THE IMPERIAL PRESIDENCY

         George Washington said no. We have kept that tradition going all these years. We planned to continue to do so. But suddenly we seem to have had new plans foisted upon us and many of us are fighting mad about it and wondering where the hell are the rest of you? Or have you already given in, finding it easier to accept the rule of one person as absolute monarch?
     Donald Trump, the Demented One we now have as our illegitimate president of the country, seems to have plans to become the absolute monarch of this country. He has declared himself above the law, touting executive privilege as an excuse to say no to all requests for documents and records. He refused to heed subpoenas. He states that he will "go to the courts" for aid in this behavior, forgetting that no, he does not control the courts - at least not yet, though it appears to be part and parcel of his plans. But never mind the truth, for this man believes himself to be a direct descendant of the naked emperor who felt he could wear invisible clothing even as he walked naked amongst his nation.
     Well, we see the nakedness of this Demented One. We see through the opaque mirrors he uses, the excuses he comes up with, the lies he is constantly spouting, and the vile language and personal attacks he makes on all who displease him, particularly political opponents. He engages in the most assinine and infantile behavior of giving nasty rhyming monikers to all those who displease him. Anyone feel as if they are back in the schoolyard at recess time?
     A bit of stock taking now. His own aides and appointees have countermanded some of his commands, with some losing positions for that, but not enough have the courage to do so or are too selfish, greedy, or dumb to do so! Mattis probably warded off war with North Korea, Iran and Syria and openly admits that he ignored or played deaf to many Trumpian requests. But he is no longer there and now we have Russia and China meeting for fleet war games, challenging us, daring us, but our Imperial President refuses to recognize the mess we are in all due to him - or perhaps this is exactly what he wants. After all, between the threats of these two nations plus all the others he has antagonized, along with the threat to shoot at the border with Mexico, and an "emergency" at the border, perhaps military rule needs to be imposed upon the country and who better to do that than the Imperial Monarch!!!
     The Imperial President, still using his title, refuses to obey Congress, has instituted suits, family suits, to stop Deutsche Bank from answering Congressional subpoenas. Such a lovely picture they made, the royal family - Himself, the two Princes - Junior and Eric - and the Princess, Ivanka. Where was Jared? Guess he is not truly a member in good standing right now. Tsk, tsk. Poor boy. Trump refuses to allow his tax returns to be viewed, a challenge to a long time tradition for all candidates and office holders at this level to do so. So what is he hiding? Wouldn't we all like to know!
     In July 1974, when the House Judiciary Committee passed three articles of impeachment against President Richard M. Nixon, one of the charges leveled against him was “contempt of Congress,” while the third article said Nixon had “failed without lawful cause or excuse to produce papers and things as directed by duly authorized subpoenas” and “willfully disobeyed such subpoenas.”
     Well, does that not sound like deja vu, going past or forward in time. Why does this man think he is immune, above the law, outside history? Because such is the thinking of an absolute monarch. Such is the thinking of one who feels that he can challenge a vote and remain in office. It is the thinking of one who has allowed the Russians into the election process, encouraged nasty thinking, extremist thinking, violent hatred and the acts that followed, defended rightwing extremists, and stumbled over his own lies. It has encouraged the behavior of supporters - and perhaps closer than that - to smear opponents, going to the extreme point of ginning up fake sex smears - and this coming from the man who picture needs to be next to the dictionary definiton of sexual pervert and harasser! So sure, go and smear Buttigieg with a false acusation and watch the truth come out, quickly in this case! But the fact that it was tried- what the hell are we allowing here? Why? Why?
     If we are to survive as a democratic nation we must work on two planes. We must push a good agenda - infrastructure, taxes, regulation replacement, healthcare, environment, peace talks, open government - and we must work to open the windows and let the light shine in on Trump and henchmenn and pressure him to resign, take a long hike or whatever he chooses - but get him gone or render him powerless or certainly less so. If we cannot do this then quite frankly, we are doomed to remain as we are and even deteriorate further. We will have allowed the Imperial Presidency to come into being. The end of us.

MOMMY

      Yesterday was the seventh anniversary of my mother's passing. Expected, yet still a shock, it hit all hard, arrows straight to the heart and soul. I could write all day about my mom and how I miss her, but my grandson wrote a beautiful piece in commemoration of yesterday and it made me realize how strong my mother's connection was and still is to everyone in the family andhow we all miss her, even as she remains an integral part of our family. Read Zach's memorial. I am so proud of him and I know my parents are "shepping nachas" (having pride - but more than that) from Above.
          

Dear Tata Natie,

Today was your 7th yartzheit. I can’t believe you have been gone for so long. I miss you. I miss talking to you. I miss having you in my life.

The stories I know about you, the experiences I had with you, and the people you loved shape my life each and every day.

We often call the important and powerful women in our lives an “אשת חיל”. In that poem, the following pasuk appears:

שֶׁ֣קֶר הַ֭חֵן וְהֶ֣בֶל הַיֹּ֑פִי אִשָּׁ֥ה יִרְאַת־יְ֝הוָ֗ה הִ֣יא תִתְהַלָּֽל׃
Grace is deceptive, Beauty is illusory; It is for her fear of the LORD That a woman is to be praised.
(Mishlei 31:30)

It is very easy to be a “public servant” of God, to be openly and clearly a religious person. It is much tougher to instill in one’s very actions and self a sense of kindness, of duty, of love. That is what you represent to me.

Tata, I know you are in שמים with Saba Natie, and we need you to keep on “justing” for us. Make sure that HaShem keeps on watching over us, and keep on keeping your family, and over all of us.

I miss you and I love you.

Love,
Zachy

AND WITH THIS BLOOD, YOU SHALL LIVE

         This is recited at every Bris, as a Jewish infant boy is welcomed into the nation. It reminds us and G-d that we have an agreement, to abide by the laws of the Torah and in return we will be blessed, become numerous, and have our own land. But perhaps it is really a foretelling of the blood that will be spilt, the blood that will invade the home of every Jew, the blood that never seems to end.
      If I would have written this post last nite, the screen would have gone up in flames. Again. Again, Jews are praying. Again, the synagogue is invaded. Again, Jewish blood is spilt. A woman goes down and her husband and daughter are now bereft. An eight year old girl is wounded. The Rabbi is speaking, is shot in the hand, yet continues, urging the congregation to remain strong. How many times are we to see this, to read of this, to hear how the adults threw themselves over the bodies of the children, protecting them at the possible cost of their own lives, and once again we think of the brutality with which Hitler and his henchmen killed the Jewish children, inventing new methods, each more barbaric than the other.
     In Job, G-d states that he will revenge the blood spilt. He reminds us of the importance of blood when he demands of Cain an answer to the question of hearing the blood of his brother calling out? And we must remain strong as it appears that most of the world forgets that we are all brothers, we all bleed the same red blood, and the spilling of blood only leads to more shedding of blood and solves nothing. Nothing at all.
     I am angry. I am frightened. I am bewildered. And I am desperate in many ways. How long, Dear Lord, how long must your people suffer this constant attack on them? How do I answer fifth generation American kids when they approach me in confusion, in fright, in worry, and ask me if we are now going to leave the country, move elsewhere, perhaps to Israel? But why is it, that Jews who are citizens in so many countries are doubted, are maligned, chased and killed?
     It happens when anti Semitism is allowed to flourish, from both sides of the political spectrum. It seems that to be an accepted Progressive, one must repeat all the memes and tropes of anti Semitism. It seems that one must argue that to be anti Zionist, to oppose a Jewish state, to make believe that these are not all anti Semitic,  makes one more progressive than any other who does not say that. Such is the twisted logic of hatred and this is not all.
     Look to the other end of the spectrum, the alt right, the extreme right wing, and yet, today one does not even have to go that far to the right to this solid blocks of anti Semitism, vicious enough to encourage the hate and even push and urge the haters into bloody action.
     What do we do when in one weekend we have Trump trying to state that when he said there were "fine people" on both sides, he really meant the people who came to Charlottesville to protect the statue of Robert E Lee!!!!! I guess the slaughtered woman was collateral damage?!
     And then we have the bastion of liberalism, the NY Times, the paper I read every day, the one that has kept up the pressure on Trump, and what do they do? They go ahead and publish, world wide, a most anti Semitic and vicious political cartoon and then try to erase it from the media, from the airwaves, and apologize for it as a mistake! It could have come direct from one of Hitler's propaganda machines and served as an illustration of his horrendous writings.
     What is going on? Why is it okay, again, to spill Jewish blood? Why is it okay, again, to invade the sanctuaries of the Jewish nation and desecrate them with blood spilled in hate and anger? Why is it okay to hate so viciously. I know that African Americans speak of the "talk" they give to their children, especially boys, but let me remind all out there that we have been giving the talk to our children from time immemorial. We have given them the lecture on staying inconspicuous, on obeying the rules. To their credit, there were many Jewish kids and adults who challenged the standards of a society that needed change, but always, always and forever, there is that constant fear, fear of the knife, the gun, the bomb, the fire, the hate, the hate, the hate.
     You see, we are not  deemed white by the race haters. We are deemed white by others because that is what they see, not knowing that we Jews come in all colors!! We have no "white privilege" and have struggled and are still struggling over quotas, open and secret, even as we, the minority, are never considered a minority. We do not want it for we are willing to work hard and have done so for lo these thousands of years, picking ourselves up, starting over again, and doing the best we can, all the while building families, and a future for these families and for the Jewish people.
     But a warning to the haters. We know that obedience to hate, of not fighting against it, is not the way to go any longer. We are stronger now for all our experiences. We are stronger now and know we all have to stand together and those who do not yet realize this, well, one day....
     I hate this. I hate this with a passion. I hate that we emphasize the differences, disrespect the differences, hate the differences, rather than find the commonality. I hate that we allow the haters to dominate, that we do not speak up against them. I am so tired of hearing of one more atrocity, more Jews killed for the "crime" of being Jewish, of the fear we have for our kids every damn time they walk out the door.
     So what do we pray? Should we ask G-d to protect and avenge His people? Should we ask Him to spill their blood as they spill ours? Or do we better pray for wisdom and guidance as to how to change this situation? I know what I would have said last nite. This morning, well, this morning, I am in a quandary, with heart and mind challenging each other. Why must this be? Enough!!!Lord G-d, enough.

