CONFUSED AND TROUBLED

     These are confused times. The last time I remember such anger at the government or the government to be was in the late 60's when basically the young rose up, woke up much of an older generation and changed the world. Is that what is happening today? Once again, is it the young lad or lassie who cries out the truth, that the Emperor is naked?
     Generally when there is an election both sides accept the result and work from there. This election seemingly is different. Thousands are marching disavowing him and his politics, his viewpoint and in fact, his hypocritical deeds. This man who supposedly cried out against lobbyists is now appointing them in droves to his new government. He is appointing so many foxes into the hen coops that he will undo all that has been done on the environment, health care and any and all else.
     He, that convinced people to vote for him because he would be "good" for Israel are now hearing his plan to broker a "deal" in the Palestinian - Israeli matter. It would be the best ever or so he says. I wonder if it would be a bigly event!
     The  leaders of the world are looking askance at the American president to be, reminding him of shared values, with concern from their citizens as to what happened to America. When did it blow its gasket and lose its mind? Kerry is trying to race a deadline to cement in place an agreement that would help avoid even more climate change while The Orange Man and his minions deny that this even exists. Willful blindness to the truth does not erase it and not even if it is for the benefit of his cronies, all the fat cats that he ranted against during the campaign.
     He who fooled all those blue collar people, he who gained support of the Christian evangelical movement - he is the same cheater who is denying them now, leaving them to face health crises on their own for the government program will not be there nor will other "net" programs and by the way, this man is the furthest thing from Christian that I have ever seen. Any one ever see him go to church or ask forgiveness for his sins? Nope, thought not.
     But actually I care not for the religion for it has no place in the Oval Office, yet here it is dragged in with people forcing their own thoughts on others, to the point of bigotry and hatred.  No contraception, no abortion rights for women to choose and decide for themselves, bias against LGBTQ and will we return to the dark days of Stonewall? Racial hatred and do not ever think that one is immune to this for hatred grows and spreads and eventually all are involved.
     Never did I think that I would ever think such thoughts again, but here I am rooting for those kids out there. Here I am thinking of a columnist who said that we have to resist - quietly and firmly. Perhaps we need to make more noise though for this borrower who owes millions to the Bank of China, who has commercial entanglements with so many countries, including our enemies, this man who admires demagogues - this man must be changed and even his cronies realize this as he stumbles again in an interview with Lesley Stahl, unable to complete a full sentence or carry a thought thru a paragraph. He thinks Twitter is a game just for him to gather more followers and he thinks that it is a great idea to get all his kids into government positions. What is next? A special kids department for Barron? Or perhaps we will see an heir designated to follow him and watch all our rights go down the tube.
     When I first heard Andra Day sing I was electrified and when I heard her voice and the words of her song Rise Up I was even more impressed. Check it out, but here are some of those words.
     "We gonna walk it out
And move mountains...
And I'll rise up
I'll rise like the day
I'll rise up
I'll rise unafraid
I'll rise up
And I'll do it a thousand times again.....
All we need, all we need is hope
And for that we have each other.......
I'll rise up
In spite of the ache.......
We'll rise up."
Finally, in the words of David Brooks, "Maybe America isn't special, it's just another republic that had its day, but is in the process of devolving into a corrupt nation ruled by strongmen.
     But I'm not ready to accept that this is inevitable - because accepting would become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The road back to what America should be is going to be longer and harder than any of us expected and we might not make it. But we have to try."
     We have to try. So rise up, you and me and all the thinking people of America, the popular majority which Hillary had achieved, the people who looked to the future with hope and unity.
     We will rise up within the law but loudly, strongly BIGLY!!!
     I WILL RISE UP.
     WE WILL RISE UP.
MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!!!