. Momentum is building against Trump. He is a national embarrassment, making us look like fools to the rest of the world. If we have any self-respect as a people we will help remove Trump from office in whatever way we can. He is the archetypal criminal that Louis L'Amour wrote about - an incurable optimists as well as an egotist. He is confident his plans will succeed, and has nothing but contempt for the law and for the law abiding citizen.

One way is to show support for the FBI investigation by writing to our representatives in Congress. Another is to write to local and national news publications. Social media is another avenue of discourse. Calling radio shows. Yard signs. Bumper stickers. Rallies.

Even watching TV shows like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Late Night with Seth Meyers helps. They both have been skewering Trump weeknightly with sizzling, insightful comedic rants. Watching them improves their ratings, and paves the way for more incisive criticism across the media spectrum. It's fun too.

We can all be like Texas Rangers, riding the man down. It may seem cruel, but Trump is a dangerous evil, and driving him from office should become our national sport. Each of us, in our own LEGAL way, can ride him down. Saddles up!
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Here's a song. Here's another. Leadbelly. I always liked this song. Here's a racing song. Alternate version. Waylon and Willie. Ian and Sylvia. I used to have the album. The Flying Burrito Brothers. Alternate version. Here's a history of the Texas Rangers. Gene Autry. Alternate version. Roy Rogers with the Sons of the Pioneers. More Sons of the Pioneers. Johnny Cash. Asleep at the Wheel. Here's a song for Trump. Substitute 71 for 21. Marty Robbins. More Marty Robbins. Tex Owens.  Alternate version. Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys.

For some more on Donald Trump's criminal life, click here.

Here's an update on "Republican" election criminality other than Trump.

Here's a look at Trump's financial interests.

A worthy read.