Yours, Mine and Ours...Turns Out Two Out Of Three IS Bad...

It's a busy time of year.

So let's cut to the chase.

He may be "your president".

But he's not mine.

Not before, not now.

Not ever.

And while I'm not obligated to explain (that free speech thing that you've always got half cocked when locking and loading your own opinion), I'm going to offer you, in the spirit of the season, the courtesy of an explanation.

Goes like this.

It may not have been the case in decades, even centuries, past, but in the year 2025, the President of the United States has one, and only one, real responsibility.

Now that's what's known as the 'teaser'.

Stay tuned.

"...voters...are angry and frustrated...."

Ring a bell?

That phrase should be as familiar to you as "6-7".

Because if you listen at all to TV news, cable news or news talk radio, you hear that bell ringer at least once a week...and dozens/hundreds of times in September, October and November every two years.

Leading right up to Election Day.

But, to paraphrase John Lennon's line about walruses and Pauls in "Glass Onion"....

"here's another clue/ for you all...."

Voters are A L W A Y S "angry and frustrated."

The reason is simple.

Voters are human beings.

And, in the best of times, the ratio of satisfied to dissatisfied in human beings is, at best, one to one.

Two to two, three to three, etc.

And in the worst of times, of which there tend to be more....

Satisfied...two...dissatisfied..three...or four.

Etc.

Cue Ricky Nelson.

You can't please everyone / so you got to please yourself.

Now when it comes to politics?

No matter the party, philosophy, position and/or point of view....

...there is always....

A L W A Y S....

..something to be angry about...something to be frustrated about.

It's politics, Jake.

Check out these two randomly Googled definitions:

"...the activities associated with the governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power...."

"...activities within an organization that are aimed at improving someone's status or position and are typically considered to be devious or divisive..."

It's a busy time of year.

So, let's skip the detailed dissection and play the greatest hits.

"...especially the conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power.."

"... typically considered to be devious or divisive..."

Power grabbers.

Devious and divisive power grabbers.

So, at this moment, exactly what part of "angry and frustrated" can you possibly find confusing?

Let alone surprising.

Or anything...A N Y T H I N G...other than inevitable? 

Exactly. 

Now, about that "teaser" from a few minutes ago?

Buckle up, you angry and frustrated "American people".

Here, again, the set up:

"...the President of the United States has one, and only one, real responsibility..."

The punchline:

The President of the United States' one, and only one, critically necessary, real responsibility is to work night and day, twenty four seven, three hundred sixty five to move Heaven and Earth....

...to unite... 

..."the American people."

Every. Single. Fucking. One.

At this writing, 347,275,807.

For those in need of a 'spell it out'...

Three hundred and forty seven MILLION, two hundred and seventy five THOUSAND, eight hundred and SEVEN.

All of us.

Because in a life filled with millions of slogans, catchphrases, mottos and assorted other word combinations, there is one, and only one, that matters.

At all.

The one that arrived in our vocabularies via two intelligent human beings.

Aesop. 

John Dickinson.

The former, the ancient Greek story teller of "___Fables" fame.

The latter, the Colonial period President of both Delaware and Pennsylvania (not at the same time) who got toes a tappin' in 1768 with a peppy little patriotic tune entitled "The Liberty Song".

Both of these wordsmiths shared a clear grasp of the obvious. 

That, put to music, ranked as the 64th biggest hit of 1970 on the American pop charts.

United we stand.

Divided we fall.

And as complicated as you might think, or others would have you think, that politics and government and all that goes with it might be, the simple truth remains.

It ain't rocket surgery.

United we stand.

Divided we fall.

Consider the following arithmetic....

Four people in a lifeboat in the center of the ocean. Add each of the four insisting on rowing in a different direction...equals...

A lifeboat going around in circles in the center of the ocean.

Three hundred people aboard a jet at thirty thousand feet. Add a pilot and co pilot who each insist on having control of the aircraft....equals...

Three hundred people flying in circles at thirty thousand feet.

Right up to the moment that all the fuel is gone and the plane plummets to the ground.

Now let's apply what we've learned in the past eleven seconds to this 'president' that so many of you insist on accepting, endorsing, celebrating....even worshiping.

And here's a special extra added bonus feature to this essay. The kind of special feature you seldom come upon as you bring yourself up to speed regarding the current state of your union.

Assuming, of course, that you bother bringing yourself up to speed regarding the current state of your union in the first place.

There will be no long, long, long....long...list of the many flaws and failings in the overweight, oversexed, over orange, sociopathic narcissitic gelatinous form that is Donald John Trump.

This is actually where this piece goes to Def Con Easy Peezy.

So even the most hard headed, deeply dug in, deaf ear fully turned amongst you don't have to waste a second with that annoying 'up to speed' thing.

