Dickens: A Modern Christmas Carol

This week has been depressing for most people, myself included. As I sat by the stove… my favorite Christmas time cat Dickens jumped up and sat in my lap. As historians do I thought about history and the date and realized it was December 19…Charles Dickens Birthday! 

I chuckled at Dickens looking quite comfortable on my lap and suddenly was consumed by the thought that America today was much like England during the days of Dickens in 1843, and that the story of today was a perfect impression of “A Christmas Carol”. 

 The characters on TV news who represent our government  especially our President, are a full cast of actors in today’s version of the Christmas Carol. Among a number of our past Presidents we can surly find one to play Marley’s ghost… 

While enveloped in all this drama many of our leaders seem to be unaware of the hard work put in by our loyal public workers who have been fired or replaced or who live in fear of losing their jobs…meanwhile our lead player drags money form the poor... including his own supporters…. for legal bills. 

While thousands are struggling to put food on the table and to pay their bills, while others mourn the loss of loved ones and are sick and worried about their future in this pandemic… meanwhile the lead character and his wealthy and important friends... eat, drink and party on the tax payers… 

 I wonder if by some miracle the Ghost of Christmas Future could take him on a tour of the ICU’s, morgues, food lines and homeless shelters... he might also see the ghosts of other such leaders, crooked Presidents Past, that can walk him through the White House and show him the chains that history has given them to walk through time with… I wonder!