Steven, at 79 I surely thought I'd seen and heard just about everything, ever weird fantasy and tsunami of lies surging through our country, our society. Nope, each day presents another glimpse of madness at state, local and national levels. I have asked brilliant attorneys, former top military analysts, government leaders what can be done to protect our democracy, our governance, our country. Answers are many, yet few that might work, it seems. I cannot give up on our country, imperfect though it is and always has been. I am just an ordinary American, a veteran, and a believer in "first do no harm" to your fellow citizens. I vote. I live a simple, not flamboyant life. I am tired, so tired, and I worry about America's youth, and what their tomorrow will offer.
trump is a self aggrandizing, cruel, ignorant, loud mouth who thinks the world is about him. Everything he is involved with is the best/worst thing that has ever happened in the history of the United States.He had no plans to defeat covid, no in 2 weeks health plan, no regard for our allies, no ideas about alleviating the needs of the needy. His only "thing" was to build the beautiful wall that nobody wanted, and even that was not his idea. I think he is a sissy braggart who is mentally declining, not by the day but the hour. He exclaimed that North Korea would feel "fire and fury" as has never been seen by the world, yet months later, he and Kim were shaking hands and pen pals. He said he would paint our planes to look like they were Chinese and bomb Russia because of Ukraine, but he would never do that to his mentor, Putin, knowing poison might be found in his underwear.
My question is what is the matter with 40% of Americans who follow him? Why?What would make Americans, perhaps the luckiest people in the world to be living in a free constitutional country, speak with reverence about him, do his bidding that would destroy their world?What is wrong with the media that keeps propping him up daily with his picture, utterances and even bathroom problems which in fact, promote him? What was with those who worked with him but are now trying to save their own skin? Why did they not speak out? Tillerson, Dr. Birx, Barr and the generals- Kelly, McMaster,. Mattis all upset with Obama's foreign policies. It was left up to Lt.Col. Alexander Vindman to blow the whistle.
trump's fine people have either been indicted, jailed, or pardoned plus Jared Kushner. His advisors were a disgraced Flynn and nightly calls from Hannity, degreed in nothiing. What is left today?QAnon crazies who have convinced him that the Democrat pedophile dark money people are after him, Bannon, Jones, and of course a man whose head must be stuffed with feathers, My Pillow Guy, Mike Lindell,who I think really is a gullible trump believer while at the same time, raking in the dough.
Does it all go back to our pretty poor (and getting "poorer') educational system? Few people will ever use geometry but a class in logic might help. The periodic chart fine for future scientists, but what does that do for a fast food worker of a shoe salesman? But classes in tolerance, kindness and various cultures might help.
There will always be trumps and Lindells, but they should not make up 40% of Americans.
I live in a liberal bubble, with only one Trumpie in my entire circle. He was my third-favorite 'boyfriend' in third grade (no one knew, of course), and when he contacted me 5 years ago (not having seen him since then), I enjoyed getting to know him as an adult. I almost instantly knew of his hard-right political views when I referred to Denali, and he responded, "You mean 'Mt. McKinley?'"
I decided to pursue the relationship, partly to understand what had happened in the intervening 60+ years. Gradually his story unfolded: a civil engineer, he decided to become a logger instead. He lived a rough 'n ready life, getting into bar fights, developing an alcohol problem, then a cocaine problem. He mistreated his sweet, yielding wife and two sons. In short, he was a hot mess.
His wife developed pancreatic cancer and lived in misery for several years. A nurse, she was surrounded by loving friends from her church who supported her as she finally passed in peace. My friend's conscience was pricked; he began to attend her local evangelical Christian church and gradually pulled his life together, giving up alcohol and drugs, and eventually even his guns. Then he developed Stage IV prostate cancer, then colon cancer, traced to botched treatment by a local doc. Luckily we live near Dana-Farber, so he received treatment from one of the world's best cancer centers. He recovered, although he stared Death full in the face for a long time.
Sometimes, when he was desperately ill, I would go with him to witness and take notes about what the various specialists said and told him to do. On the truck-ride in, we would have long, serious discussions about religion and politics. He learned his political views from Rush Limbaugh (shudder), so often we would reach a point where we would say, "Stop." We agreed to change the subject. I waited patiently.
Then he developed T-cell leukemia as a result of the 'pin-point' x-ray treatment of the prostate cancer. This was a mighty blow in the face of returning joy at his recovery from the prostate/colon cancer. I watched in admiration as his strong religious faith supported him when the D-F doc refused to treat him because he had only a 20% chance of recovery. Determined, he sought and found a miracle at Massachusetts General Hospital, where a research doc had developed a new regimen to treat his leukemia. Again, I went with him to meet the whole team, and cheered when my friend won one of the 70 places in the research study. A year after his bone-marrow transplant, matched with a young donor in Germany, he has achieved a ‘full recovery.’
