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We have all experienced betrayal. Perhaps a secret shared that should not have been, or a fellow student who cheated on the exam, or a spouse who cheated on a relationship. Each betrayal breaks down trust and leaves us harmed.
Imagine yourself in such unfamiliar and dangerous territory of Afghanistan, daily exposed to toxic chemicals and hazardous materials, infectious diseases, suicide bombings, and terrorist attacks, believing that all is being done to make sure that you are safe, when, all the while, your country and your government know that you have a bounty on your head and do nothing. There can be no greater betrayal or one that can bring the ultimate harm. I grieve for our men and women in uniform who put their trust in our government believing that our country always has a soldier’s back. And, every day that we accept our government’s silence and its failure to act, we Americans are complicit in this most heinous of betrayals. Its treachery. Do not remain silent. Do something. Demand that your government stop such government disloyalty . Write, call, march, whatever it takes. That is the least we can do for those whose lives are in jeopardy every day that this goes on. Anything less and we are as guilty as the government we have elected to serve us. Joe Biden is not a smooth operator. He is not a showman. At times, he is clumsy with words, inarticulate or stuttering in thought, and unpolished in a debate. However, a president does not have to be a master debater or wordsmith or even a quick wit.
What a President does have to be is sincere instead of suspect, astute instead of flip, empathetic instead of apathetic, heartfelt instead of feigned, sincere instead of spurious, frank instead of furtive, straightforward instead of sly, blunt instead of brash and gentlemanly instead of boorish. Most of all, it is imperative that a president be well informed, knowledgeable, and discerning instead of unprepared, unaware and uninterested. What will you get with Trump and what will you get with Biden? Who will choose the best team to get the job done? Think before you vote in November. Our health, our economy, our democracy, our allies, and our world is counting on you to make the right choice. He could have been a hero. He could have won his election with nary an unkind word for his opponent.
Had he embraced the earliest warnings he received from the scientific community, he could have saved lives, stemmed the unraveling of the economy and shepherded our country through this crisis. People would have forgiven much that went before and forgotten the rest if they were delivered from the pandemic. Americans are tough. Tell us the truth; we can handle it. Americans are resourceful. Tell us what you need; we will provide it. Americans are united. We are no longer Texans or Minnesotans, Democrats or Republicans; we are Americans. He could have been a hero. Exhibit compassion with empathy and caring for lost loved ones. Show humility. Seek advice from the experts. Exhibit grace. Listen, don’t bash. Display courage. Challenge those who dismiss the situation. Evince patience. Don’t walk away because of a difficult path. Demonstrate leadership. Use the power of the office. Order protective gear and test kits. Set up a national testing and tracking system quickly. Get the job done. That’s what an American hero would do. That is the American way. Beware of protesters with guns. While the current issue for those in Michigan wearing bullet proof vests and “carrying” is sheltering in place, their tactic of armed protest may be a harbinger of actions to come should Trump lose the November election.
We need to prepare for the possibility that, if Trump loses, he will declare the November election a “fake” and a “fraud” and call upon his supporters to rise up against what he would characterize as a coup to force him out of office. One of the mainstays of our constitutional republic is a peaceful transition of power. Can we still rely on that? What would we do if there was a challenge to that process? What can we do? Who would do it? We need to consider this possibility and be ready with answers. Republicans have given Trump his way on
Trump is killing Americans with his ignorance and apathy toward these essential steps and the Republican Party in the Senate is abetting him in his willful disregard for human life. Failure to provide PPE, testing and tracing is a death sentence for heaven knows how many people. The Republican Senate knows this but, apparently, values the politics of the issue more than the human life at stake. They could fund this tomorrow, write into the legislation the establishment of an implementation task force and override any veto, with full Democratic support, forcing the Executive branch to get off its duff and do the right thing. This unwillingness to challenge and override Trump needs to be a death sentence for the Republican party. They no longer serve the interests of the people of this country. Newsom: In front of the virus;
Trump: Behind the virus. Newsom: Information, information. Trump: Misinformation, misinformation. Newsom: Comprehension of the problem. Trump: Failure to grasp the problem. Newsom: Clear articulation of crisis. Trump: Failure to explain the crisis. Newsom: First to order Stay at Home. Trump: Still no national order to stay at home. Newsom: Schools close; gatherings limited. Trump: No national order for either. Newsom: Works with Trump despite past tensions; Trump: Pence-don’t call governors who don’t appreciate. Newsom: Let’s work together to acquire resources. Trump: No plan for to acquire and disseminate resources. What California has done right. https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/08/us/california-coronavirus-explainer/index.html Thoughts from ISJ Blogger Pat Andrews
