Mourning For The Country

For most of the last three months, I have been mourning for the country.  Beginning on November 9, 2016, immediately after the announcement that Hillary Clinton had lost the presidential election, I have fluctuated between utter disgust, bafflement, and grief.  How could such a highly qualified candidate lose, even in a close election, to such a markedly unqualified, ignorant, hate filled, and evil man?  Then the announcement came from the seventeen US intelligence agencies that the election apparatus had been tampered with, in favor of Donald Trump, in several states through the use of the Russian hacker network known as Fancy Bear.  Now the whole outcome in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan made a lot more sense.  A glaring statistical anomaly in key precincts in these three states and Florida had been discovered.  The key precincts were all won by Trump with shockingly similar voting percentages, far too close to identical to be accidental.  I found myself going from disgust, bafflement, and grief to anger.  It has become more and more clear as we have gotten farther away from the election that some kind of effort was put forth on the part of Putin and the Russian government in order to influence the election in favor of Trump.  Theories about their motives range from a simple desire to see the American electoral process in turmoil to outright treason and collusion on Trump's part.  

Earlier in the year, Paul Manafort, Trump's campaign manager, had been forced to resign because of his history of involvement with Russia in Ukraine.  Trump's eventual choice as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, one of the least qualified nominees ever named for a cabinet post, had done extensive business in Russia and even accepted an award from Putin known as the Russian Order of Friendship.  Additionally, the Washington Post has called Trump's collective nominees for cabinet posts "The Worst Cabinet In American History".

Trump's assemblage of liars, thieves, potential traitors and criminals is collectively a motley crew who have been assembled deliberately to provide Trump with an entourage that will not question his actions or motives no matter how insane or criminal they may be.  There is Rick Perry, the former governor of Texas, who once could not remember the name of the department which he has been chosen to direct and has been indicted, but sadly not convicted, of abuse of power in Texas during his time in office.   There is Betsy DeVos, a member of the same family which built the worst pyramid scheme in American history, Amway.

During her confirmation hearing, DeVos actually stated that American schools should have guns on campus to protect students from grizzly bears. She is also an outspoken advocate for charter schools which are nothing more than religious based means to deprive public schools and students of federal education funds. There are other equally unqualified and ignorant people in this gang of thieves.  There is Scott Pruitt, appointed to head the EPA, who has been the most virulent enemy of the agency over the last several years.  There is Jeff Sessions, chosen to be Attorney General, who in 1986 was refused a federal judgeship because he was too racist at a time when virtually no level of racism could get an appointee denied a judgeship.  

Obviously, I have plenty of reason to grieve for the country.  But, as January 2017 comes to an end, I have realized that grieving is not productive.  I need to work, as does every other committed citizen to help bring an end to the gang of Right Wing Radical criminals being able to destroy American Democracy.  Citizens of a democracy can and must speak out on a daily basis to defend that democracy.  Citizens of Germany in the 1930's stood silent as Adolph Hitler and the Nazis seized control of power in Germany, began World War II, and perpetrated the Holocaust.  American citizens cannot allow this gang to do the same in the greatest country in the world.  My time for grief is over.  My time of diligent resistance is here.  I will work every day to help America prevent the disaster which is even now unfolding in Washington.  So should you!

"THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."   Thomas Paine