He and I had attended a local Congregational church as children. I learned almost all of my Bible-knowledge there; he apparently daydreamed of running around outside instead of paying attention. In our later friendship, I explained to him that I am a 'Non-Christian Christian,' meaning I try to live by the precepts of Joshua ben Joseph (aka Jesus, in Greek) but I am actually a non-practicing agnostic Unitarian (don't laugh!) I am not sure I would cling to life as avidly as he has, fueled by the power of his belief in Jesus, his savior and God, his father. He mentioned several times that his church was filled with people who had struggled with similar personal problems, and found strength in its powerful teaching.
Meanwhile, his second son, whom he loves dearly, had come out of the closet, moved to Florida, married, and began living a life very similar to my friend's in that both enjoy building a beautiful home and a loving family. My friend's church did not welcome his son. My friend began attending a second rock 'n roll church, one that offered an intensive AA-based Bible study group. I was made to feel welcome. I learned that the two AA founders had had similar struggles and found a way out via their famous 12-step program. The church welcomed all in our immigrant-rich community; the diverse groups of children huddling in front of the alter and swathed in community love, recently brought tears to his eyes.
He invited me for a walk one day, but first we had to sit down for a long, serious talk. He asked where I thought people came from. I sketched a brief picture of East Africa, genetic evidence of the human diaspora, etc. (off the cuff; a bit fuzzy). Then he asked about the Bible teaching in Genesis. I explained to him, as I have explained to countless questioning high school students, that we can understand that story as figuratively true, meaning 'capturing a truth of human experience,' as proverbs and other wise sayings do, but not literally and universally true, as in evidence-based scientific truth, which is considered literally true, at least until new evidence supports a newer understanding. The conversation continued in a way that showed he was willing to entertain my explanation. I sneakily mentioned the horrid plight of his son, living in a state where the governor spouts anti-gay rhetoric, and invites the population to share his hatred.
Then I heard the sentence I was waiting for: "I gave up politics a few years ago" (not true). The conversation continued amicably and with love, but I knew he had seen through the evil machinations of tfg and was, in his way, confessing to me. I'll take it! :-) <3
Years ago, Pam Clarke, a wise schools leader, said, "Respect is like air; take it away and it’s all people can think about."
You said it all in paragraph 4. It was 45 who turned our country into a laughing stock and took away its majesty. If he even had an ounce of patriotism, and if he even gave some deference to one of his GOP ancestors, President Ronald Reagan, he would realize that we were once the shining star on the hill. And it was he, 45, who has been trying to destroy that star. If we have to have a mantra, it would be the bumper sticker I saw while on vacation this summer: Make America less embarrassing again.
Steven, at 79 I surely thought I'd seen and heard just about everything, ever weird fantasy and tsunami of lies surging through our country, our society. Nope, each day presents another glimpse of madness at state, local and national levels. I have asked brilliant attorneys, former top military analysts, government leaders what can be done to protect our democracy, our governance, our country. Answers are many, yet few that might work, it seems. I cannot give up on our country, imperfect though it is and always has been. I am just an ordinary American, a veteran, and a believer in "first do no harm" to your fellow citizens. I vote. I live a simple, not flamboyant life. I am tired, so tired, and I worry about America's youth, and what their tomorrow will offer.
trump is a self aggrandizing, cruel, ignorant, loud mouth who thinks the world is about him. Everything he is involved with is the best/worst thing that has ever happened in the history of the United States.He had no plans to defeat covid, no in 2 weeks health plan, no regard for our allies, no ideas about alleviating the needs of the needy. His only "thing" was to build the beautiful wall that nobody wanted, and even that was not his idea. I think he is a sissy braggart who is mentally declining, not by the day but the hour. He exclaimed that North Korea would feel "fire and fury" as has never been seen by the world, yet months later, he and Kim were shaking hands and pen pals. He said he would paint our planes to look like they were Chinese and bomb Russia because of Ukraine, but he would never do that to his mentor, Putin, knowing poison might be found in his underwear.
My question is what is the matter with 40% of Americans who follow him? Why?What would make Americans, perhaps the luckiest people in the world to be living in a free constitutional country, speak with reverence about him, do his bidding that would destroy their world?What is wrong with the media that keeps propping him up daily with his picture, utterances and even bathroom problems which in fact, promote him? What was with those who worked with him but are now trying to save their own skin? Why did they not speak out? Tillerson, Dr. Birx, Barr and the generals- Kelly, McMaster,. Mattis all upset with Obama's foreign policies. It was left up to Lt.Col. Alexander Vindman to blow the whistle.
trump's fine people have either been indicted, jailed, or pardoned plus Jared Kushner. His advisors were a disgraced Flynn and nightly calls from Hannity, degreed in nothiing. What is left today?QAnon crazies who have convinced him that the Democrat pedophile dark money people are after him, Bannon, Jones, and of course a man whose head must be stuffed with feathers, My Pillow Guy, Mike Lindell,who I think really is a gullible trump believer while at the same time, raking in the dough.
Does it all go back to our pretty poor (and getting "poorer') educational system? Few people will ever use geometry but a class in logic might help. The periodic chart fine for future scientists, but what does that do for a fast food worker of a shoe salesman? But classes in tolerance, kindness and various cultures might help.