NO POSTINGS DUE TO HOLIDAY

Due to the holiday there will not be any postings over the weekend. Hope to resume after holiday is over.

WHEN IN THE COURSE OF HUMAN EVENTS........

     The title comes from a most important document which declared our independence from a tyrant and his minions and our justification of the move. We added to it with the Constitution and we persevered through major difficulties and even rebellions and kept our country as the United States of America. We established laws, groped our way through darkness and evil and backwards thinking and continued to do so, hopefully always moving forward and correcting our errors when we took backward steps. We were not perfect, but we tried.
     Today, today is different. Today we have a man who governs by  tweets, angry, insulting, dangerous lying tweets rather than by consensus, bipartisanship, and the laws of our government. He has blatantly violated the terms of the agreements of the three branches of government, suborning one by appointing incompetent and backward thinking judges, challenged the cleanliness of the executive branch by appointing corrupt individuals to office and is now challenging the legislative branch in a major campaign that will turn the country into something that it is not.
     The President is not meant to be a dictator nor a king. Washington made that clear when he turned down the offer of  a crown and we seem to have forgotten this as we have  the present day President, G-d help us, trying to move ever forward in his quest to become THE authoritarian figure of the country. He has openly challenged the Congress, turned aside legal documents, twisted the truth, lied incessantly, and attempted obstruction so defiantly that there should be no doubt in the mind of anyone about what he has done. And what he will continue to do, will continue to accelerate in his quest for the real or symbolic throne.
     He is governing in secrecy. He is defying the law. He is demented and should the man ever have a brain scan, the truth will out. He seems to think that serving as a source of humor will keep his base in line, but even they are beginning to realize that he has made empty promises, promises full of hot air and cold hatred and it is not good for
them or the country.
     So, when in the course of human events.....  Time to think. No, I am not espousing armed conflict though it is obviously there as a distinct possibility as militias flourish, dare to take their own armed moves, as the border has heated up with the insane man's posting of armed soldiers to a once peaceful border with Mexico, challenging the rule of posse comitatus. He has refused to answer our questions to explain himself, a la George III and Parliament. He has imposed levies and taxes without our consent. He has harmed us, our freedom, our rights to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" and must answer for these and other offenses. He is not above the law. No one is. No one is. No one is.
     So when in the course of our human events.... well, we need to ask ourselves what we need to do.  Our choice is clear, the road and its forks are clear and our responsibility to ourselves, the world, the present and the future of humanity, all rest in our hands. Either we demand that the man answer for his crimes, alleged and proven, or we throw up our hands and say to just forget it. It is easier to allow someone else to make all the decisions, is it not!! Well, I disagree vehemently with that thinking and so should we all.
     When in the course of human events...….

BEFORE AND AFTER

     Yesterday was quite a day. We all went to Sea World, where I have not been for about fourteen years and what a difference those years have made. It has been upgraded, improved, expanded and has a wonderful mix of shows, rides, demonstrations and a goodly amount of benches and shade. Workers were polite and helpful and there was not one voice raised in anger, not one push to get somewhere faster, and only a few meltdowns by little ones which were worked out quickly. Even Sesame Street has come to stay!
     It appeared as if there are two distinct Americas. One is the country of before, the time when we were united as Americans, the most important arrow in our quiver. Disagreements were handled properly and there were no bitter tones and words and for the most part, government functioned as it should, with three distinct branches, public servants and bipartisanship.
      That was before. The after is what we now have. The after is when a sitting President complains to Twitter about the number of his followers!!The after is when fighting and nasty words are used to describe political opponents, or even aides who have displeased one. Bipartisanship is a word and idea of the past and it seems more and more likely to disappear from our political lexicon.
     When one has a President who more and more behaves as the Mad Monarch, assuming he can control all and everyone, who says he can control his aides and Congress through use of executive privilege, well, we have troubles in our 'after' world. Spout as much hot air as you wish, but accepting help from Russia is, if not collusion in the legal sense, then is just as bad in the moral nd reality sense. When one continues to obstruct investigation into obstruction, well, the odor permeates the air. Why fight so hard unless there is so much to hide? The truth is, is that Trump is just about the worst thing that has happened to this country, for no other time, save during the height of the anti Vietnam War protests, has the fabric of this country ever been so threatened, almost to the point of no return. But at least then we had Presidents who recognized the truth of the matter, the danger to the country, and they did what they had to do.
     Today we have the greedy public thieves, who see the government as a huge barrel of opportunities for them to enrich themselves and their friends and to hell with the American people. Today we have a Party that refuses to behave and do its  job -  to stand up for their constituents and not for the President against all unreasonable and even criminal activity. It is the job of all to recognize the inability of this man to speak a word of truth in a well constructed sentence. It is their business to recognize that the ostensible leader of their Party is morally, intellectually, in any way, suited for his position and the fact that he is there and they support him mindlessly - well, it speaks for itself, does it not.
     This Demented One is just about beyond the limits of all that is reasonable and just. I have long ago spoken and written about armed conflict and lo and behold look at the militia situation in New Mexico where one white supremacist throwback to fascism of the worst kind (is there a good one, actually?) is refusing to back down and insists it will stay there and keep on rounding up migrants. Their excuse - the Border patrol wants them there. Well, do we have one government or are we truly beyond the pale and reached the point where the armed forces of various people will take over the rule of the country and DC will prove to be useless, worthless? Is this the after country that is now becoming the present day country? Forever?
     A long time politician registered for over 50 years as a Republican has announced his resignation and intention to register as a Democrat. His reasoning? He cannot support Trump any more - "reckless spending, short sighted financial policies, erratic destabilizing foreign policy and his disregard for environmental policies."
     He continues further, and adds that Trump has fueled "an unprecedented divisiveness and sets a poor example "hurling insults at those who disagree with him and his frequent disregard for the truth." He wants, he says, "no part of it."
      The words speak for themselves and for countless millions and billions here in the country and around the world. Before and after and now. Who ya gonna call? The ghostbusters will not do here. We are the ones to call and though we can still have beautiful family days such as the one we had yesterday, how many more are in the cards? Before, after and now, Choose.

YES? NO? MAYBE?

