Trump’s Abnormal Events

Students of authoritarian regimes suggest keeping a list of abnormal events after a demagogue is elected, as a way to remind yourself that this isn't normal and to keep from being overwhelmed into acceptance by the onslaught of attacks on our rights.

Those of us who attempted to do that gave up a long time ago, overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of outrageousness. A few diehards, such as Amy Siskind, are doing the hard work for us, via her Weekly List. She compiled her first year’s collection into “The List,” published in March 2018.

Siskind, along with Karen McRae, has also organized a We the People March in Washington, D.C., for Sept. 21. Check the website for other marches across the country and travel information.

#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.

Ladies: Gird Your Loins

UPDATE: On Tuesday night, May 13, 25 white men of the Alabama senate, all Republicans, voted to take away a women's right to choose what to do with her body. And on Wednesday evening in an act of betrayal to the women of Alabama and the US, Gov. Kay Ivey signed the bill. Then, on Thursday morning, Missouri's senate passed an 8-week bill (it must be passed by the house and signed by the governor) and Louisiana's house and senate passed a fetal heartbeat bill.

If women are not allowed to make decisions concerning their bodies, how the hell will they be elected president?

Yes, I am enraged, and no number of "there, theres" will squelch it.

This past week in particular has been a shitstorm for women’s right to choose. In particular, Georgia, now known as Gilead, passed a “heartbeat” bill that would ban abortions as early as six weeks. Gov. Brian Kemp signed the brutally restrictive bill, which is supposed to go into effect Jan. 1; the American Civil Liberties Union will challenge it in court. Georgia has the highest maternal death rate in the country.

Also tagged on to the bill is a caveat that a woman who travels out of state for an abortion may be charged with conspiracy to commit murder and anyone who assists her could be charged with conspiracy. My question is how will they know? Will Georgia hire the uterus police to be stationed at state borders?

Still Waiting

Every time I want to write about the shitstorm that is our government today, something else happens that buries my original complaint.

But this Accountability waiting game is enraging and exhausting.

I Engaged Them

But alas I do.

Admittedly, I have little ongoing contact with diehard tRump supporters. I pride myself on following some 20 solid news sources and look at the credentials and sources of those presenting information on Facebook. There has been an amazing amount of solid investigative journalism. Just check the books downloaded to my Kindle that I turn to when sleepless (which is pretty often these days).

Attention: The Mainstream Media is Not Fake News

As a journalist, I am becoming more and more enraged at the Fake Media accusations by an individual who has told more than 6,000 lies and disparages anyone who does not bend to kiss his ring.

My experience is small potatoes compared to those being targeted. They are literally on the front lines of the news – reporting on wars, crime, elections, and politics, even to the point of being sequestered in a room for 18 months conducting an investigation that culminated in a 14,000-word story.

Bear With Me. I’m Trying to Understand

Facebook has been the primary battleground these days for political discourse, a polite way of saying that there’s been a lot of contentious discussion between tRump haters and tRump supporters. It’s had a polarizing effect on many relationships.

My disdain for tRump is unmistakable. However, in an effort to understand why people support him, I engage them on threads from time to time. I try to ask pertinent questions, but often end up in name-calling contests.

As a result, I’ve amassed a pretty hefty collection of articles that attempt to explain the mindset of his supporters.

Here goes. Pour a glass of wine. Get comfortable and let me know if any of the links do not work. 

500 Days, 3,000 Lies. Make that 558 days, 4,229 lies

500 days of lies, tweets, and the unraveling of our basic tenets of governance and established civil rights.

The Mueller investigation has been underway for a year and while Mueller has been mute, journalists have been unearthing enough evidence that would have indicted any president with a D after his (or her) name. They’ve spent hours investigating and analyzing every nuance, asking questions, and lamenting the lack of action on the part of Congress, which has mainlined the orange Kool-aid. Those Republicans who dare to offer up any criticism have one foot out the door.

Dear Republicans: WTF?

H/T to Jay Nobsl Soloway for the graphic.

Dear Republicans:

Have you had enough yet? Have you had enough of the lying, collusion, vindictiveness, financial misdeeds?   

What will it take for you to act on the fact that there is no facet of this administration that isn’t corrupt?

The evidence is there and you parade around, ignoring that every fiber of our Constitution is being violated. The evidence is in front of your faces and you chose to ignore it when you shut down your Lack-of-Intelligence Committee and have taken NO action in holding Donald tRump accountable.

When the Fuck Will This End?

Donald Trump has been in office for one year. I hesitate to use President because he is the furthest thing from being presidential. I have never used that title in conjunction with his name.

Enumerating the travesties taking place since his election and inauguration has occupied pages and pages of the New York Times and the Washington Post; millions of gigabytes online, and hours and hours of reporting on cable television.

As of early January, his lies totaled 2,000, according to the Washington Post. They range from the crowd at his inauguration and voting numbers to the denial of his collusion with Russia to taking credit for creating jobs to this week’s information regarding his health.