10_06_2020

IT IS TIME FOR GREATER CLARITY IN OUR COUNTRY

                Out of respect for valid differences associated with our national political parties, I have refrained from bringing anything clearly political into my Blog contents.  And I do believe that there can exist legitimate differences in our points of view on what is best for the country.  For example, I can see how issues like how financial resources are allocated and states’ versus national interests merit a healthy, reasonable exploration of the underlying issues.  It is wise to look at both the short-term and the long-term implications of our policy decisions.

                But I have reached my limit of refrain on the actions of the current occupant and supporters of the current White House.  We have all witnessed the devastation and hardships experienced by our fellow citizens from the pandemic.    More than 200,000 of our citizens have died, and we have no reliable indicators of the long-term suffering of those who have contracted the virus.

                We also know that millions have lost their jobs and will have to search for new work and sources of income as the nation builds its way back.  And through all of these last six plus months, we have watched our president refuse to accept any responsibility for his lack of leadership during this time.  His refusal to listen to the scientists and well-qualified physicians who are continuously studying the virus in order to best inform the public on how to avoid getting sick themselves as well as protecting others beyond ourselves.

                We have been offered some basic practices that may temporarily curb our lifestyles but have been proven useful in containing the spread of the virus.   We have witnessed this president and those who blindly support him politicize and ridicule those who are following the safety recommendations.  Many of his supporters privately acknowledge that they know his ways are destructive and wrong, but they refuse to stand up to him for fear of retribution.

                And finally,  we see evidence of the adage, “What goes around comes around,” come into reality: the president has contracted COVID.  We are still in the dark five days after he disclosed that he had COVID regarding the actual date when his first test showed up positive.  One would expect any of us to acknowledge that information so that all of those we have come into close contact with could be notified so that they could self-quarantine as a way of avoiding passing the virus onto others. 

                But our president repeatedly demonstrates that he has not evolved to a responsible adult, with sufficient empathy to show concern for the wellness of others.  His recent behaviors have brought into clear focus how destructive such narcissistic behaviors can be to others.  His hosting of the White House event while ignoring safety precaution to nominate a new justice for admission to the Supreme Court has been labelled a super spreader event. 

                Look at the number of people at that event that have currently tested positive.  Check photos of where they were seated, and all of them are located within the first few rows.  We have seen confirmation that he was exposed to the virus on a recent trip, yet he did not self-quarantine.  He went to a fundraising event and we do not know at this time how many people he might have infected.  Was he infected during the first presidential debate? 

                For those who may still be sitting on the fence about the recklessness of his behavior, just look at incidences at the hospital and after.  Anybody that was involved in transporting him is at risk, and at the very least should self-quarantine for 14 days.  Yes, one could argue that those transporting the president are simply doing their job, but what did he do to put them more at risk?  From all that I have read, his decision to get into an armored car that is hermetically sealed and drive around the block to show how macho he is clearly endangered the Secret Service officers whose job is to protect him.

                And the TV production last night of him returning to the White House.  I read that he scheduled the timing so his trip would be on the evening news, and he had lights installed outside of the Walter Reed Hospital so that people could see him leaving.    His arrival at the White House, walking to the balcony and taking off his mask is synonymous with him giving the finger to all of those who have been warning of the seriousness of this pandemic.

                I took notice of his tweeted comments and video broadcasts during this most recent time periods.  His message seems to be that If you are macho enough you can get through this.  Like he is macho, really?  This is the same guy that managed to obtain repeated diagnoses of bone spurs to avoid the draft during the Vietnam war. 

                And let us not forget that after his initial pose on the balcony while he saluted the helicopter – and as a side note, what is with saluting a helicopter –  to pose again in case the first filming was not to his satisfaction.

                Regarding his tweets and comments during this period of contraction and hospitalization, did anyone read or him inquire about how others caught in this nightmare were doing?  Did you ever hear him comment about how his wife was doing?  Wouldn’t you expect a partner to say something like, “Just to let you know, I’ve spoken to my wife and while she’s not feeling her normal self, she said that the discomfort is tiring but manageable.”

                Here was a first- hand opportunity on the potential road to redemption that dropped in his lap.  He knows he is behind in this election cycle, and he could have used this experience to express a greater understanding of what more than millions of folks have experienced.  He could have acknowledged how fortunate he is to have the best medical care, noting that many of our citizens do not have that kind of access. 

                He could have said that this lesson was a huge dose of reality for him, showing him that he misjudged the dangers of the virus as well as why everyone should have access to quality healthcare.

                But to do any self-reflection, there has to be a human soul living inside.  This man is a prop, a shell, a two-bit, phony actor who is most comfortable propped up by a fantasy sense of reality.  He is not a well man on so many levels.  It is time we voted him out; time for him to figure out how he is going to manage the $300 million dollars of debt that he owes. 

                It will take this country years to undue the damage that he and his cronies have done to this country. 

                One final word.  Do you remember how upset the country was on 9/11 when we learned that nearly 3000 people died?  Currently over 200,000 people that we know about have died from the virus.  Think about it:  That number is the equivalent of 3 consecutive months of 3000 people dying a day.  We have built a memorial in Manhattan and other sites involved in the bombing to honor those who died unnecessarily. 

                What kind of memorial will our country build for those who died from COVID, in part as the result of a shell of a man who happened to bear the title of president but who did not serve as president?

                All of us regardless of how many good qualities we possess are also flawed.  We  have shown in the past that we as a nation can accept ours and others flaws when there is an abundance of goodness in sight and the willingness to acknowledge mistakes. We are watching a seriously flawed man on the road to self-destruction.  It is time to vote this man out of office and retrieve our country from someone bent on destroying the goodness of our souls.