     Hamlet asked himself if he wished to be or not, to live or die. I kind of think that we here in America are at that point too. No, not physically, but as a nation, for if we do not act we will voluntarily be destroying our country. It will no longer 'be' due to our inactions and poor actions.
     Hamlet was paralyzed by his situation and a man of action, a man known as a warrior, came to an agonized standstill as he failed in light of his dilemma and the actions which needed to be taken. Overthinking just about destroyed him and led to the inevitable ending of it all.
      This country also seems to be stunned into paralysis by what has been happening, never recovering from the morning after effect and result of the presidential elections in 2016. Almost immediately, we should have taken steps to invalidate the results as say what they wish, there was evil there, interference, and please, when there are so many Russians underfoot that they were practically a carpet in the Trump campaign, there is mischief afoot. When someone, many someones, try to obstruct the investigation, there is mischief afoot. And when a man who is obviously demented, a moral pervert, a liar from the getgo, who refuses to recognize the truth when it slaps him in the face, there needed to be action taken, to be proactive - and we were not.
     Worse, the country has become paralyzed and then allowed pure evil, pure demented evil, to take over as we stood there doing nothing but wringing our hands and crying about the falling sky!! Well, Chicken Little or not, Hamlet or not, we have come to the breaking point. The insanity is contagious. Heretofore decent men have stood their ground at the boundaries of their beliefs, have recognized the primacy of the country over their own selfish needs and wishes and their damned bottom lines. At least enough times to allow for the country to function as it should for the most part.
     They have now caved. Witness Graham's bizarre speech at Ivanka's Women's Conference in Africa. Weird is putting it kindly; insane is the truth, and here we are seeing the effects of he Demented One's behavior and thinking and the corruption of our government, the loss of decency and government service as it should be. Perhaps I have regained too much of my early years and its idealism, but there has to be a better way than this hate filled, morally perverted demented man now sitting in the Oval Office chomping his Big Macs and watching Fox news even as they too begin to see the disaster he is, but too little and way too late. 
     This is the paralysis this man has induced in the nation. I do not know what it is or why, but evidently people are finding themselves comfortable as the hitherto hidden or suppressed feelings of hatred and prejudice are allowed to rise to the surface and in return we have an increasingly bizarre turn toward the past and the demeaning and useless examinations of past figures of society in various aspects. Taking down a statue of Kate Smith who purposely introduced G-d Bless America, written by a Jewish immigrant and hence rejected by the powers that be, will not solve anything. It is just plain dumb and major overkill. How about, instead of that, we actually go after the perverts of today, the haters of today, have the courage of our convictions and speak the truth about living people? Huh!! As if that will ever happen, for it is much easier to attack those who cannot speak back, with actions that are useless, meaningless.
     So what to do? Hence the title of the posting. Do we impeach or not? The man and his minions, his critters akin to the flying monkeys of the Wicked Witch, who blindly obey her commands, need to be exposed, to be presented naked in their filth, naked and exposed to all, and hopefully, the blind of society who still make excuses for him will open their eyes to the truth.
     The House can indict. It will make a firm and historic statement. It will demonstrate to the future that we did not continue to standby as America was taken down. It will expose the ugly truth of this administration and the inexplicable twisting of the souls who became demented too - Barr, Graham, McConnell, Cohen, McGahn, Giuliani, Huckabee Sanders, et al, ad infinitum, ad nauseum!! It is time, way past time. And if the Senate will not convict, well, then it will prove to the world that the Republican Party has finally admitted its trashing of its roots, of Lincoln, of its humanity. Hopefully, it will bring about the defeat of these cowards in the next election and how wonderful would it be if it forced the Demented One to resign. Ahhh, one can dream!
     There is no No or Maybe about it. Impeach the creep and let the chips fall where they may. Let the truth come out. Let our voices be heard.

IS IT REALLY A GAME?

        The clock was ticking. The hour grew close and we could not get the blasted thing to work. But it had to, for if not, we would have to wait a week and then find the time before the next one, and time was short, with the holiday and the travel. But finally, we succeeded and we watched, glued to the screen, wondering aloud at the nuances and the relationships, the questions raised and left unanswered and warmed to the courage of the people on the eve of their most likely destruction as death literally was just over the horizon.
     So is this just a game, an absorbing and suspenseful series with no connection to reality? Seriously, anyone notice three dragons flying through the skies above? Nope, those are drones, sorry. But actually, think about it.
     Who will live? Who will die? Who will remain with any wish or power or desire to rebuild the world? What will the cost be to the winners and losers and will that cost be too high to allow for a future that is brighter than the recent past. And in fact, how the hell did this mess develop into such monstrous proportions?
     It grew like our own game of thrones. No, we have no anointed king, but we sure as hell have someone who wishes to be one, or at least if not formally so named, then in all but name, bloated with the powers of an absolute monarch a la the 15th century! Yes, the man is a joke, provides laughter and shaking of the heads almost hourly, and yet people accept it with a shrug of the shoulders and an excuse, all the while maintaining that he has done so much for us! Wait just a minute while I recover from my choking fit.
     Never before have I seen a President act this way and get away with it, at least in my lifetime. Nixon resigned when his misdeeds were revealed, with all exposed to the public, and even the members of his party, the Republicans, stood behind the need for that. Clinton survived impeachment for his sexual adventures and lying, but the taint and the stain remained, flowing into and damaging the campaign of his wife who sure as shootin' would have made a better President than the fool we now have, the dangerous fool at that.
      We apparently have our own game of thrones and this time the villain has gathered unto his side the changelings of that same Republican party, the unmanned ones, the morally vacant ones, the cowards there only for the greed of their souls and certainly not for the people. Here, our 'council' of Republicans had only three! people speak out on the evil of the findings of the Report. Three!!! Where were the rest? Where the hell were they? Where the hell are they?
     And how could this still all be hanging over our heads, putting our future into deeply shadowed paths, the darkness encroaching upon us at ever increasing speed. Just as last night's Game was filmed in dark scenes, so too is our present situation for the light of the sun, of transparency, grows dimmer every day, every single day that Trump gets away with his sins, with his crimes, as he thinks the world is his for the taking - and we need to ask - is he right!!!
     No, we have not, as yet, raised our armies and have not yet raised the barricades, but how far are we from that? The militia took upon itself to serve as border patrol, that took migrants into custody, who put forth a vile video asking false questions, accusing the immigrants of kidnapping children, all the while it was our government that was and is committing the kidnapping and the mistreatment. Where do we end? Will we have or own standing armies, pulling down their helmets, readying the catapults, hoping to save the women and the children, as they oppose the army of Death marching down on them?
     While I had two days of peace, no mention of our own political evils, no paper received, no radio or TV, no computer and no phone alerts, the world evidently continued and it was all there waiting for me, for us. And make no mistake about it, for it has seeped into our literature as well and I wonder what future readers will think of this era when they read the sentences about "the idiot in the office" or the "fool" in the White House. I wonder how any thinking mind can not see the truth in the matter, cannot see the danger this man and his, portend for us.
     Yes, folks, even as we count down to the last episode of the marvelous series Game of Thrones, even as we bite our nails or cry as we see our heroes go down, we also need to remember that the Game is not only a Game for HBO, but an allegory for life, our life, and we need to choose and prepare. It is not really a game, is it?

HOLIDAY

     Due to the holiday of Passover, I will not be posting tomorrow or Sunday. Please take the time to read those you might have missed. Please note how I was correct in much of my commentary re the Mueller Report.
   Wishing all my readers a Happy Passover and a Happy Easter, whatever is yours. May we all look forward to better times.

AND.....WAIT FOR IT.......PFFFT!!!