Donald Trump is not a uniter. 

He is a divider.

He, himself, freely and frequently demonstrates...by spoken and printed words, via radio, television, public speaking and/or Internet posting...that he is committed, determined and dedicated to assisting, inspiring, rewarding, even acknowledging, those, and only those, who demonstrate by their own words and actions their complete, continuous and unfailing loyalty to one...and only....one thing on this planet...let alone the United States of America.

The Stars and Stripes?

Nope.

The Bill of Rights?

Nah.

The oath of office in which he, twice, " solemnly {swore (or affirmed) } that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States"..

Uh, negatory, there, good buddies...and budettes.

See where this is going?

Of course, you do.

A ten year old can see where this is going.

But just to say we did, let's talk truth.

Whole and nothing but.

Courtesy of the current oath taken by those becoming American citizens.

“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America."

That's all very Jimmy Stewart and shit.

But let's get real and spell out the only oath recognized by the current occupant at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to anything and everything, including the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, with one exception. And will, to the best of my ability, subject to imprisonment, deportation and/or death, support, defend and worship only....the greatest, best, big beautiful President that has ever been, and shall ever after always be, my favorite of now and all time President of the United (Red only) States....God bless Donald John Trump."

And the beauty of the new oath is that it's one size fits all.

Those becoming citizens for the first time. Those who were born and raised here.

Now if you're inclined to disagree with any thing said here thus far.

Save yourself the time and energy.

And spare me the bullshit shoveling of indignant objection to the premise.

Because you know goddamn well that Trump is loyal only....O N L Y...to those who are loyal to him.

And no policy you cheer, no change he has made, no agency he has gutted, no White House demolition, no "good thing he has done even if he really is an asshole" changes the bedrock, bottom line, 'big beautiful' fact/truth irrefutable.

He is loyal ONLY...to those who are loyal TO HIM.

Which means he freely and unashamedly turns his back on those who are not loyal.

And you goddamn well know it.

So save time and energy...spare me the shoveling...and let's wrap this shit up.

He has no interest...or intention of ever being interested...in millions of Americans.

Accordingly, he cannot, no, will not..no, refuses...to even try to bring us all together. 

And that brings us to the big finish.

He may be "your president".

But he's not mine.

Not before, not now.

Not ever.

It's not about "yours" and "mine"

It's about him.

And what he undeniably refuses to be.

"Our" President. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If You Never Read Another Thing I Write...Read This...

 

Old saying.

Two things certain.

1. Death.
2. Taxes.

Old saying rebooted for contemporary times.

Four things certain.

1. Death.
2. Taxes.
3. Trump is going to say or do something horrific, horrendous and/or moronic.
4. I am going to write and post/publish a piece that trashes Trump.

This particular piece, though, serves a different purpose.

It answers a question increasingly asked in my direction.

"Why...?"

Why, at a time when everyone knows what kind of pitiful excuse of a human being he is, do I continue to comment on his words and actions.

When does enough finally become enough?

 First, let's do a little "one thing straight" getting.

This is not a defense. This is not an apology.

I feel absolutely no need, let alone desire, to defend.

I owe not a single word of apology.

As a courtesy to those in my world who still have my respect, these words are by way of offering an explanation.

This is the first time I have offered it.

And it will be the last.

I would refer you back to a few sentences ago.

To those "defend", "apology" dealios.

Second, four words that loom large here.

Spark.

Fuse.

Fire.

Light.

Oh...and there will be a little New Testament James as well.

Make a mental note to remember those words and that announcement.

Post-it Notes are fine if you're so inclined.

And here's a bonus, from the git-go, plot twist.

My motivation for every word I write is that I haven't got a clue.

Stay tuned for the exciting payoff to that little unexpected. 

The motivation for this essay... came from two friends.

We'll call them "T" and "E".

They each posted a unique spark...that lit a fuse.

That resulted in this piece.

Eleven days ago, this country did something unbelievably unacceptable for the second time in less than ten years.

It watched "peacefully" as the office of President of the United States was handed over, again, to a clinically sociopathic narcissist who couldn't find his own ass with both hands and a flashlight, let alone "lead" a nation of 334,924,895 citizens in desperate, even critical, need of mature, intelligent, unifying leadership.

And after the Presidency was handed over to Elon, Donald Trump took some kind of hysterically ironic oath or something.

See what I did there?

Skipping the almost overwhelming temptation to laundry list the irrefutably infinite examples of why this "presidency" might very possibly result in the end of, if not life on the planet as we know it then at least, the end of America as it has existed for over two and half centuries, let's do a little cutting in the direction of the chase.

I wrote and posted some quick shot observation/lament about Elon's ill advised attempt to look like the loyal lackeys to the evil Messala in Ben-Hur.

