Well, maybe not all of it but I think I figured out how we as Americans elected 45. Please note that due to the fact that he has not lived up to the standards I have for an American President, I am not going to refer to him as such. He will simply be referred to as 45 until he can prove he is worthy of the title in my mind.
I will be the first to admit I was pretty surprised when 45 won the election (well, he didn't really but that's another blog post entirely). Let's be honest, he comes off as an ignorant blow hard, how could he possibly appeal to voters? Then it hit me...the world we live in has changed. We live in a world where 91.5 million people are Instagram followers of a vapid sex tape star that has somehow become a "brand". We live in a world where "beautiful" men and women with no self respect go on a dating "reality" show and the drunkest, sluttiest, most cad-ish (is that even a word?) one wins and millions watch it. The couples rarely stay together...are there one or two? I don't care enough to check my facts on this. We live in a world where people get to appear on TV shows because they have 19 kids or keep every piece of crap that has every come into their houses or who had all kinds of bad things happen to them as children, they ate their feelings and now they weigh over 600lbs. We live in a world where people put others on "blast" on social media, there are such things as Twitter wars, and where people think it's OK to bully others on social media and sometimes that bullying leads to the victim committing suicide.
45 appealed to some because "he tells it like it is". OK, I can see that. However, why is it his place to call out a fellow candidate's looks? Let's be honest, he's not GQ material. Why did so many people follow his misguided and false claims that President Obama wasn't an American citizen? That one is easy...because millions of people in this country, 45 included, were irate at the fact that a Black man was elected President (twice). There is a vetting process that candidates for President go through when they file their candidacy; it includes providing proof of citizenship. I will maintain that the vetting process should include plans for divesting a candidate's businesses and disclosing tax returns for any future businessmen and women planning to run for President. Hopefully the next President of the United States will not consider themselves above the law as 45 does.
Let's get back to telling it like it is...you know 45 doesn't really do that except for when he is putting someone down. He lies...a lot. Oh wait, I forgot, he uses "alternative facts". Let me be clear...alternative facts are lies.
This, however is not going to be a bash 45 post. Although I have plenty of material for one of those.
This is an explanation of how we got here...at least as I see it.
People wanted a non politician...OK, you got one...probably the worst example of a non politician. He claimed he wouldn't be beholden to anyone; well except for the leader of Russia and members of his inner circle (read Steve Bannon). Be careful what you ask for America. To me asking for a non politician to run our country is similar to hiring a non pilot to fly your plane. Do you see where I am going here?
This isn't a reality show. Those of us who have no use for 45 can't fire him or deny him a rose. Of course, he cannot fire people he doesn't like either; oh wait.
This is the real world where there are diplomatic, legislative, governance protocols. We do not govern by signing fancy paper in a leather binder in front of TV cameras. Being President is a difficult, sometimes thankless job that requires a steady hand, a big heart, and a broad mind. What I have seen so far from 45 is a reckless hand, no heart and a narrow narrow mind.
Those who still support 45 will say I am not giving him a chance it's only been 2 weeks. My response is...dear god, it's only been 2 weeks. That's another problem with the world we live in today...no one listen/reads to hear or see; they are listening and reading to RESPOND. I wanted to blast off this post on 1/20 but decided to do some random acts of kindness on 1/20. #one20 I also wanted this to be a well thought out blog post.
You cannot run this country like a reality show. Maybe Americans should spend more time learning about the ACA, Social Security, radical Islam, LGBTQ rights, pick your issue instead of seeing how deep the garbage is in a hoarder's home or what pet name they are having tattooed on a pixelated body part that even a cable station cannot show. You don't have to agree with every piece of information, however people who are so overly closed minded about things need to change.
I have been told because I do not identify with the pro-life movement, that I am pro-abortion. That could not be further from the truth. You would be hard pressed to find a person that is pro-abortion. I am pro-choice because while I believe that life begins at conception, I also know that it is not my business what other women do with their bodies. It's not the religious right's place to tell non religious people what to do anymore than it is the left's place to tell religious people how to live their lives. It should never be up to men to determine what women can and cannot do with their bodies. I also don't see a bunch of women trying to outlaw rights to Viagra. The God I was taught about in school judges each person individually. There is a reason why church and state should be separate.
I spent 47 years of my life not really concerned about how my health insurance worked or how much it cost me. Then I got cancer. Now it is something I am concerned about daily as I will spend the rest of my life with a pre-existing condition. Also, in case you don't know, cancer treatment and tests are expensive so I am grateful for out of pocket caps as I like not having to spend money I use for my mortgage to pay for tests I will have to take for the rest of my life.
It is the ridiculous closed mindedness of many that is what is tearing the country apart. Having an opinion doesn't make anyone correct or infallible. It just means they have an opinion. These days with access to limitless information, it's interesting to me how many opinions are just simply misinformed but good lord the owner of the opinion is going to die on the hill of that opinion.
I have no plans to burn down a pharmacy or overturn a car in protest of 45. Who knows, maybe he'll earn the title during his tenure. I will say I was thrilled to see him board a chopper to Dover yesterday to honor the Navy Seal lost last weekend.
I do plan to be informed every day, contact my legislators (already have and will continue to do so), march if necessary, vote lawmakers out of office if warranted. I am not going to panic when alt right or far right news sources are spewing their alternative facts (read lies). I am also not going to take alt left or far left news sources at their word; that is whole other group of alternative facts (also lies).
You know a bird or a squirrel, if they go too far out on a limb of a tree, falls. Once they learn that fact, they stay closer to the trunk of the tree (the middle). The right and the left in this country are very far out on their respective limbs right now.
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