How distorted and unrecognizable must things become for US to realize that our grand old flag is becoming a relic, much like its confederate cousin. Red, white and blue stood for unity. Red and Blue can’t even talk to one another these days and White is now a racist point of contention– not the purity those stripes were meant to evoke. We’ve become the Divided States. #SAD but true.
“America” has strayed far from her respected role as the Land of the Free, and there is definitely NOT justice for ALL. We have a fake POTUS from a fraudulent election who only caters to those whom he thinks voted for him. Can Mr. Flag Hugger even explain what the stars and stripes, and colors, represent? (Like the “many books” he’s written 🙄, others do everything but the bragging.) Divide and conquer is an ancient strategy, and salesman Trump has certainly used it to his benefit.
For those “with ears to hear”… a Fourth of July WAKE UP call.
If you voted for Trump you were railing against the “status quo” or you just hated Hillary. You weren’t alone…
#BernieOrBust fanatics (like Susan Sarandon) who couldn’t bring themselves to support HRC in the 2016 General Election voted for Jill Stein. She received nearly 1.5 million votes. Libertarians cast 4,489,235 votes for my former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson (who I seriously considered in the General. I voted for Senator Sanders in the 2016 Primary.) Another 1,154,084 wasted their vote on write-ins. Combined that’s 8.2 million votes that could have created an entirely different outcome in 2016 (with or without the Comey letter or “her emails.”)
Consider what’s happened since then: from the shockingly dark inaugural speech (which included the infamous “American carnage” line), to the “Muslim Ban”, rebuking of allies while cozying up to dictators, untold waste by cabinet members (especially Swamp Rat Pruitt), MILLIONS in self-dealing by the Trump family (aka kick-backs & corruption — Malaysian scale ), numerous constitutional violations (emoluments & more), not to mention Trump remains under investigation! His former Campaign Chair is in JAIL, other associates are indicted, and his personal attorney/ “fixer” Cohen could be indicted at any time (hardly a “witch hunt.”)
Is any of this what American stands for? Hell NO!
FACTS: A fascist is a follower of a political philosophy characterized by authoritarian 
views. Trump constantly talks about and contacts Russian autocrat (and former KGB officer) Vladimir Putin and plans to meet with him again mid July (2018.) He couldn’t wait to meet and gush over North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong-un (and wants to bring him to the White House) despite ZERO evidence Kim is “denuclearizing.” Trump already hosted Egyptian General/President el-Sisi and Turkey’s strong-man Erdogan at our House. ALL are extreme authoritarian rulers. Yet, Trump rebukes our own North American and Western democratic allies. WHY?
The original American patriots were those fighting off oppression… crossing an ocean to get away from kings and rulers. Today would be a good day to read up on our founding principles: Liberty, Equality and Justice for ALL!
LAW: Since 1943, our Supreme Court has held that the government can neither require a citizen to participate in a “pledge of allegiance” nor compel us to engage in patriotic acts. Yet, Trump demanded NFL players be FIRED (“fire the sons of bitches” he said) for “taking a knee” during the Anthem. Many black players were making a quiet statement about their brothers being gunned down in the streets by cops. Trump could barely remember to place his hand over his heart (or on the bible for his oath) now he’s the Anthem and Pledge police? WHY? Because he knows very little about our unalienable rights. (YES, UN, per our Declaration and Black’s legal guide . Use it.) “unalienable” as: “Incapable of being aliened, that is, sold and transferred.” At first glance the two terms seem pretty much synonymous. However, while the word “inalienable” is “not subject to alienation,” the word “unalienable” is “incapable of being aliened”.
In Trump World who really cares about facts or legal precedence? SCOTUS “short-lister” fave Amy Barrett doesn’t. Trump is “intrigued” with the idea of appointing a woman this time. Apparently he thinks that will tamp down a “pussy riot.” (It won’t.)
HISTORY: Judge Barrett is on record as willing to overturn established laws, including Roe v. Wade. ALL the Christian Heritage Foundation “approved” candidates are (that’s the “list” Trump agreed to as part of his Faustian bargain with the RNC back in 2016.) The goal? To create a judicial system and High Court fashioned by their “Christian” views, so they can strike down any “settled law” they want. We could literally have NO rights as a result of ONE high court pick. (For more evidence, read this chilling Post article on the Courts and patriotism and this great resource on our founding (“Was America founded as a “Christian” nation?” Jefferson said we have the right to believe in “twenty gods or no God.” Check it out.)
Yet Congressional Republicans and evangelical voters were willing to ignore our nation’s moral imperative and tolerate a corrupt con man IF he would appoint conservative judges to uphold their “pro-life” stance. 1) We’re going to need a new Webster to define “conservative” in the era of the #TrumpCult. 2) News Alert: to truly be pro-life you must care for that life AFTER it emerges from the womb. How crazy to give up your Christian values for a fetus but ‘fuhgeddaboudit once it’s born. 🙄 A pox on thee! (a double pox for constantly degrading animals and other living beings as garbage or your sport to kill for pleasure.) No killing, means NO killing.
CIVILITY: Trump used crude, disgusting name-calling throughout his campaign and it’s even worse since taking office. He inflames hate groups, uses bigoted language, and calls other countries “shitholes.” #TrumpCult may like it, but civil nations do not engage in brutality and torture (the type Trump wants to reinstate) OR…
- refuse desperate refugees and Asylum Seekers (especially in a nation of immigrants!)
- put Children in cages, internment camps and violate #HumanRights for those seeking lawful asylum (or minority citizens)
- encourage ICE cops to behave like Nazi stormtroopers using increasingly authoritarian tactics
- have the highest Prison population rate in the world!
- allow Community cops to gun down people in our city streets
- corrupt democracy with a self-dealing regime of family, protectors, and a “mob boss.” Trump’s family profited by $500 MILLION during 2017 yet “donated” back only $150 thousand (after promising he was “so rich” he would pay for everything and would not take a salary. NOTE: even that 150K has not yet been verified. Could be nothing.
- Impose such extreme “regulation reduction” that the USA is no longer an environmental ally, protector of public lands or trusted to provide SAFE food & water!
Bottom line: Zero Tolerance policies are doomed to fail — whether for people, places, fetuses, or self-dealing autocrats. Once your mind is completely closed, you are on a dead end path. Things are simply not black and white… there are always exceptions, circumstances, and nuance. That’s why our founders included so many checks and balances to make sure a tyrant, king or madman could not corrupt or control our government.
Say what you want about our European forefathers, they were enlightened thinkers– what the Alt-Right might call Elites. 😎
Footnotes:
1) Our U.S. democracy is under siege. We cannot normalize Trump and act as if we actually have a Constitutional presidency– we don’t! Our “faithless” Electors let us down at the most critical time.
2) Christians and evangelicals might read up on Matthew, especially 24:43 warning: “Understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.” You might also refresh yourself on the Snake Poem, read by Trump during the campaign.
3) An “enlightened” or informed perspective comes from studying issues and researching facts. Yes, there are such things. We can verify crowd size, use evidence, and track financial matters. Thankfully our Special Counsel (and former FBI Director) Robert Mueller is a professional fact-finder. Here’s to #MullerTime and please #RememberNovember!
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