     And what the hell was that? Seems to me that Barr stood up there as an apologist and defender of his master, the sociopath Trump, even as he could not block the truth from coming out as the partially redacted report was revealed. Rosenstein stood there with the thousand yard stare of the war damaged individual, the PTSD victim. One day, when he has recovered himself from wherever he has been stashed, what a story he can tell!!
     Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the sociopath is crowing away as he realizes he got away with it - at least for the moment, but what should have been done yesterday now drags on into the future, into the courts, even as the actions of him and his stooges, his dangerous stooges, were laid out in front of the nation.
     Why was there not that final step taken? Frankly, because as far as I am concerned, Mueller wimped out. He went up to the edge of the diving board and then went right back down the ladder. Why he did so remains a mystery, an unfortunate one for the country, as it leaves the whole issue unresolved, unfinished and has left us in a precarious state for the continuation of our nation as we know it.
     So there were numerous instances of Trump/Russia meetings. It is acknowledged that Russia and Trump were in a mutual admiration society, each knowing that they were the best for each other, and yet, and yet....no charges because Junior and the rest were too dumb!!!!! to understand their actions? Really? And the developmentally challenged one who commits murder and is then sentenced to death and executed - so how was too smart, brain power not important, what? Where and how and who drew these contradictory lines? 
     It is acknowledged that Trump knew what was going on, even demanded more actions, but his aides stopped him by not obeying and here we are again. Is not intent a part of the body of law which supposedly runs the country? Is not ignorance before the law not an excuse and how many people have been incarcerated due to their ignorance of the law?
     Trump just knew he was F****d, knew his presidency was over - and then pfffttt!! He got away with yet another series of misdeeds, just as he had done in his entire civilian life with taxes, with loans, with all kinds of situations and statements. He was a sleaze from the beginning and just a moral creep who believed in his damaged mind and brain that he could do whatever the hell he wanted to and no one could say no to him and his freakish actions and thoughts. Harass and molest women, be a serial cheating husband, be a terrible father, a terrible person, and a dangerous president for the country, for what the hell..... he is Trump!!
      So here we are and go again. The Republican Senators and House members are content, no, eager, to defend him, this traitor, this immoral, repugnant creep, this person who actually did take steps that led to Russian intervention, and G-d alone knows what agreements verbally were made to the detriment of the country. Our country!!
     The details are there. The actions are there. The misdeeds and potential indictments and future convictions are there - and yet there he sits, rubbing his hands together in anticipation of what else he can now do without fear of the law. And what do we get? Well, we now have videos of militias taking the law into their own hands at the borders. White supremacists, fascists, and where does it end, for it never does. Why not be an urban militia? Why not arrest those Jews who have a dual loyalty according to their twisted thinking? Why not arrest women who fail to conform to their fundamentalist religious and social beliefs? You see there is never an end once the hole is poked in the dike of laws that protect us and our country.  
     And now what? I hope the Democrats persist in their efforts and definite and permanent steps taken. One would hope that Trump would resign but that will never happen. We have taken a dangerous step in our history, imperiled our survival as America, the land of the Statue of Liberty, but I am not hopeful. Not at all.
     Just how will this Pffffffft from yesterday develop, will the Congress find its courage and do the right thing? Who the hell knows and more importantly, exactly who the hell cares and if they do, will they actually take the necessary steps to keep our country whole? Who the hell knows!!!
      

TODAY IT IS - OR MAYBE NOT

     The country holds its collective breath. Or maybe not. Will the whole truth, and nothing but the truth come out? Or will it not? Protect individuals who have not been charged? But why? If there is concrete proof that they have, if not violated the letter of the law, they have violated the spirit, with their own mean spirit, then why not? And what the hell is with this conference by Barr before the release? Is it to excuse his heavily redacted report? Is it to continue his pre reveal tactics, like writing his own 4 page report and ignoring the reports on each section by the investigating attorney? Is it to keep the creep in office? Trump has evidently usurped yet another Department of the government, making it his own rather than belonging to the nation and here we are just sitting here with our thumbs who knows where, doing nothing and having no plans for any contingency. We appear to be useless, hopeless, as we confront a man with no morals who has gathered other like minded individuals all around him, to protect him as he watches his damned TV, sends out vile and vicious tweets, and then goes off to play golf! Oh, and give a medal to a man who played a good game of golf and never mind his perverted behavior with women, for why not, as the man giving the medal is an established self confessed hush money paying pervert himself.
     So the question is - are we hopeless and helpless in this case? Are we going to have to endure this man and his minions through 2020 and will we have a recognizable nation left at that point?
      And do you think that we should be assured that there are all viable candidates on the Democratic side? Do not be fooled. O'Rourke is showing his own signs of prejudice and now he does not like that after he released his taxes that people wanted to know why he was such a cheapo when it came to giving charity? One third of one percent!! Truly? Such a deep and giving heart and hand - NOT!! Again, I maintain that if a President is to be the role model for the nation, then let it have happened prior to the whitewash or attempted one when running for office. And please, let it not focus on the behavior of a woman, if she is strong minded or a tad bossy or a believer in firm control over a staff. Goose and gander, folks, goose and gander, so if it is okay for a male to boast about these very same traits, it is okay for the female as well.
     I am far more concerned with other problems. What do we do now that Trump has irritated the other madman over there in North Korea who is threatening a new weapon and demands his own input as to whether to keep Pompeo or not?
     So today it is - or not? We have crowds on the border. We have an administration that is openly and massively violating the civil rights of asylum seekers, crowing cruelty and proud of it. We have a new virus that is killing people. We have a quickly growing rate of people afflicted with Parkinson and cancer still ravages humanity. We have warnings about the danger of AMERICAN drinking water ! We have the rights to control one's own body, at least for women, being turned back, even as the majority of the people oppose the new legislation. We have  people playing havoc with our country, using positions and taxpayer funds to build a real good life for themselves, their bottom lines and those of their good buddies. And we have those benighted people who still have a negative and even violent opinion about  differing orientations. Add in other issues of humanity as you choose. There are many and we are doing nothing, for the orientation of this administration is all to the selfish, the hateful, the nasty and the encouraging of violence, even as a man walks into St. Pats with gasoline cans and a lighter, as more people are killed but we do nothing about gun control, and the list goes on and on and on and on.
     Today is it? Maybe, but what exactly will the IT be? Will anyone even care?

THE SANDS OF TIME

          Uncle Sam has pulled his hat down over his face. Lady Liberty is turning red with embarrassment and shame. The blindfold over the eyes of Justice has slipped. What is happening here in America? We are turning into a banana republic, prey to the same lack of justice, of equality, of opaque government. Increasingly this country has begun to hold its breath, waiting for the umpteenth shoe to fall. We are just waiting for the night squads to come knocking on the doors at 4 AM, arriving to take away opponents of Trump.
     How has this happened? Why has it happened? Why has the President become both a laughing stock to the world even as he is its most dangerous persona of power. Disappointment in life. Disappointment re security for one generation and in hope and dreams of the future for another. The ugliness of the acceptance of hatred of others as part of the mainstream of life and a President who embraces it and accepts its support. That is how.
     Just as we have become accepting of excuses for our children's misbehaviors, negating any learning they might make of their errors, we have made excuses for the poison that spews out of that man's mouth. Sarcasm is the latest one, but truly! When a man constantly rants and raves about his desire to remain in office, how acceptance of the 2020 results will depend on who wins, or when he threatens the liberty and freedom of the press - when it criticizes him,  when he has nothing better to do with his time than to fire people, tweet poison pen messages on Twitter, or endlessly go on vacation to his posh golf clubs and play  for a huge percentage of his time, then yes, he is a comic figure, good for laughs and shakes of the head  - but also a figure of tragedy for us, the people of this country. It is not sarcasm.
     Dumping people. Anyone remember or recall the dumping of Jews living in Germany into the freezing no man's land between Germany and Poland. No food, no shelter, no water, no hope. People as victims of hate, as pawns of a ruthless monster and the actions of Trump, his plan - which has begun already - to use immigrants as pawns, never mind their humanity, to make his point! Horrible. Inhumane. And totally contradictory of his plan to halt immigration for now more will come as they can expect transportation away from the border into deeper within the country. Yay for them and shame on us!!
     He has set up a system wherein the law is twisted and perverted, refusing to heed subpoenas, ignoring the law, acting as an absolute monarch. Dangerous behavior and we had better wake up and smell that danger, the shocks awaiting us as we find ourselves waking up one day to a fait accompli, with troops in the streets, new laws in place, and roundups of opposition in full force. Think this impossible? Think again and reread the news and the essays and opinion pieces from the beginning of this shameful and dangerous era in our history and then think again.    
     Willing to place parents in prison for long terms when they have done nothing other than what has been going on since the beginning of time, parents using their funds to keep children in school, in better schools but allowing crooks and cheats, greedy people who break the law, to remain in office, using taxpayer funds - sorry, I cannot absorb this. Yes, it is unfair to others when money comes into play, but surely there are worse crimes. The shame alone for the parents and their kids, the strains of family life, the loss of jobs - enough! And no, I have never had that kind of money and my kids, as most other kids, made it on their own merits and I am proud of them for that. We have lost our sense of priorities.
     "Lizard Brain" is the latest name for Trump, a fitting one for a man who is cold blooded, who makes up cruel names for people he dislikes or hates and who certainly do not like him, acting as a poisonous toddler rather than as a President should. How have we gotten to this point?
     More to the point, how do we fix this? The first step is to insist on obedience to the laws of the country, of the Constitution. Another, is to shout out the truth about the nakedness of this would be emperor and how he is harming his very supporters, ripping away their social safety net even he says he is their only hope. We need to recognize the fact that we are now in a squalid slum of our own making. Other countries are refusing to include us now in their talks. They are building the walls that this man so wants - but these walls will isolate us from any share in world decision making. We will be the ones walled out.
      Folks, time is running on and I wonder how much sand is left in the hourglass of our continued life as a democracy, as a country which respects all people, as a land of hope and dreams. I fear there is little left.
     

