#OutrageOverload

Every time I think about venting about the outrage-du-jour committed by tRump and company, another travesty supplants it. (Yeah, I've written that before.)

The concentration camps housing kids in cages with no soap or toothpaste was out there. Then there were the racist attacks against the four Democratic women of color, and add to that Elijah Cummings.

The increasing calls for impeachment, amid the endless investigations.

Gutting of agencies whose missions are science based and rolling back of regulations to protect the environment, national lands, and wildlife. Add to that the appointment of unqualified cabinet members whose agendas are antithetical to the posts they serve. The recent spate of mass shootings highlights the gutting of the FBI’s office on domestic terrorism.

The stonewalling of some 200 bills by Mitch McConnell.

The erosion of our relationships with longtime allies in deference to dictators, along with scattershot and dangerous trade policies.

The mixed reaction to the Mueller report and the disappointment that it wasn’t the Holy Grail to ending tRump’s pseudo presidency.

The erosion, state by Red state, of women’s reproductive rights.

The unrelenting tirade of incoherent tweets, punctuated with White House lawn scrums that consist of (1) fake news (2) no collusion (3) no obstruction.

Periodic accusations of sexual misconduct, including associations with known deviants.

No sooner had the news coverage of the mass shooting in Gilroy, California, abated, than two more occurred in quick succession, in El Paso and Dayton. tRump took two days to deliver a robotic, teleprompted speech that made no mention of the need for stricter gun control that would include reinstating the assault weapons ban.

Meanwhile Congress has skipped out of Washington on its summer vaca. I’m sure there will be the requisite town halls and statements, but they’re bailing with their desks piled high with unfinished business.

There is an undeniable intersection between tRump’s MAGA rallies, his incendiary tweets, and rantings on white supremacist sites, including the social media pages of the El Paso killer. The cult-like chants make one think we’re on two different planets.

Republicans, in response to the administration, are “retiring” – 12 at last count – rather than confronting the evil that’s staring them in the face. Even regarding the El Paso and Dayton shooting, neither MSNBC nor CNN could get any of them to comment on the air.

Amid this clusterfuck of a presidency, the mainstream media struggles mightily to keep its objectivity. Despite the outstanding investigative reporting, court records documenting his corruption, and the Mueller report, Donald tRump is not being held accountable. Each day he flouts the law, obstructs investigations, and lies blatantly.

It’s way past time to call him out in one voice.

Ordinary citizens have been wringing their hands and venting on social media, amid a constant stream of news articles. Indivisible groups have been meeting to discuss plans for upcoming elections and they were instrumental in the 2018 Blue Wave. It’s all adding up to Outrage Overload – exhaustion punctuated by the sucker punch of the next Breaking News headline.

For my own part, I’ve emailed, written postcards, donated, phoned (McConnell’s people always hand up on me), tweeted, and messaged on Facebook. I’ve joined a local women’s salon, wrote postcards encouraging locals to vote, spoken to local pols at meetings, attended rallies. I feel like I’m pissing in the wind. My husband says I’m just working myself up. Like-minded people recommend backing off from social media and taking time for self care.

Regardless of how we react and what we do on a daily basis, we will not rest easy until he is out of office. The number of Democratic candidates running for president will sort itself out. However, regardless of who is elected, they must have a plan for immediately repairing the damage to our country and its psyche. Until then, we’ll have to live with #OutrageOverload.
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