Calling all Artists and Animal Lovers

"If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.”

—John F Kennedy

 

The long arm of our present Administration knows no bounds—food, health defense, media, books, Medicare, grants, and now art and animals. Folks, is this really what we wanted?

 

Why is Our President chairing the John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center in Washington, D.C

Oh yeah. He wants to control everything. What we listen to, what we watch, what we read, what we eat. He doesn’t even seem to take pleasure in winning, but wants to crush the opponent. Do you think he and his cohort are cutting back on any of their luxuries?

Why is this happening?

We, the people, are more than him. He showed his colors before the election, and people voted for him anyway. Long ago, I heard that when an organization interferes with your food, they are a cult. Watch them, no matter how good they sound.

"In 1958, former President Eisenhower signed bipartisan legislation to create a national arts center in Washington. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline, raised $30 million for the project. The building was dedicated to Kennedy two months after his assassination in 1963.”

Fast forward to 2025:

"Several entertainers have announced that they are severing ties with the John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center in Washington, D.C., now that the President has assumed the chairmanship of the organization."

Screenwriter Shonda Rhimes known for her work on shows such as Grey's Anatomy and How to Get Away with Murder. Actress and producer Issa Rae, who created and starred in HBO's Insecure, announced on Instagram that she was canceling her upcoming sold-out appearance. When visiting the Kennedy Center's website for her event, users encounter a 404 error message.

"Hey D.C. Fam," she wrote, "Thank you so much for selling out the Kennedy Center for 'An Evening With [Me]'. Unfortunately, due to what I believe to be an infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds through all mediums, I've decided to cancel my appearance at this venue."

Singer and songwriter Ben Folds announced on Facebook that he is resigning as an advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra.

"Not for me," he said. He thanked his colleagues, and added, "Mostly, and above all, I will miss the musicians of our nation's symphony orchestra – just the best!"

The rock band Low Cut Connie also pulled out of their scheduled performance: "I was very excited to perform as part of this wonderful institution's Social Impact series, which emphasizes community, joy, justice and equity through the arts. Upon learning that this institution that has run non-partisan for 54 years is now chaired by President Trump himself and his regime, I decided I will not perform there."

If that wasn't enough, now he is going after The US Fish and Wildlife Service, the nation's only government agency dedicated to conserving plants and animals.

*Vox has learned that the agency has frozen its vast portfolio of international conservation grants. The agency, which supports wildlife protection in the US and overseas, ordered many organizations it funds to stop work related to their grants and cut its communication with them. According to USFWS's internal communication, which was shared anonymously with Vox, the agency has frozen grants for international projects that amount to tens of millions of dollars.

 
 

The freeze jeopardizes dozens of projects to conserve wildlife worldwide, from imperiled sea turtles in Central America to elephants in Africa. Grant programs from the federal government protect species whose habitats straddle borders, and they also benefit Americans by reducing the risk of pathogens like coronaviruses from spilling into human populations.

Stop this human train wreck.

Stand up to a bully. 

 

“Are You Playing in Your Playground?"

 

You never know where you will find your tiger.

 

I don't know where my tiger is, but I found an opossum in my hen house two nights ago. He's gone now—and my four hens are alive, with fewer feathers, one without a tail, but traumatized. I let the chickens out during the day, and they put themselves into bed at night. I go out after dark and shut the pen. Well, I waited too long that night.

One hen was wandering around lost. The other three had found a safe spot. The opossum was hugging the back wall of the second story of my little chicken house, and no matter how much I poked him with a 4-foot long 2 x 2-inch board, he would not budge. He would snarl and bare his teeth, though. I caught the hens and secured them in the other little house within the pen (it came with the property), and all's well. The opossum sneaked away while I set up a live trap for him. He must be home now, tending his bruises or visiting the neighbor's chickens.

 

That's on the home front. On the book front, I once stated in my little book "Where Tiger's Belch," that my protagonist decided she would find her purpose where tiger's belch," and thus she set off to find that spot. 

This week, I stumbled upon two books: John Strelecky's The Café on the Edge of the World and Return to the Why Café.

I loved them both. A third, The Safari, I just ordered. It was described as when your heart, soul, and story link up in perfect harmony. That's what I want for myself and my writing. I recently decided to write a series of short books and continue Jo's journey after she heard a tiger belch.

Strelecky asked the same questions I had asked, Why are we here? What's my purpose? I was enheartened because he is a best seller—that tells me that people are hungry for his sort of books, ones that inspire and ask the hard questions in a simple story. I aspire to write that sort. This came as a conformation to me that people do read those sorts of books, people do want to read of good things not bad.

We've been jerked around for some time now. I do not want to play in that playground anymore.  One of Strelecky's players asked a lady customer in the Café, "Are you playing in your playground yet?"

She wasn't. She was unhappily playing in someone else's playground—the corporate world's playground, where she was unappreciated and overworked.

As I walked through life, I passed many gates to playgrounds, peeked inside and said "Nope," not for me, and continued on my way.

I heard of a new playground last night; the "kids" of that playground found that the vilest thing they could write on Social Media got the most hits. And getting the most hits was the name of the game.

Pass on that one.

We are all travelers in this life—we are all together on the journey – although walking in different directions, not speaking the same language, nor following the same philosophy, religion, or mojo. The Jo of my Tiger book is traveling, something she feels drawn to do; she trusts her intuition that this will work out for her. She is playing in her own playground.

She is traveling the world.

I changed the final chapter a bit to make it clearer.