MY COUNTRY TIS OF THEE

     I am given to understand that some people did not  understand when I said I cannot pledge to this country at this point. I also said that I love this country. I have always said that. What is the fact, is that this government, this administration is NOT America. I do not pledge loyalty to a government that cares nought for anyone that the chief hater does not like.  When person after person walks away from jobs because they cannot work for that man, this is not the country of which I sing. When political loyalty to Trump is the guiding law and demand made of workers, rather than to the country, this is not the land of which I sing.
     What I get from Trump's people is what Clinton or Obama or whomever did. I do not care about them. They are not running now, are they? If they made errors in judgement, and there were some errors, of course, then hopefully, when we come back to our senses we will fix any issues.
     However, right now we have an illegitimate president who is planning the same thing for 2020. He apparently sees no problem in accepting help from an enemy, and in fact, is making it easier for them by crashing the cyber security we have in place, as weak as it already is, and he and his pathetic, wimpy, cowardly Republican Party members are allowing this, refusing to recognize that they are actually rewriting the Constitution and cutting off the power of Congress, giving the Executive Branch - Trump, at this point - just about dictatorial powers. 
     It is the fact that I cannot pledge to a government headed by a man who is a dictator at heart, and action, who jokes, not jokingly at all, about remaining in office for more than two terms, or even extending a term to six years. That, dear ones, is horrifying and even if one supports him,  how could you agree to so easily shred the Constitution?
     I cannot pledge to a country headed by people who think nothing of ripping people from loved ones, or sending a man who lived here his whole life, a Chaldean Christian to Iraq, a diabetic, who then died, miserably, on the streets for lack of insulin and lack of food. How do people sleep after doing this? I cannot pledge loyalty to an administration that claims to represent America when they hire people who think nothing of being cruel to crying little ones, to starve them, hold medical care from them, stuff them in cages, lose them!! I cannot support the brutal treatment of the adults either. 600 agents a day ago to rip over 600 working tax paying immigrants away from their families, away from contributing to the country, away from the American dream.This is not America!!!
     I cannot support or pledge to a country whose presumed leader has a mouth and heart and soul putrefying with hate, vicious hate. It just spews out of his mouth, onto Twitter, and this is NOT America. Never!! This government is rife with corruption, hatred and prejudice, greed, nepotism, cronyism, incompetence, and contempt for government guided by the Constitution and certainly for the people of America.
     Give me back my America. Give me back my America that supported working to improve the environment . Give me back my country that believed in working with allies, in working to lessen tension, rather than setting about igniting another Cold War, by wrecking the economy with insane trade wars and tariff impositions. Give me back my country that knows that there is child hunger and food insecurity in this country, yet could care less, and even lessens the aid given to families and those in need due to our once great social safety net.
     Give me back my country that recognized the rights of ALL members of society and did not discriminate for gender or race or orientation or any other division this evil man could think of. He has wiped out progress we had made, wiped it out in a short span of time. He has destroyed the victory of women to decide what they wish to do with their health and their bodies. But what can one expect from a misogynist such as he. He is poisonous to this country, with his praise of white supremacists, his refusasl to move forward on assault weapons and gun safety, who used victims of mass shootings for his own political benefit, even as victims say they are not interested in seeing him.
     Give me back my country that was working to achieve a better society, a more diverse society, an acceptance of all, a country which wished to continue the dream, a country that accepted those in need of refuge, of a haven, of safety, a country which realized that we were and are part of the global community.
     Give me back my country with the heart and soul and I will stand up there and shout out the pledge with glee and joy, with respect and love. Give me back my country. My country tis of thee - yes, always and forever, when it is my country, not a nasty imitation of it that means and brings harm to all and everything that should be held dear in this country, as this country. I pledge allegiance - oh, yes, I do and to that country of which I used to sing. Not its very poor imitation.