EXODUS

     At the end of the week Jews begin celebrating their exodus from slavery in Egypt, as foretold in the Old Testament. They rejoiced in their delivery as they set out to become a nation of the world, free to live under their own rules and customs. They were on their way to receive the Torah, the book containing their history, their commandments, their orders and guides as to how to live their lives and then they were on their way to the Promised Land, a promise made by G-d to Abraham. Today, they are still fighting for their right to live as a nation among other nations of the world, and still trying to keep their homeland. Long time, but the determination remains. So does the anti Semitism, even as the Christians of the world celebrate the life of a Jew, Christ, even as many forget the fact that he was born, lived and died as a Jew. Some things never seem to change, do they?
     This holiday is a joyful one, albeit one wherein one suffers the problem that comes with eating too much matzoh! Seriously, though, it is always a joyful time when a nation's history and origin continue to remain in active observance through several millenia. One would think that through all this time the haters of the world would realize that their nefarious plans to rid the world of the Jewish people are doomed to failure, and yet - here they still are! A total mystery. An enigma.
     Sometimes there is an exodus that is not happy nor positive, albeit there is no matzoh! This is an exodus of the type that we have had in the Trump administration. Over 17 Cabinet level people have left. Countless others have been tossed out or resigned in disgust at the lack of morality and ethics in this administration. Has this exodus led to anything positive? Nope, certainly not, for what we now have is an administration driven by a demented senior citizen and a  vicious 33 year old who seems to never be able to have sufficient targets for his hatred and animosity. Separate families. Keep them in horrific situations. Never mind the needs of the poor and hungry, the homeless - even those with jobs but who simply cannot find an affordable living quarters. Slash health care; just let the sick die. Saves money, does it not?Supplement that situation with ignoramuses who state firmly that workers do not want minimum wages of liveable dimensions. Nope, they would rather struggle in order to 'earn' their insufficient salary. So says Ivanka.
     We are in trouble. Every time someone leaves or is thrown away, we get an even worse substitute. The situation keeps going from bad to worse. This is not the joyful Exodus, the miracle of generations, but rather an exodus of morals, of ethics, of American values, of hope for a future that is positive and beneficial.
     So which exodus should we affirm and which not? I think the choice is clear. I also think that one should recognize that under the Trump exodus we keep drawing closer to a land where the only rule will be to obey Trump and his minions, where there will be no free and honest press other than underground publications, where there will be a two tier society - the haves and the struggling hungry, maltreated remainder of the population.
     The world still remains in a situation which needs an exodus of giant proportions. It needs an exodus from the backwards and dangerous thinking that seems to have been revived, given new life, exuding hate and ugliness. It needs an exodus from the darkness into which it has wandered - or been directed - and instead, stride with strong and determined steps back into the enlightened world of humanity, of hope, of science, of fairness, of a brother-sister-hood of us all, no matter the color, creed, ethnicity, country of origin, orientation or whatever difference that has been stressed for the negative.
     Until that happens - and I grow more and more convinced it will not happen in my lifetime - commemorate the Exodus of the Bible, what it meant to generations of slaves as they realized there can be a delivery from slavery, and work towards an exodus of the world from the increasing and ever encroaching darkness of another type of slavery. That is the ony hope and goal we should have as we walk into the future. A future of exodus or slavery? Our choice. Make of it what we will. Our choice.
    

WELCOME TO KINDERGARTEN

     Much of the media today portrays adults as acting no better nor more mature than the kids of middle school. Actually, that was a misstatement, at least with regard to the adults in the news, for these adults are more like lethal kindergartners who seemingly have never before seen the inside of a kindergarten class or gone through the socialization process within such a class.
     What is most unfortunate is that these oversized kindergartners carry a fearsome power and have the potential to do great things or terrible things, to cause either benefit or harm to so many.
So what do we say to an overgrown child who rants and raves, who takes his perceived marbles and goes home, constantly, all the while blaming others for his failures and lack of a trusted circle of friends? What do we say when this tantrum prone kindergartner manages to scare the pants off of so many classmates, coercing and frightenng them into negative behavior? What do we say when this kindergartner amasses a group of supporters who bring out the worst in mankind, spread hatred and violence throughout their sphere of action?
     Truth to tell, this appears to be way above my pay grade! At least normal kiddies tend to listen to the teacher, to wiser voices, but these "kids" just roll not so merrily along. And their rhetoric becomes more and more extreme and even the "good" kids begin to fall into the same slime as the others. Where and how does this end? You tell me, for I do not see any sign of such a move.
     Omar makes a statement re 9/11 that can definitely be interpreted as making excuses for the terrorists who murdered almost 3,000 people and rocked the nation back on its heels. Yet Democratic candidates and the party seem to back her up, denying that she meant that. It is what I said yesterday - the need to show that oh, no, we are not anti Islam, - leads to terrible statements and behavior as we bend over backwards for this. What she said was wrong. Period! If she did not mean it, then let her clarify what she did mean and why she phrased it this way. Her statement  - "Violent rhetoric and all forms of hate speech have no place in our society.... We are all Americans. This is endangering lives. It has to stop."  Well said, but I do believe she needs to look in the mirror and then examine the words that came from her own mouth re Jews and their loyalties and citizenship and Israel. Tit for tat, Ilhan!!
     These seemingly adult people trade insults in a round of a malignant version of the dozens, earning no good for the country and in fact, harming it further. What kind of idiocy is it for one official to call the opponents of her beliefs and actions, basically idiots, lacking intelligence, unable to function. Remember, there are many distinguished people in Congress and while there are also fools and evil people, what is with this namecalling? It derives and takes energy from the mouth of the "leader' who spouts childish and nasty rhymes all the time. Babies!! Lethal babies!!
     Yet there is also an innocence and a goodness that comes with real kindergartners, right along with some of their childish cruelty. But here, there ae no redeeming features. Where and how can we find the positive in plans to dump people as if they were trash, to look forward to seeing children and adults die of disease, lack of medical care, lack of sanitation, lack of food and water? How do we mesh the picture of an official of the administration makig a fuss over a Venezuelan immigrant refugee fleeing danger in his homeland, running to Columba, even as we torment those same kind of refugee immigrants coming into our country from the threats and dangers of life in Central American countries? How do we justify cutting off food to American kids, trashing their education, and slashing medical care for them and their families? And yet, we do. We certainly do.
     Today we have a supposed leader who throws all under the bus or out the window until he finds another mind as warped as his. We find violations of the balance of powers set up by our Constitution. We find, today, shamefully and dangerously so, attacks on "others" whose otherness is determined by troglodytes, by pea brains, so Jews are attacked, churches are burned, an African American student at Columbia is manhandled when the whole thing could have been avoided and certainly toned down. 
     When does school really get down to the nitty gritty and train these vile kindergartners, point them in the right direction, assure them that the people who report on their misdeeds are doing the right thing for otherwise they will never learn the proper path through life, nor understand their misdeeds. And their good deeds.
     I am ever so grateful that my professional career was spent mainly with middle schoolers for they were certainly far more malleable, able to see the differences between right and wrong when taught this discernment. They were able to modify their behavior and that of others and do so in the right way, not via threats and force. Where and when can we expect our kindergarten adults to grow up, for their behavior is neither cute nor appealing in any way. In fact,it is dangerous and yes, even revolting.
     Remember the poster and the plaque which said that you learned all that you need to know in life while in kindergarten? Well, obviously this did not take in these students, so let us leave them back, refuse to pass them, and reteach them, guide them into proper behavior, proper thinking, recognizing the humanity of others and the necessity of keeping the room clean, the behavior fair, and the thoughts constructive rather than destructive. Tall order, At this point, I feel it is almost an impossible order.
     Welcome to Kindergarten 101 for a remedial year..

