Welcome to the Thanksgiving 2020*, edition of BLUES JUNCTION.

I know how hard it is for many of us to feel thankful. At this stage in our pandemic, virtually every one of us knows somebody who is either suffering from this deadly virus or has died from its wrath. For that, we are incredibly sorry. For those suffering from this deadly disease, you remain in our thoughts. Some of this pain comes indirectly through the economic fallout caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

I know you musicians that we count amongst our readers can’t wait to do what you have done your entire lives and that is get up on a stage and perform for our entertainment. We can’t wait to hear you, but wait we will. We want to see all of you back out there when this pandemic is over. 

What we can be thankful for is that we have a new Presidential Administration coming into power on January 20, 2021. Congratulations to President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris.

I am also very thankful for the democratic principles we all share. I was very proud to see democracy in action earlier this month, operating under difficult circumstances, intense pressure and unprecedented scrutiny, with one goal in mind, “to get it right.”

Granted it was an excruciating four and a half days, but when it was finally announced that we had a new President, America erupted in joy. As I watched the spontaneous peaceful celebrations taking place across the country, I couldn’t help but to be reminded of images throughout history when people toppled a brutal authoritarian dictatorship. The reaction and feelings were very similar and for a very good reason, I might add. It wasn’t about our old white dude versus your old white dude, our democracy hung in the balance.

I am thankful for Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Chris Krebs. He was so good at keeping the 2020 Presidential election free of foreign and domestic interference, he was fired by Trump a couple of days ago.

I am mostly thankful I can go back to my day job and write about music full time and not have to deal with Don the Con any longer. But before I leave my side gig for good, you may want to check out the piece entitled An Ugly Ducking’s Swan Song.  Spoiler alert: It isn’t about ornithology.  

We can all be thankful that we live in the same time and space as the one and only Duke Robillard. He has a brand-new album which was released on November 20^th entitled Blues Bash! It is the best album since his 1995’s Duke’s Blues. It sits in our Thanksgiving edition’s Monthly Album Spotlight.

Check out our other album reviews, our Recommended Listening feature as well as another very special edition of Charlie’s Re-Issue Rodeo.

On that old subject of politics, as it turned out the illicit takeover of the White House by Donald J. Trump was just a very sad and sorry chapter in our history. Authoritarian rule and Fascism are not the American way.

Thankfully because Americans decided to vote here in 2020 and in the 2018 mid-term elections in great numbers, we beat back those evil forces. Our complacency, our false sense of security and misunderstanding of the concept of American exceptionalism told us that “it could never happen here.” Well in 2016, it did happen here.

There is the almost one-hundred-year old question as to how a country as sophisticated as Germany could fall head over heels for a fascist dictator named Adolph Hitler. The question that haunts the world to this day, is what did the average German citizen know about what was going on as it related to the Holocaust.

Many of the same feelings that were in vogue in Germany in the 1930’s have also in place in America over the past four years, namely racism and nationalism…big sellers every time.

I simply wanted future generations to know where I stood on these subjects. I wanted to be “on the record” regarding these matters. 

‘Wasn’t Grandpa alive when that Authoritarian Dictator took over the United States…you know the one with the funny hair and orange make-up? Papa Mac must have had something to say on the subject.’

I did have something to say. Many of these pieces can be found in the Archive section of our website under the heading Resist Trumpism.

I would like to thank all of you from all over the world, who joined me in that collective sigh of relief back on Saturday, November 11, 2020. Thanks to all of you who sent me correspondences related to this past election. Many of you knew how nervous I was about its outcome. Your thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated.

Here in America we look forward to having a real President again. It has been awhile.

I know what you’re thinking; ‘Dave, Trump hasn’t conceded yet.’ I am very aware of that. He won’t.  People have asked me, if I’m bothered by this? Not really. It was very predictable. When given the chance to truly be a man, he failed. When given a chance to show some grace under pressure, he failed. When given a chance to heal this deeply divided nation, he failed. When given a golden opportunity do and say the right thing, he, as always, has found a way to say and do the wrong thing.

The good news is that he doesn’t get to decide who the next President is, we do. The American people get to decide. We did and Don the Con gets to take his traveling circus of failure to another venue. The White House belongs to us, the American people and we get to decide who lives there. I am very thankful for that.

I am also thankful to be able to welcome back to the tribe, those, who, for whatever reason, left us four years ago. For many, your support of Donald Trump is unforgivable, but in the spirit of the great American savior, Jesus Christ, I forgive you. I see your really big American flags, flying out of your really big American pick-up trucks, so I know you love our country. I’m sure that love will be showered upon the incoming administration. Your support of Joe and Kamala will be the magic soul elixir that will help these two lead America back from the brink of disaster. Your healing prayers are just what our nation needs right now.

I would especially like to give thanks to our loyal readers. Remember to stay safe, be well and be in touch.

- David Mac

*Editor’s Note: We recognize that Thanksgiving is a national holiday in which we commemorate white colonizers getting cooking tips from the indigenous people before slaughtering them nearly out of existence.