Surviving the Circus

From Rosalind S. Helderman at the Washington Post, simplified information - what you need to know about President Trump's executive order banning travelers from specific countries with predominantly Muslim populations. More specifically, we are taking a look at Muslim countries NOT on the POTUS ban list The executive order he signed Friday bans all entry for the next 90 days by travelers from Syria, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia and Libya. Wait, what? Why 90 Days? According to Trump (see image), "...until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on." Trump has two luxury towers in Turkey, and earned $6 million there (reported in May, 2016)... Turkey is NOT on the list, yet Americans have been issued a travel warning from the State Department regarding Turkey's anti-American rhetoric. Wait, what? Then there's Saudi Arabia, where Trump is attempting to build a hotel. Saudi Arabia in NOT on the list. "The executive or...

There's a Facebook post written by Senator Chris McDaniel (R-MS) whining about the Women's March and declaring that liberals are unhappy, among other things. Then there's a great rebuttal. Happy Marchers in Montana First, here is my comment on the article... I take issue with the statement that liberals are not happy. As a liberal, I can say that I am very happy in my personal life. My sadness only comes from the heart-wrenching lives that so many people are living in America. Likewise, some of the happiest people I know are liberals, although a touch of sadness does seem to manifest when in the presence of conservatives like Sen. McDaniel. Sometimes it's not even sadness, but amazement at how they manage to justify their hatefulness and lack of compassion. Liberals love everyone;  liberals want equal rights for everyone;  liberals respect human rights.  How can we not be happy? Conclusion: Liberals are happy people in their personal lives....

I listened as they called my President a Muslim. I listened as they called him and his family a pack of monkeys. I listened as they said he wasn't born here. I watched as they blocked every single path to progress that they could. I saw the pictures of him as Hitler. I watched them shut down the government and hurt the entire nation twice. I watched them turn their backs on every opportunity to open worthwhile dialog. I watched them say that they would not even listen to any choice for Supreme Court no matter who the nominee was. I listened as they openly said that they will oppose him at every turn. I watched as they did just that. I listened.  I watched. I paid attention. Now, I'm being called on to be tolerant. To move forward. To denounce protesters. To "Get over it." To accept this... I will not. I will do my part to make sure this great American mistake becomes the embarrassing footnote of our history that it deserves to b...

Today has been an active day on social media, with many people asking why the women were marching. I guess they have forgotten all the things that our new President said and did during his campaign, not to mention his behavior before that. Apparently they haven't paid attention to a couple of people he has nominated for key cabinet positions, who clearly are not qualified, especially the Department of Education. But those are the obvious reasons. I decided to find out some of the reasons, in their own words, that people participated in the Women's March yesterday. Fortunately, Twitter makes it easy. Why Women March For kids with special needs, who deserve an education that will allow them to reach their full potential. #vote no to DeVos #WhyIMarched To send a message to congress and DJT.  We will not accept  fascism, sexism or racism. We are awake,watching and involved #WhyIMarched My vagina My choice! #WhyIMarched I marched for women's bodies, POC, f...

Even though the majority of voters cast their vote for Hillary Clinton, our laws are such that Donald Trump won the election. Donald Trump is our president. It's true. There is no need to go around saying "he's not my president." That statement is a lie. Technically, legally, and literally speaking - Trump is our president. I felt this same frustration when people said that Obama was not their president. It's a childish rant. It means nothing. What we need to do now is change the way things are done so that this never happens again. One person should equal one vote. This garbage about a state having more power is not logical. Within a state, the people are still divided between the candidates, so how can a state decide an election? It's time to use our critical thinking skills and have a true election where every voter's ballot counts.

The Trump cabinet is going to be the least educated cabinet in recent history. Shaun King wrote an excellent article regarding the lack of education and the stark difference between what black people expect and what rich white people expect to achieve, especially in regards to White House appointments. The article was written last month. I am shocked - finding it hard to believe that the citizenry of this country are okay with random rich people being appointed to our highest offices. While I am not concerned about the education and intellectual prowess of all cabinet members, those who serve in Education and Energy (just to name a few) need to be well educated and capable of learning even more - in order to serve this country well. Is this not even slightly disturbing to most Americans? Obama’s current Secretary of Education, John King Jr., has a B.A. from Harvard, a master’s degree and doctorate from Columbia, and a law degree from Yale on top of it all. He is one of t...

So many times we get frustrated by the tales of the so-called press as they offer up their propaganda, especially during times of political unrest such as what we experienced in 2016. The current sentiment of most journalists is that it's all about telling the best story, even when it's fiction simply disguised as truth. The goal is to gain the most public attention for yourself, or the network / organization you represent. Here's hoping that with the current (and upcoming) struggles some of the press are encountering with Trump's presidency, that the press will swing the pendulum the other way and bring back honor, respect, and truth to the forefront of professional journalism. There is always hope. We must maintain a free press, even though we often need to research further in order to get to the truth. A free press can, of course, be good or bad, but, most certainly without freedom,  the press will never be anything but bad.  ~ Albert Camus

Dusting off some old goals and dreams To get a new perspective for 2017. It's a chore.