THE UGLINESS OF IT ALL

     Are you embarrassed to be an American right now? Are you wondering where the country has gone, how it chose the terrible path we are on? Does the constant inching away from democracy bother you at night as you stare into the darkness, feeling the ever increasing darkness of the country which once provided a light to the world?
     Ugly American is no longer a term from the 50's but rather a term which describes so many of us right now, particularly among the Republicans, the man in theWhite House, his VP, and yes, some Democrats who seem to have lost the realization that anti Semitism needs to be fought and is not an okay prejudice! It is not okay to show one's pc credentials through fear of condemning Moslem Jewphobia, to coin a term, allowing them freedom to voice terrible statements.
     We have ugliness as Trump, in his demented plans coming from his demented mind, uses people as pawns, not caring whether they are children, sick people, helpless in a strange country, a country which used to treat its immigrants properly. So now we have dumpings to "punish" cities who dared to criticize his inhumane plans and treatments of asylum seeking migrants. We have ugliness as he and his minions spread falsehoods about them, calling them all sorts of dangerous names, even as they are not, even as statistics prove him wrong.
     We have ugliness every time that man and his stooges open their twisted mouths and use their forked tongues. They portray uglinessin its darkest manifestations as they accept support from white nationalists, from individuals of twisted opinions and minds. We have ugliness in their approach to democracy, trying to eliminate it, trying to destroy the very basis and form of our government, as Trump constantly challenges the constitutional limits to his powers and his reach.
     And yet, we also have some lights that shine through in the darkness that encroaches upon our country. We have volunteers. We have protests. We have determination to forge forward and do the right thing. But we also must have the courage to turn away those who leech upon our protest, our movements and use them for their own hateful purposes and goals. Prejudice does not belong in the Women's March. Linda Sarsour must go. In Congress, proper censure must be made on Omar and Tlaib when they voice hateful and hurtful and dangerous lies re Jews and Israel and our country.
     This hatefullness that pervades our country is also found in the rest of the world. It seems that darkness is catching. Dictatorship is on the rise. Nativism is on the rise. Isolation as a principle of government is on the rise. Battles for power with no leavening of reason or justice is on the rise all over the world, here and in other countries.
     The ugliness of Trump and his minions, of his statements, policies and plans permeate the firmament of the world. Evil does its best work under cover of darkness and the fear and cowardice that comes with it. We must break the growing darkness. We must eliminate the fear, the rising tides of hatred. We must fight the ugliness of it all.

NOT ALONE

     Sitting with company and having to smack your foot or hold onto your arm. The movie ends and there you are, trying to get up but cannot as your foot seems to be glued to the floor. Feeling a sudden wave of fatigue, a fog which overtakes you. Tripping over a small rise in the sidewalk or temporary block. Trying to button a shirt or close a zipper. Swallowing suddenly seems to be impossible.
     What is all that? They are all events in the life of a Parkinson victim. Suddenly, the small steps of life about which people think little or never at all, these steps grow to gargantuan proportions in the struggles of life. And one feels alone. One feels as if the eyes of all around are glued to you, their faces reflecting distaste, confusion and worst of all, pity. That last is the worst. And that feeling of loneliness is right there, overcoming all else.
     Well, last night so many of us and our loved ones found we are not alone. Over a million people in the US alone have Parkinson. There are some very special and brilliant and dedicated people trying to not only find medicines which alleviate symptoms, but even more important, are trying to find a cure. Yes, a cure. The thought of it sparks hope within one's soul. Will it be on time for you? For one you know who is undegoing the torments of Parkinson? Will the continued degeneration be able to be halted right in its track?
    And a packed, not one seat left, auditorium in Scripps Research, reassured us we were not alone. So many had Parkinson. So many were the loved ones who would be and are the caretakers. And so many were the dedicated people, those who volunteered; those who spend their days in labs trying to dicover hope; those who worked with us in therapy and exercise, understanding its importance. And we were not alone. So together we all exercised. Together we all shouted, as one, loud and clear, that we were ready to fight, to fight Parkinson disease with all that we had within us.
     I was overwhelmed. I knew there were many of us as I see them every therapy session and we share the laughter and the tears, the joys of our everyday life, the struggles and the triumphs and we laugh together, we lean on each other and remind each other that our lives continue. However, to see all this in such large numbers, to see others trying to move their feet in order to stand, to know that there was and is help, that one is not alone - well, there is nothing better than that and it gives one the courage to continue the fight.
     This month is Parkinson Awareness Month. Listen to what is said and shown. Learn that a victim is not really a victim. Learn that dementia is not synonymous with Parkinson. Learn that we are not hopeless and helpless, that we adjust, that while we might be somewhat frightened at the future and what it holds, we are also hopeful and determined to keep that future the best we can. We will fight. And we will not be alone.
     What can you do? You can have patience with the person who has to walk slower than you. It is not laziness. You can have patience with the slow speech and do not read mental disease into that for it is just the deterioration of a muscle. Do not stare as a person, a grown person, picks carefully at the food on his plate, and chews for a long time. You can donate, for funds are always needed in order to keep the forward momentum. And you can insure that the Parkinson sufferer has company, is invited to join in socially, for social life is important - and  to also understand that sometimes it is just impossible for the fatigue is just too much at that point.
     Join with us in laughter and life. Have patience with a rigidity in body, for our souls and our minds are not. Understand that we live life, that most of the time we do not spend our energy on feeling sorry for ourselves, depressed to the nth degree. NO! For that is not us, especially as we realize we are not alone. And the comraderie is special.
     Come join us in the fight against this disease and other neurological degenerative diseases. We can beat them all if we realize that we are not alone and should never feel alone. No human being should ever feel that way.
     No, I am not alone. No, we are not alone.   

THOUGHTS

      Sorry for the delay, as I was hanging around in an MRI machine, trying to retain my sanity, so it is late I am. However, there is a silver lining for as the noise was duh duh duhing around me I had to think of other things and a great oldie song came on. "C'mon, people, smile on your brother, everybody get together, gotta love one another right now."
     And I thought to myself, a tad simplistic, but why not? Why is it that we adapt so easily to hatred, but fight against seeing each other as just like us, and at least smile on them, at them, with them. Yes, there are cultural differences that at times clash, but are there not enough similarities amongst humanity that could counter these differences?  
     Another song asked what war was good for and the answer, obviously, was nothing!! Yes, there are wars that at times must be fought, but there are also wars that should and could have been avoided with just a tad more insight and forethought. However, how can one talk"turkey" fairly and objectively with the "other side" if we hate each other?
     As I look back on the years of my life and those that remain, I wonder what has been gained by all the hatred, by the wars for power and territory, for the wars of religious differences. Could there not have been another, more fair and safer method, pathway to avoid these wars? Why are we still threatening each other with nuclear bombs of all sizes and types? Why do we think it is an advancement when we invent a bomb that will kill the enemy but leave the infrastructure standing for our use? Why are we still working on chemical and biological weapons, albeit in secret and when I write we, I mean all of us, all of humanity? Why is it considered prestigious when a poverty stricken country, warring with its neighbors, even as it cannot feed its people or protect the health of its citizens, or the rights and safety of women, educate its children, why is it considered so wonderful and boastful that they have joined the nuclear nations!?
     In One Tin Soldier, the treasure on earth was the guide written on a stone - Peace on earth and goodwill for all men - which was then destroyed by those who were disappointed that the treasure was not gold nor diamonds. Mankind has often lost its way, but is it not time that we return to the correct path, the only one which gives us hope for the future?
     Only if we give up reinforcing our hatred of others, of thinking that we will advance as a nation, as a world, if we batter others with our hatred, only if we give that up will we be able to sit down and work together to solve the Gordian knot of so many issues and cooperate as we try to resolve those threats to our actual continued existence on this planet - all of us, for disasters make no discriminations among religions, colors, orientations of all kinds or whatever other differences we have made so important. Why? For what?
     I know this might sound a bit simplistic, but I know it is probably the most dificult task of all - (Second to trying to figure out Trump!) (Sorry, could not resist.) But if we do not try, if we do not reprioritize our needs, rank them truly, then it will not make a difference, not in the long run, for we will not have a long run, but in the short run to our self induced destruction. 
     Think about the energy wasted on hating and hatred. Think about those you hate. Think about how others hate you. Think about the misdeeds and awful actions taken in the name of G-d and Heaven. Think about what would truly please G-d and all of humanity. Think hard, soon and long, for it is far better to share the world with all of us, to work together, to smile at each other, than to shoot each other and waste our time in hatred, rather than fixing the world, and teaching the next generations to hate as well, condemning them to deep tragedy and risk. Think.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

