The First Broken Promise

During the campaign, Mr. Trump said that he would "repeal and replace" Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act).  He said it very emphatically.  He said it many times.

After meeting with President Obama for about 90 minutes, he said he was amenable to "amending" Obamacare.

Wait!  Isn't that exactly what Secretary Clinton said?  Didn't she say that we ought to keep what's working with Obamacare and improve what isn't?

And it only took meeting with the President for 90 minutes for Mr. Trump to change his mind?

Things have been moving so fast since the election that this almost seems untimely to say, but I will say it anyway:  the first broken promise.

Or, is it?  Just because he said it, doesn't mean he'll do it.  We don't know much about Mr. Trump, but we do know he lies.

America, you have been conned.

Donald Trump is an evil man

I hope - and please remember that I said this - I hope that none of the things I'm worried about with Donald Trump as president of the United States comes to pass.  I want to be wrong.  Nevertheless, I must prepare for the worst while hoping for the best.

When it first became apparent to me that Donald Trump was going to be the president of the United States, my first instinct was to hide.  I told all of my children whom I could reach to be very careful what they said and to who they said it and to not put anything in writing that could remotely be considered as negative to Donald Trump.  That would definitely be the safest course of conduct for me and my family.

But, then, I heard about the people who were protesting in the streets.  "No Trump, no Pence, no wall, no fence," they were shouting.  And I read that Greg Casar, an Austin City Council member said he would keep resisting and he would try to get the City of Austin to resist.

And I was inspired.  I was a little bit ashamed of my first instinct.  I decided I had to resist, no matter what the personal danger to me or to my family.

I'm not by nature a marcher.  I don't generally join protests.  Maybe I should, but I don't.

My resistance comes through my words.  So, here they are:  my words.

Hillary Clinton got it right when she said that Donald Trump was going to be our president and he deserved an open mind and a chance to lead.  I believe that.  However, an open mind does not mean closed eyes.  Here is what I think with my eyes open.

Donald Trump is an evil man.  Either he believes the racist, misogynist, bigoted things he said during the campaign or he doesn't believe them and said them anyway.  Either way, he's evil.

Evil men are dangerous.

Hillary Clinton was wrong to say that fifty percent of the supporters of Mr. Trump were deplorable.  No one can know whether it's fifty percent or more or less.  But, I am convinced she was right that some portion of Mr. Trump's supporters are deplorable.  Not irredeemable, but deplorable.  They actually agree with the things Mr. Trump said during the campaign and that's deplorable and it makes them deplorable.

But, I know people who I consider to be good, honest, hardworking, intelligent people who supported Mr. Trump.  I still consider them to be good, honest, hardworking, intelligent people.  The only way I can understand this is to remember that many apparently intelligent people were fooled into spending a lot of their hard-earned money on Trump U.  They were conned by a master con-man.  So, I have to conclude that the apparently good, honest, hardworking, intelligent people who supported Mr. Trump were conned by a master.  Or else, I have been conned by all these people who I consider to be good, honest, hardworking, and intelligent.

All that said, what bothers me the most is that, after the election, the press - and I include the television and the newspaper press - has tried to analyze this election as if it were just another election.  And they've treated Donald Trump as if he were just another man who has been elected president.

Neither of those is true.  This was not just another election.  And Mr. Trump is not just another man who has been elected president.  There is not just a difference of opinion on his policies, or even on whether he should become president or someone else should.

Donald Trump is dangerous.  The press should be treating him as dangerous.

Many of the things he has promised to do are illegal.  They violate either international law or U.S. law.  Many of the things he has promised to do are immoral.  And, potentially, he will have no check on his efforts to do them.

Three of his primary advisors have been among the meanest men I know:  Chris Christie, Rudy Giuliani, and Newt Gingrich.  Any one or all of them could be in his cabinet.

He has a Republican congress and he will get to appoint at least one, and probably three or more, Supreme Court justices.  Potentially, he will control both of the other branches of government.  It is entirely possible that neither of those branches will be willing to stand up to him when he begins to try to do the illegal and immoral things he has promised to do.

