Jean Jacques de Boissieu: Old Man with a Boy Reading (1770)

Our concrete contractor, Pablo, and his crew laid a new sidewalk on the north side of our newly refurbished front porch this week, bringing us one step closer to completing our infinite front porch remodeling project. A new sidewalk serves as the closest thing The Muse and I might ever contribute to permanence here, lasting evidence that someone once lived here, evidence that should last well into the following century. This Writing Week proved to be more speculative than concrete. Change seemed prominent without necessarily feeling imminent. Our hapless administration, still apparently uninterested in administering anything, has been exhibiting some gravely serious difficulties recruiting and retaining EvilPeople in sufficient numbers to completely undermine our Democratic order. I sensed an impending Awakening. The Elites seemed teetering again, on their usual precipice of greatness … or something. I praised our sacred Jurisprudence, which has proven to be the most stalwart defender of our civic Decency. I admitted to feeling Enraged, however politically unacceptable that emotion might seem in a discussion of Decency. I ended this writing week praising the Insubordinate as the true patriot of Decency in our ongoing passion play. Thank you for following along with me here.

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Weekly Writing Summary

EvilPeople
“…never in sufficient numbers to succeed, thank heavens.”
This Decency Story reports on some reassuring news from the frontlines of The War On Decency. The enemy appears to be having difficulties recruiting and retaining sufficient numbers of Evil People to sustain their offensives.

This Decency Story describes the difficulties faced by the movement waging the “War on Decency,” highlighting issues with recruiting and retaining sufficiently ruthless personnel. Bonuses and incentives failed to attract or keep enough people, and many who initially joined could not reconcile their tasks with their moral values, leading to high resignation rates. Court rulings have blocked efforts to use the military to undermine Decency, and the MAGA movement underestimated the resilience of their opposition. Leadership appears out of touch, while the committed few are insufficient to maintain momentum. The overall outlook is one of impending failure and dwindling influence for the indecent MAGA movement.


William Sharp: Evil (18th century)

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Awakening
“…American Dreams emerge from Awakenings.”
This Decency Story reports on a growing Awakening that seems to be undermining our incumbent’s agenda.

In this Decency Story, I express disgust and deep skepticism toward our incumbent’s political support, describing it as formerly cult-like and unshakable despite his incoherence and scandalous behavior. Conspiracies like QAnon, once directed at opponents, have come full circle, with evidence now pointing at the incumbent for the very crimes his base accused others of committing. As the incumbent responds with increasingly desperate measures, including hiding evidence and alienating his own base, longstanding supporters are finally abandoning him. Economic decline and public scandals have made impeachment likely, and I frame the situation as a national nightmare from which an awakening seems imminent.

Henry Duff Linton and Edmond Morin: Awakening (19th century)

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Elites
“…they always seem to disappoint us and themselves in practice.”
This Decency Story wonders whether our Elites are really necessary to the smooth functioning of our society or if they are merely in the way of our greatness.

This Decency Story argues that believing in the necessity of societal Elites has proven misguided. History shows that Elites often serve themselves rather than the public, and their actions typically contradict the American founding principle of equality. Plutocracy and professional politicians have replaced democratic ideals, undermining representative government. Even today, public admiration for Elites persists, despite clear evidence of their frequent failures and self-serving behaviors. I suggest abandoning the myth that Elites are required for a functioning society, as relying on them has repeatedly led to disappointment and societal decline.


Eugène Carrière: Elise Smiling (1895)

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Jurisprudence
“Even those who assault our Jurisprudence deserve justice. Decency demands it.”
This Decency Story explores Decency’s civic counterpart, Jurisprudence.

This Decency Story discusses concerns about attempts to undermine our sacred judicial system and the civic decency that accompanies it, noting that while there are instances of indecency and incompetence, the traditions and careful deliberation inherent to the courts generally protect the rule of law. The system, though imperfect and often slow, was specifically designed to resist corruption arising from hasty decisions. I present both Decency and jurisprudence as fluid, ongoing efforts rather than completed achievements, and the story argues that even those who threaten these principles still deserve justice, underscoring the enduring strength and purpose of our sacred judicial framework.

Raphael Morghen: Jurisprudence (18th-19th century)

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EnRaged
“Don’t tread on Decency!”
This Decency Story tries to clear up the popular misconception that Decency necessarily equates with passivity, when Decency might more often understandably feel EnRaged!

This Decency Story argues that decency does not equate to passivity; in fact, heightened sensitivity can make Decent individuals more prone to internal rage when encountering injustice or indecency. The Decent often suppress this rage, sometimes resulting in depression and internal conflict, as Decency discourages overt outrage. However, when conditions become unbearable or when repeated frustration with injustice occurs, Decent individuals can react with powerful, outward anger—this tendency to restrain rather than express rage can make negotiation with less restrained parties more challenging. I disclose an ongoing personal struggle between the impulses for quiet Decency and active outrage, warning that suppressed feelings should not be mistaken for passive approval.

William Hogarth: The Enraged Musician (November 1741)

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Insubordinate
“The Decent direct themselves for their own damned reasons…”
This Decency Story discloses an unsettling fact about the Decent. Their gift often requires them to act as an Insubordinate. They have to be responsible for their own actions without relying upon another’s orders.

In this Decency Story, I describe Decency as an inherently individual, insubordinate act that cannot be mandated or systematically taught. It relies on personal intention and context, with real examples rarely repeating themselves. Attempts to enforce Decency, especially through hierarchies and rigid obedience, often create the opposite effect. Genuine Decency emerges through creative, responsible choices, often in challenging or unfamiliar circumstances, and might be largely invisible to others. Ultimately, only the individual can meaningfully judge their own Decency, since it depends on personal authenticity rather than external validation.

Pierre-Paul Prud’hon: Head of Vengeance (c. 1804)

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The Most Modest Change
Autumn brings falling leaves and induces in me a deep sense of departure. Each day drops more reminders begging for my ever-narrowing attention. I reluctantly rake leaves, acknowledging that I’m dispatching the final evidence of my own days. I use my lawnmower as if it were a vacuum, before scraping peripheral leftovers into a tattered but still somewhat serviceable tarp, and dragging my memories into a VW Van-sized pile in the street in front of The Villa. The overlong summer also left much residue in the garage. I sit there after exhausting myself dispatching my memories, plotting improvements for indeterminate upcoming chapters. I acknowledge an increasing disconnection to many of my most sacred traditions.

I sense distances I couldn’t even imagine a few short years ago. With each passing autumn, time comes in shorter and shorter durations. Days seem many hours briefer than they once were, even without the disappearance of my sacred delusionary Daylight Savings Time. Clocks no longer seem capable of accurately keeping time; the same goes for calendars. Experience seems increasingly overrated, as subsequent chapters undermine long-established narratives. Autumn leaves induce something other than nostalgia in me. They leave me yearning for something I’ve not yet experienced but ache to see. Spring distends. Summer pretends. Autumn portends. Only Winter promises any respite. I resist renewal. I never once desired to be different from what I ever was before, yet this world, this universe, seems to insist upon at least this much. I was never once well-prepared for even the most modest change.

©2025 by David A. Schmaltz - all rights reserved

Tags: #Decency, #PureSchmaltz