     That is what was said by Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto as he signed a gun control law while accompanied by relatives of the murdered synagogue members. In an instant, the NRA files a lawsuit against the bill. Guess we need to have more slayings, more violence, and, I guess, more murders of Jews in the name of the Second Amendment! Well, I, too, say, "Enough is Enough!"
     Counter narcotics money, against the will and purview of Congress, was assigned to two companies to build more of a useless and unnecessary wall to allegedly stop narcotic traffic across the border, even as we know that it generally comes in via legal ports of entry! So why not station more Border security there? Well, because they are needed to stop those pesky brown people running for their lives from gangs, from domestic violence, from dire poverty, even as the oh so warm and generous Trump tells people that "America is full. You cannot come in.". That, even as employers are begging for more workers. Even as Trump's hotels and clubs are gettting their workers without a hitch. Enough is Enough!!
     This man, this bigot, this hater, has now increased the level of race hatred, of bigotry, of racial division in the country, decides unilaterally that there is no room? Would that his grandfather has been told that and what a different world we would now have had! A survey reports that well over half the country believes that racial division in the country has soared, is so much worse than before and guess who they feel caused this? Duh!!! Got it? Oh yeah! Trump!!! Indeed, Enough is Enough!
     American government is supposed to be built on transparency as the government is supposedly for the people! Well, guess again. Three Florida Congresswomen went to inspect a child detention center - don't those words just ring in your ears! - in Homestead, Florida, and were stopped before entry, denied entry. The excuse - security needs demand a minimum two weeks notice before entry!! Truly? For what? So they can clean up the abusive conditions? Can hide the damaged children? Can take away the mats and the mylar? Can bring in some real food, fruit, fresh clothing, clean up the babies? What are they hiding? And who are these people who will take these jobs, these abusive and soul shattering jobs, jobs that harden the heart and only encourage more traffic down the oh so wrong and dangerous paths.
     This center is privately run, and again, it seems we have learned nothing from the recent scandal at another privately run facility where the children were held in freezing cages on the floor, dirty, neglected and yes, abused. And yes, there are still children being held, children unlocated for return to parents, children who are unaccompanied minors, left to rot as family members here are afraid to get them lest they, too, are grabbed up and thrown out, never mind the years spent here raising American children, contributing to the economy. Never mind, for they are little brown people so who cares!!
     Enough is Enough!! Why are children being held in detention centers, treated as criminals? There are 2,000 in that Homestead center, or jail, for call it as it is, and they are expecting at least another 1,200 as that cruel and demented man, Trump, and his awful and evil henchmen ramp up for more separations. What are the preparations? What about food, shelter fit for children, education, welfare, health, aid to enter life here in the country, welcome them as America should welcome in fresh blood, fresh ideas. Are we going to go back to the times when we gave in to prejudice and hatred? Are we going to build more internment camps? Hey, just recondition the old Japanese internment camps and there ya' go!! Enough is Enough!!
     Meanwhile, the rest of the remaining officials in the administration, awaiting their turn for wheels of a bus, are stammering and hemming and hawing over the handing over of records of tax returns. We find that the Treasury Department and the White House have had illegal meetings about these tax returns. Quelle surprise!!! Mnuchin wants to take his baba and go home even as Waters continues to ask hard questions that need answering. Barr is busy in his off hours playing with his black marker, all the better to continue to hide the truth even as it continues to leak out. Enough is Enough!!
     I am so tired of this. I feel my whole being is besmirched by the filth that spews out every second from this administration. So are the hearts and souls of so many others here in America. We need to return to our values and yes, they are democratic values. And yes, we are a democracy. Never mind what the 'conservatives' i.e. the nativists wish to change. Enough is Enough!!
     Demand change. Demand action against this awful behavior. Demand that these plans be cancelled. Demand that children not be detained unless it be in a clasroom for homeowrk violations!! Not for dreaming of a future here in a land that allows for dreaming and a land that does not separate children from parents!!! In the turning away from these awful plans and actions we have not done enough. I hope and pray that we rise to the challenge and do the right thing. There is never enough of that. Certainly not in the America of the moment.

FUMING ANGRY DISGUSTED

     It is hard to know what to say anymore,when each day,no, each half hour, seems to bring around yet another outrage of Trump madness. His imbecility, his madness, his degenerate beliefs and behaviors, are all awful, leading to an increasingly unsettled and unbalanced country. But worse than that are the  moral misdeeds and plans, the ones he keeps coming back to, the ones which suborn the moral degeneration of others, either too mean and nasty with hate or too weak to withstand him and his nefarious and evil, yes, evil plans.
     His actions have crossed the border into awfulness, if we can use such a word. They mirror the actions of other dictators from both the past and the present. Killing off the judiciary's independence by appointing unqualified judges, limiting and even destroying any meaningful powers of the executive branch to curb his own exaggerated powers, and the immoral content of these actions are just too powerful a signpost of what his future plans are.
      What brings anger to my heart even as it breaks my heart, as it torments my soul, as it brings to mind awful pictures and memoirs of the Holocaust, of genocide like actions of today, where parents and children are ripped apart, separated without compunction, even killed or lost somewhere in the shuffle - and we, here in this country - cannot reunite families because we have LOST their children - well words are not powerful enough to adequately explain this. We have also begun oh so well to build a new generation of children who will hate us for condemning them to a life filled with anger, hate, sickness, lack of love, of parents, for mental disorders due to improper early childhood years and on and on - and what do you think these grown up children might do?
     However, without thinking of the future, just think of today and the god awful plans of Trump to reignite and yes, I use that word, the policy of separation again and a supposed choice given to parents - either voluntarily give up their children, waiving their rights and their parents for life, or keep the kids together with them for however long their case takes - could be years - in jail like conditions. Back to the iceboxes, the aluminum blankets, the lack of care, of education, of love, of grass and sun and what else?!!!Goood G-d what else!!!!
     Should this happen again, should there be enough people who will carry out this policy and give the excuse that it is simply their job! and they are following orders, well, that would be the breaking point, the last straw, for me. And so it should be for all of us, whether you agree with immigration in large numbers or not, for this is a question of humanity, of morality, and nothing else. Are we going to emulate the Nazis and what is the next step, as some of his advisers, Miller maybe - advocate even harsher methods and what is that? Starve them? A bullet in the back of the neck perhaps? Mass graves? Slave labor for the fields and factories? What? Where are we going? And do not make that mistake that it can never, will never, go that far. You would be so wrong, so terribly wrong.
     Should that happen, each and every one of us who cares, who understands morality, humanity, should go stand somewhere and protest, protest, yell and shout, demand, disobey, do whatever is necessary to stop that policcy, to even stop it from happening again. Government "of the people, by the people, and for the people". Just what are those people like? What do these people demand? How strong are they? How humane are they? How morally strong are they? How determined are they? Or is it how hateful and weak and fearful are they? We would or will or already have to take sides so think carefully.Truly examine, deep and long, your soul. Go deeper. Think what this all means. My heart is breaking. I thought my days of protest would have been long over by now. Guess not.