There will always be trumps and Lindells, but they should not make up 40% of Americans.
And the corrupt MAGA crony band plays on.
Lord have mercy! The inmates are running the asylum!
I live in a liberal bubble, with only one Trumpie in my entire circle. He was my third-favorite 'boyfriend' in third grade (no one knew, of course), and when he contacted me 5 years ago (not having seen him since then), I enjoyed getting to know him as an adult. I almost instantly knew of his hard-right political views when I referred to Denali, and he responded, "You mean 'Mt. McKinley?'"
I decided to pursue the relationship, partly to understand what had happened in the intervening 60+ years. Gradually his story unfolded: a civil engineer, he decided to become a logger instead. He lived a rough 'n ready life, getting into bar fights, developing an alcohol problem, then a cocaine problem. He mistreated his sweet, yielding wife and two sons. In short, he was a hot mess.
His wife developed pancreatic cancer and lived in misery for several years. A nurse, she was surrounded by loving friends from her church who supported her as she finally passed in peace. My friend's conscience was pricked; he began to attend her local evangelical Christian church and gradually pulled his life together, giving up alcohol and drugs, and eventually even his guns. Then he developed Stage IV prostate cancer, then colon cancer, traced to botched treatment by a local doc. Luckily we live near Dana-Farber, so he received treatment from one of the world's best cancer centers. He recovered, although he stared Death full in the face for a long time.
Sometimes, when he was desperately ill, I would go with him to witness and take notes about what the various specialists said and told him to do. On the truck-ride in, we would have long, serious discussions about religion and politics. He learned his political views from Rush Limbaugh (shudder), so often we would reach a point where we would say, "Stop." We agreed to change the subject. I waited patiently.
Then he developed T-cell leukemia as a result of the 'pin-point' x-ray treatment of the prostate cancer. This was a mighty blow in the face of returning joy at his recovery from the prostate/colon cancer. I watched in admiration as his strong religious faith supported him when the D-F doc refused to treat him because he had only a 20% chance of recovery. Determined, he sought and found a miracle at Massachusetts General Hospital, where a research doc had developed a new regimen to treat his leukemia. Again, I went with him to meet the whole team, and cheered when my friend won one of the 70 places in the research study. A year after his bone-marrow transplant, matched with a young donor in Germany, he has achieved a ‘full recovery.’
He and I had attended a local Congregational church as children. I learned almost all of my Bible-knowledge there; he apparently daydreamed of running around outside instead of paying attention. In our later friendship, I explained to him that I am a 'Non-Christian Christian,' meaning I try to live by the precepts of Joshua ben Joseph (aka Jesus, in Greek) but I am actually a non-practicing agnostic Unitarian (don't laugh!) I am not sure I would cling to life as avidly as he has, fueled by the power of his belief in Jesus, his savior and God, his father. He mentioned several times that his church was filled with people who had struggled with similar personal problems, and found strength in its powerful teaching.
Meanwhile, his second son, whom he loves dearly, had come out of the closet, moved to Florida, married, and began living a life very similar to my friend's in that both enjoy building a beautiful home and a loving family. My friend's church did not welcome his son. My friend began attending a second rock 'n roll church, one that offered an intensive AA-based Bible study group. I was made to feel welcome. I learned that the two AA founders had had similar struggles and found a way out via their famous 12-step program. The church welcomed all in our immigrant-rich community; the diverse groups of children huddling in front of the alter and swathed in community love, recently brought tears to his eyes.
He invited me for a walk one day, but first we had to sit down for a long, serious talk. He asked where I thought people came from. I sketched a brief picture of East Africa, genetic evidence of the human diaspora, etc. (off the cuff; a bit fuzzy). Then he asked about the Bible teaching in Genesis. I explained to him, as I have explained to countless questioning high school students, that we can understand that story as figuratively true, meaning 'capturing a truth of human experience,' as proverbs and other wise sayings do, but not literally and universally true, as in evidence-based scientific truth, which is considered literally true, at least until new evidence supports a newer understanding. The conversation continued in a way that showed he was willing to entertain my explanation. I sneakily mentioned the horrid plight of his son, living in a state where the governor spouts anti-gay rhetoric, and invites the population to share his hatred.
Then I heard the sentence I was waiting for: "I gave up politics a few years ago" (not true). The conversation continued amicably and with love, but I knew he had seen through the evil machinations of tfg and was, in his way, confessing to me. I'll take it! :-) <3
Years ago, Pam Clarke, a wise schools leader, said, "Respect is like air; take it away and it’s all people can think about."
That is my response to today's post.
My ex-Trumper friend now has a liberal Jewish girlfriend.
You said it all in paragraph 4. It was 45 who turned our country into a laughing stock and took away its majesty. If he even had an ounce of patriotism, and if he even gave some deference to one of his GOP ancestors, President Ronald Reagan, he would realize that we were once the shining star on the hill. And it was he, 45, who has been trying to destroy that star. If we have to have a mantra, it would be the bumper sticker I saw while on vacation this summer: Make America less embarrassing again.