When I pointed this out to a friend of mine, his response was "Yeah, but only until 2018 [the next election]."  My response to him was, "What makes you think there will be a next election?  Under the Bush Doctrine, the Constitution does not apply to the President when he is acting in his role as Commander in Chief.  If one part of the Constitution doesn't apply, then why not another part of the Constitution?  Federal elections are Constitutional.  What makes you think that President Trump won't 'suspend' the next election?"  He didn't have an answer.

So, this is why I have to resist.  All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.  Please, don't do nothing.

Make America Great Again

"Make America great again!"

Wait.

Do you mean to say America is not great now?

Donald Trump's "Locker Room Banter"

Donald Trump says that a tape of him discussing committing marital infidelity and saying that when you're a "star" you can get away with sexual assault is just "locker room banter."

I have been in a lot of locker rooms, and I've never heard anything like that.

If that's what Donald Trump says or hears in his locker rooms, then he should frequent different locker rooms and stay far away from the ones where he hears such words.

Donald Trump's Taxes

There is nothing wrong with being rich.

There is nothing wrong with legally not paying any federal taxes.

There is nothing wrong with refusing to give to charity.

There is something wrong with being rich, not paying any taxes, and not giving anything to charity.

It may mean that one is smart, but it also means that one is stingy.

A Bad Man

Vice President Joe Biden said of Donald Trump:  "He's not a bad man, but his ignorance is so profound."

With respect, I must disagree with Vice President Biden.

Donald Trump is a bad man.

He is clearly a liar.  That has been proven time and again.

He has said things which, if he believes them, make him a bigot, a misogynist, and a racist.  If he does not believe them, then he has said things he knows are not true.  That just makes him a bigger liar.

Anyone else who is a liar, a bigot, a misogynist, and a racist, or who was willing to say things that would make him a bigot, a misogynist, and a racist, would not be called "ignorant."  He would be called "bad."

And that is what Donald Trump is.  Bad.

Bill and Jack

Bill and Jack were talking one day.

Jack said to Bill, "I'm not happy about the fact that you have so much more than me."

Bill responded, "Well, I know, but that's just the way the world works.  People can't all have the same amount of things.  It will never happen.  Be happy with what you have, work hard, and someday you'll have as much as me."

Jack thought about that for a moment, then said, "But, your grandfather stole a million dollars from my grandfather."

Bill responded, "I know, but I never stole anything from your grandfather."

Again, Jack thought about Bill's response.  Then, he said, "Yes, but you never gave any of it back.  And your father never actually stole money from my father, but he kept my father from making half a million dollars by taking business opportunities of which, except for what your father did, my father would have had a chance to take.  Money he would have made if your father hadn't kept him from making it so your father could make that money."

Again, Bill responded, "Yes, but that was my father.  I never took any opportunities away from your father."

Jack, now getting a little upset, said, "Yes, but your grandfather passed that million dollars that he stole from my grandfather down to your father, and your father passed that million, plus the half million that he made which my father could have made, down to you.  So, you've gotten a million and a half dollars which you wouldn't have gotten if your grandfather hadn't stolen from my grandfather and your father hadn't kept my father from taking opportunities which he would have had, but for your father's actions.  That makes you start a million and a half dollars richer than me.  And you've never given any of it back.  Then you have the gall to tell me I should just work hard and someday I'll be as rich as you!"

Bill sighed.  He was getting a little upset himself at Jack's attitude.  "Look, Jack, I never stole anything from you.  I never took any opportunities from you.  I'm not responsible for what my grandfather and my father did to your grandfather and father.  I'm innocent!"

Now Jack was really upset.  "I never said you were culpable for what your grandfather and father did!  But, you've gotten the benefit of what they did!  That makes you responsible!  And you've never offered to share any of those benefits with me - benefits which were stolen from my grandfather and cheated from my father, benefits which I would have had and you now have because of what your grandfather and father did to my grandfather and father!  I want you to give those benefits back to me!  At least some of them!  All you've done is preach to me about how I should work hard!"

Jack took a breath, trying to calm himself, then went on.  "Look, Bill, the fact that you aren't stealing from me and aren't cheating me are passive.  They're good.  I'm glad your family has stopped stealing and cheating.  But, they're passive.  You are passively trying to right a wrong from which you have actively benefited.  I want you to be active in trying to right this wrong.  I don't want passive inaction, I want affirmative action!"

Bill looked at Jack, aghast and a little afraid.  "Affirmative action?  Affirmative action!  That would be wrong!"