Ask Trump voters why they support him and they will tell you that it is because “we are anti-government; we are against government overreach; we believe government is not the solution but rather the problem.” Those same Trump voters, described as the white working class of non-educated voters, are sitting at their kitchen tables tonight calculating how much they can count on, personally and professionally, from the government’s new stimulus package to pay their rent, buy their groceries, save their business, protect their retirement, provide their health care and save their lives. They have turned to the very government for which they hold such disdain. Why? Because their recklessness and foolishness and, cockiness, resulted in a Trump victory and enormous harm. It is hard to forgive what is being done to our country by an inexperienced, incompetent, weak minded, and largely ignorant man and it is hard to forgive those who chose to place him in the highest office of our country. There are consequences. All of us, now, are about to suffer from the failure of presidential leadership for months and years to come. Unemployment. Business failures. More homeless. Lost pensions. A recession. Family members dead. While the pandemic itself is no one’s fault, the failure to shepherd the country through it falls right into the lap of the President and the decisions, or lack of them, that he has made. He got rid of trained personnel who could have been ready for this crisis. He questioned whether there was a pandemic and then how serious it was. He perpetuated the assertion of his followers that it was a Democratic plot to discredit his presidency. He claimed he had it under control and everything would be fine. He said it would be gone by April, and was similar to the flu. He said that tests were available for anyone who wants one, one of the more tragic lies. He promised a quick vaccine. President Trump’s actions and inactions are the result of his own ignorance and indifference and apathy and has become a recipe for disaster. Why in heaven’s name do we not have a national shelter in place? Why is there no national coordination of resources so that states do not have to fight with their neighbors for essential supplies. Why is the testing still lagging while South Korea and Germany have found quick ways to test, trace and treat the virus as our leader spends time attacking reporters and governors and anyone who criticizes him? How can people follow or trust or listen to such a person? But, some do and so we can only hope that our families survive the consequences he has wrought and quickly remove this White House from office and all who have supported it. Our election in November can have consequences too. Poignant words from ISJ Blogger Pat Andrews.....
We Mutually Pledge Our Sacred Honor “Let’s shake on it” and “I give you my word” and “I have your back” are statements of honor that have always been held dear by Americans and are embodied in the closing words of our Declaration of Independence. To give one’s word and to shake on it is a most solemn pledge that is not to be broken. To betray a comrade on the battlefield has always been anathema to an American, the worst form of dishonor. Every one of these covenants was broken following a feckless phone call made by our President and America's dignity has been forever stained. The consequences shall be long-lasting. The shame will be forever. from ISJ blogger Pat Andrews
Silence from Trump. He claims to know nothing about the Parnas revelations, the backdoor investigation led by Giuliani, the stalking of Ambassador Yavonivitch, the quid pro quo, or the attempt to smear Biden, even though Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney, whose shenanigans have been going on for months, was working closely with Parnas. Does anyone believe Giuliani shared nothing with Trump? Or that Trump was notorchestrating much of it? Silence from Congressman Devin Nunes, ranking minority member on the Intelligence committee, who tamped down anything detrimental to Trump. Silence until he and his aide, Mr. Derrick Harvey were caught in phone, email and text messages communicating with Mr. Parnas and participatingin the scheme to smear Joe Biden. Does anyone believe that Nunes shared nothing with Trump? Or that Trump did not put him up to it? Silence from Senate Republicans about what Trump does and says. Silence from Senate Republicans as Trump’s White House writes new rules on school nutrition and is in the process of redefining what nutrition programs are required to offer, particularly on fruits and vegetables. French fries are likely to become vegetables and jello will be classified as fruit. A snack might be Cheetos (cheese after all). Silence from the Congress as they pay $13.8 million for Trump’s golf trips to Mar-a-Lago. Silence from Congressional Republicans, (used to be hawks), as Trump denies any injuries to American servicemen as a result of the Iranian missile strike at our base in Iraq. Yet, eleven servicemen suffering concussions have been flown to U.S. medical facilities for observation and treatment. Silence from Senate Republicans while North Korea rapidly builds missiles. Silence from Trump administration on bringing home Marine Paul Whelan imprisoned by the Russians in 2019. Silence rom Republicans as Americans continue to suffer from outbreaks of contaminated food as the White House cuts by one third the number of food inspectors. Silence from Republicans on gun violence. In January, 2020, 13 dead and 63 injured. Silence from Republicans as Trump betrays allies, perpetuates the myth that it was the Ukrainians and not the Russians who interfered in 2016, and looks the other way as Trump uses his office to line his pockets. Silence is not always golden. "Fools, …You do not know. Silence, like a cancer, grows. |