CAN AND CAN'T

     "Time is a wheel, vast and indifferent, and when time rolls on and men forget, we face the risk of circling back. We slouch yawning to a new horizon and find ourselves gazing at old hatreds seeded and watered by forgetfulness and flowering into new wars. New massacres. New monsters.... Let this wheel stop. Let us not forget this time. Let us remember."
     So writes a columnist in The Huntress, a book I highly recommend. It was written about an earlier era, but how relevant it is to today's times and the message we need to hear. And how often do we ignore this message and find ourselves, oh so much to our surprise, caught in an eddy, a deathly eddy, all of our own making, a result of our willful blindness and a willingness to always find a target for our problems rather than a cure for them.
     The year 2008 was a hard one, as the Great Recession hit hard. Jobs and confidence lost, people searched for answers, quick fixes - of which There were none. They ignored the fact that steps were taken to ease the situation and they began to work, but the harm was done, for the hatemongers found their opportunity and went to work with a deep and pervading fervor. And so our society lost its way, until it found a path through the maze that ended with Trump.
     This is a man with no qualifications to be anything  other than a man sticking a pointy end of a stick into trash on the highway as a consequence of his misdeeds. This is a man with no humanity, a man with a poisonously malignant view of life and humanity. The only ones who matter are himself and anyone who serves him, and if not, go to hell or stick yourself under the bus to save time.
     So why is he in the Oval Office? Beats me. Beats a whole lot of people and the only answer is for people who voted for him to stop making excuses for him, stop allowing him room for his nasty, paranoid, and dangerous deeds, all in the name of "Oh, he can fix it."
     No he can't. What he can do, and what he has done is bring the country to a boiling point that is almost past the point of no return. What he has done is encourage the haters on either end of the spectrum, to the point of actual crimes of hatred, murder and who knows what else is waiting for us around the corner. More hatred for sure. More tragedy, for sure. A certainty of a death spiral for our country and what it is supposed to be - for sure. No doubt about it.
    This is a man who says, "No one else can fix it, and I can. " No, he can't. This is a man who says, "...let us get rid of the judges" and in the meanwhile, he is pushing through all of the most backward and unqualified judges he can find and being helped by the cowardly McConnell and the moral wimps of the Republican party. They are destroying their own roles, ruling themselves into uselessness, even as the fools of the country, the haters of the country, the deniers of the country, and the enemies of the country all combine to destroy us, the country, the world, and all the progress civilization has made, all the steps that man has taken to improve situations.
     We have allowed that wheel to turn back, to drag us back to a time of hatred, of dangerous nation vs nation times, of dreadful prejudice, of awful deeds, and of encouragement of such rather than condemnation of such.
     There is no humanity within this man and his fellow troglodytes. The Justice Department is worse than useless, and Border Patrol and ICE have lost their humanity, and now we find that the government is requesting TWO more years to reunite families, children and parents, since it seems they have lost track of where the kids are! This is unconscionable! And look at their clues - using ages to figure out which kids they tore away from parents, using the age of FIVE as a clue, for the younger the better it seems to rip away from parents. This man cannot fix anything but can only cause more depraved acts by people who fall under his thrall.
     Tim Ryan, the latest announced candidate, states that he running on a platform to unify the country, to drag us back from the either or divisions we now have. Can he? Who the hell knows. There are so many candidates that I am having difficulty seeing a unified stance forming by the Democratic Party in time for 2020. Trump cannot fix anything. What he can do is sow dissension and disorder such that it leads to this terrible and perilous situation for the country and in fact, the world.
     So, no, windmills do not cause cancer. No, they do not make his weird sounds. No, he cannot talk of a conversation he has with the President of the Virgin Islands because that is himself! The ass!!! Yes, there is climate change. Yes, science can help us. No, there are no fine people among those who march with hands raised in a Nazi salute. No, he cannot fix our problems, only exacerbate them.
       "There's a whining at the threshold -
         There's a scratching at the floor -
         To work! To work! In Heaven's name!
         The wolf is at the door!"
               Charlotte Perkins Gilman. "The Wolf At The Door
   This is what he can do! Bring the wolf to our doors. In fact, if you do not hear that scratching it could be too late - for you, for your loved ones, for all of us.












     





     




     

DISGUST

      What do you feel when you read the news or watch or hear it? Nowadays I feel a huge sense of disgust, a feeling of ICH!!! A wondering of what the hell is the matter with everyone? It is not even the pot calling the kettle black anymore, for there is almost no distinction between truth and lies, on Trump's side. Anyone wishing to face the truth about him, admit they were wrong, along with those who knew it from the getgo, feel slimed, disgusted, and have voiced opinions about this president and his presidency such that I never have heard before. Strangers washing hands in a washroom, waiting on line, wherever, all feel a comradery and freedom to state strong feelings and solutions. It is both shocking and extremely disturbing as one realizes the depth to which this country has fallen. We must all join together.
     But why be shocked? This, the man whose picture is next to pervert in the dictionary, this man who does a hell of a lot more than touch women, this man who is so tarred with his own actions, dares to poke fun at Biden!? Biden is a man of the old school, of the touchy feely pol who would hug all at rallies, in talks, and basically meant nothing sexual about it, even as the touchee might have felt uncomfortable. He has acknowledged this; has Trump confessed his deeds? Has he apologized? Yet this filthy man talks of others on this topic. This, the same man who nominated a sexual pervert for Supreme Court where he now sits alongside the original pervert, Thomas. ICH!!!
     It is  a huge feeling of ICH! when he talks of a "humanitarian" crisis at the border. This is the one who kills his parents and then pleads for sympathy as an orphan in court! Trump has created this crisis. Levels at the borders were down. No one was ripped apart a la fascist tendencies to do so. No one was thrown into underpass concentration camps. No one was held without food, water, warmth, and due process. But now? Now this administration has slowed the process to less than a crawl. Then they arrest the migrants who turn themselves in asking for asylum -  a violation of the rule of asylum! And the internees mount so Trump then calls it a crisis. The man is …… better not use that language!
     As far as I am concerned, as with so many others, he has lied and cheated his way into office. No one could have ignored the Russians all around, tripping over one or another, so plentiful were they on the ground. Junior reeks and drips of the same slime and now he is apparently the go to guy for the 2020 campaign! OMG! Poor Jared is in a head to head battle for power with him, locking horns and would that they gore themselves to uselessness in their damaging plans.
     Tax returns, an Attorney General who appears to have been handpicked for his opinion on executive privilege and who then tailors his pathetically insufficient summary to fit his opinion. A president who first gasps with surprise that he seemed to have gotten away scottfree, but who then realizes that nope, the fat lady has not sung yet. The truth will out. Again. The truth will out. Precedent is on the side of the truth here and it will happen; I just hope that the country survives as this man and his minions rip through our rights, our protection of our country, and hey, maybe we can set him next to a windmill where he can make all his weird noises to his satisfaction and we can all see if he develops 'cancer' from the windmill a la his own 'medical' theory.
     For those of you wondering why I do not capitalize president or presidency, here is why. I do not hold this man as a legitimate president. The election where he won by a fluke of the Electoral College, and lost the popular vote, the machinations by foreigners in our internal elections, his bizarre behavior, his lies - he is not my president, hence no capitals for him.
     I cringe at his lies. I cringe at the manic and condoned behavior of ICE and the Border Patrol as they chase down immigrants in high speed chases, treat them abominably, real concentration guards well into their training. They arrest close to 300 immigrants in a mass raid, many single parents, leaving children alone, in a place of work where they contribute to our economy, raising new Americans. All the while the employers are pleading for the allowing of immigrants as they are desperate for workers. All this as the manic behavior of our government - OUR representatives - continues. It is a sick joke and just look at all those who now feel capable of  running for this office, the highest in the land. And why not, for if this dangerous man can be in that office, then why not them? At least they are sane. At least they hopefully realize the value of speaking the truth. At least they will not cooperate with foreign enemy countries!
     I have been slimed. We all have been slimed. We all are neck deep in this pool of ICH! We need to get out of here. We need to press for transparency, freeing up the entire report, the complete tax returns, the ditching of the dangerous idea that the President is above the law, can be a criminal because he cannot be prosecuted. This is wrong, so wrong, and so is the idea that this man and his family have to create their own dynasty right here in America, holding themselves above the law, reestablishing a long foregone political truth that there are no more absolute monarchs. They wish to reestablish that in fact, if not in name. ICH!!!
     To those who knew him for what he was and always will be, but looked aside, for those who have realized the truth, for those who think that hate is the way to go, forgetting that hatred is a poison that spreads through society, leaving no one immune, to those who understand the desperate situation we are in - come back to the true home of the country and let us all be the UNITED States of America once more. Do not let us all drown in the filthy muck of ICH!!