Said ill advised attempt complete with a clumsy Roman salute to "Tribune" that, unfortunately, can easily be mistaken for the salute offered when "Tribune" is pronounced "Fuhrer".

Be it your garden variety historic Nuremberg "Fuhrer" or your more contemporary "Mar-A-Lago" edition.

My two cents moved "T" to make a request in the comment thread.

"Change the channel, please"

A day or so later, I opined on the disastrous and despicable FUBAR that, thus far, has been standard operating procedure in the worst sequel in the recorded history of sequels....

"Make America Great Again II--The Reckoning"

Moving "E" to respond..

"..I am so tired..."

The thing, one among many, about social media is that, with posts that lack sound or visual, it is impossible to hear tone or see facial expressions , ergo, impossible to know the attitude that accompanies the commentary.

As mentioned earlier, both "T" and "E" are friends, so the inclination is to read their contributions to the conversation as commiserating.  

As in "we hear ya, brother"...or "you go, guy"....or even a healthy shot of "Amen!"

Things being what they are these days, though, it's also entirely possible that one or both of those comments could translate out as....

"...for the love of God, shut the fuck up, we're beggin' ya..."

Hey, I hear ya, brother/sister.

But that's not going to happen.

Which brings us, finally, around to "why?"

Why, at a time when everyone knows what kind of pitiful excuse of a human being he is, do I continue to comment on his words and actions.

Like I said...

It's because I don't have a clue.

We are all gifted.

Be your theology rooted in spirituality, universality, single deity and/or organized religion (let's save time and just concede that one is a total oxymoron), we are given skills, abilities, talents, et al,  that make it possible for us to contribute positively to this life, this planet, this country.

Whether or not, of course, we choose to make best use of that gift.

Free will and all those other tricky slippery slopes.

Some of us sing.Others can't carry a tune in a tote.

Some of us dance. Others can't get jiggy with two feet and a flashlight.

Some of us are savant like brilliant in business...and some totally con others into believing they are savant like brilliant in business only to see casinos go bankrupt and end up settling for being elected President.

We've all got something.

And we all lack something.

If you were to put a gun to my head and say "tune this car engine or you're a dead man"...

...you'd save us both a lot of time if you just go ahead and pull the trigger.

If I've learned anything in a life getting very close to three quarters of a century long, it is what I can do...and cannot...of what I am capable...and am not....

...at what I am not, in any way, good...

and..at what I am very good. 

My gift is words.

The love of them, the respect for them...and the ability to put them together.

Additional description of my own work inappropriately crosses the line between applicable acknowledgement and blowhard braggadocio.

So, I offer up an appreciated, and unsolicited, comment from another friend we'll call "A".

A selfless and accomplished educator and, in the best, old fashioned sense, a good and decent man.

Who had this to say about one of my more recent op/ed moments.

"..Man you got a way of communicating the truth and nothing but the truth..great post and desperately needed…"

Thank you, sir.

Now, again, here's why.

Again, because I don't have a clue.

I have no way of knowing who is reading my words. 

Or more accurately, I have no way of knowing who else is reading my words. Besides those whose names I see in the comment threads.

And given that social media is a global platform, that means that I have no way of knowing if my words are falling on deaf ears all over the world.

Or if they are being read by someone...somewhere...that might be moved by them.

A someone, somewhere who, having read my words and being moved by them, might be...

...the spark.

That sets off a fuse.

That ignites a fire.

That roars into a shadow destroying light.

That shines immeasurably on what need be done.

To save America....

...from being made great again.

When that "greatness" is defined by a clinically sociopathic narcissist who couldn't find his own ass with both hands and a flashlight, let alone "lead" a nation of 334,924,895 citizens in desperate, even critical, need of mature, intelligent, unifying leadership.

At this point, something very important needs to be said.

I feel absolutely no need, let alone desire, to defend.

I owe not a single word of apology.

That said...

I have absolutely no sense of "self importance".

I am committed to as much humility as possible.

I reflect continuously that I am nothing more, nor less, than a vessel for what I offer in writing and posting and publishing.

I never ever let myself lose sight of the fact that what talent I possess....is a gift.

And I never...ever...let myself forget James 4:17

"...it is sin to know what you ought to do...and then not do it..."

For what it's worth, "T" and "E"....

The moment this shit show is canceled, I'm not only ready to change the channel. I'm good with shutting down the flat screen and returning to a healthy program of reading, reflecting and writing...on some other, any other, topic.

And, trust me, I'm as tired of all of this...as tired ever gets.

But I was given a gift.

And to not use it...with the right intentions...and best effort....

Would be....if nothing else....rude.

There's way...way more than enough rude these days.

Ground zero centered at 1600 Pennsylvania.

The courteous thing to do...

...is honor the gift.

If only just on the off chance....

...that it causes a spark.