The East Wing

I'm a writer. A journalist. This makes me the natural enemy of the Trump administration (or at least, it did in his first term when they at least tried to look like they were covering the truth.) For years, the stupid son of a bitch has been declaring the press to be "the enemy of the people" and acting as if he alone decides what the public gets to hear. That's not how America works, but "how America works" isn't exactly Trump's strong suit.

Mostly, I write about local history. I have spent almost a third of my life in this field, writing about the history of Clinton County and the communities, people, and buildings here. I've been aware that I'm not really Trump's biggest target; nobody in high government is going to threaten me over my hard-hitting piece about the 1936 flood. But instinctively, I side with the journalists.

But now....Now Trump's tearing down half the White House. A historic building. In America, maybe the most historic building.

Now he's on my territory.

I've dealt with a lot of historic buildings. And I do it at mostly the local and state level. When a property is listed on the National Register, which some of our local buildings are, there are rules to follow. Mostly nothing too strenuous, but the owner does need to follow some guidelines before they can alter the building significantly.

The White House, which is federal property, is on a whole different level.

I could mention the rules Trump should be following, and the policies in place to prevent him from tearing down part of the White House. But there are plenty of people talking about that, and I think it's clear the everyone that Trump does whatever the fuck he wants. It's why most of us despise the bastard, and why his supporters adore him,

Instead, I have to say how horrified I am, and how unspeakably awful this is. You know the difference between Trump's behavior and the White House basement? The White House basement has a bottom.

It's disgusting. Trump is treating the White House like one of his shlocky goddamn hotel properties. First, he covered everything in gold, which was tacky and undignified, but that's Trump. He covers his own face in gold; what do you expect? Then he destroyed the Rose Garden. But now....This....

I can barely find the words.

The thing about the White House is that it's essentially the world's most important company home. The only way you get to live there is if you're working for a very specific job (or someone in your immediate family is.) And when the job is done---Four, maybe eight years---you leave. It's not your home. It belongs to the people who gave you the job. So, though you may apply your own style, you sure as hell don't destroy a third of it without permission.

Hell, you don't do that kind of alteration in a cheap-ass rental. And do you know why? Because it is not your goddamned property.

The people I deal with sometimes, who have to follow the guidelines on their buildings, actually own the building. And they still have to follow the rules, because of the history involved in the property. Trump doesn't own the White House----No president does. It's on loan from the American people.

And the bastard thinks he can just destroy it.

I keep seeing a lot of statements saying that we shouldn't normalize what he does. Which is true, we shouldn't. But I'm not sure that's actually possible, because every time I think it can't get worse, somehow he manages. I've been shocked and frightened at a lot of the things he's done for the past decade or so. But this one hits me the hardest.

All of the history in the place....All of the moments experienced by our presidents, their families, and their staff....

Gone.

Destroyed to satisfy one man's childish desire for power.

I've been very critical of our local college for carelessly destroying historic properties. And this is the same thing, but on a far bigger scale.

He doesn't own the country. He doesn't own the people. And he doesn't own the White House.

And he won't own the jail cell that I hope every day he rots in.

Flash Facts

 Ever since I was a kid, I have been a big fan of the Flash. He's basically been my favorite superhero since I was three or so. I loved the Flash TV series that the CW did a few years back, but no so much the casting in the Justice League movie. Ezra Miller plays the Flash too twitchy and weird to really resemble the Barry Allen I grew up with. And when they announced that the Flash was getting his own movie, I was dubious.

I was right about that. It came out a few years ago, and I just re-watched it. So it's ironic that I'm very slow to write a review about the Fastest Man Alive.

In the movie, the Flash goes back in time to save his mother from a murder that happened when he was a child. This works out about as well as any time-travel movie, and he winds up stuck in the past with his younger self, during the events of a previous Superman movie, Man of Steel. If you're already confused, buckle up, because we've barely begun.

The Flash loses his powers and his past self gains them, and for help, they go to Batman. Except it's not the Batman from the previous Justice League movie, played by Ben Affleck. It's Michael Keaton, reprising his role as Batman after thirty years. Which is a nice little bit of nostalgia, but this is the wrong movie for it.

The two Flashes and Batman rescue Supergirl, because Superman doesn't exist in this new timeline. And all together, they fight the bad guys from the Superman movie.

You'll notice a lot of other superheroes. You'll notice a lot of action. What you won't notice is much about the Flash here.

Essentially, the Flash did not get his own movie.

The movie didn't have any Flash villains, and not much of his supporting cast. We see his girlfriend Iris West a bit, but that's basically it. He was fighting Superman's bad guys alongside Batman---Who, because of Michael Keaton, was pretty much the highlight of the movie. Audiences were more thrilled to see Keaton in the Bat-costume again than to watch the Flash. The Flash wasn't really the star of the Flash movie, Batman was.

Hell, the Flash didn't even get his own plot. Because of the time-travel thing, he wound up in the middle of Superman's movie, not starring in his own.

So what we had was essentially the Superman movie, starring Batman, with cameos by Wonder Woman and Supergirl. And the Flash as a minor player.

I'm hoping that, eventually, DC will try again with a different plot and different cast. The Flash deserved better than this. And if they can't make a new Flash movie, then maybe they can travel back in time and make sure this one never existed.

Slow Learners

Not a day goes by that I don't see some damn news story that involves a former Trumper finally coming to their senses. If you read any sort of news, blog, magazine, or certain gum wrappers, you've probably seen it, too. "I Voted For Donald Trump. Here's Why I Wouldn't Again." "I Voted For Trump Three Times. Then He Deported My Husband." "I Left The Republican Party Because Trump Clubbed My Dog."

More and more, there seem to be people turning away from Trump. Realizing that he has conned half the country, and they fell for it and begged for more. People who understand now the damage he's doing to our country.

Truth is, I am way more pissed off at these people than I am the ones who have stayed loyal to him.

Oh, sure, I see a lot of other articles saying that we should welcome these people. Now is not the time to say "I told you so." If we're going to defeat President Bleachdrinker, we'll need everyone to come together to do it. The more people against him, the better.

This is all true, I admit. But I will never be that kind of saint.

I wish, I wish I were a wonderful enough person to extend a hand and welcome these people back into the fold. I would like to feel like Mother Theresa in that regard. But the truth is that I'm so mad at them I could chew through concrete.

I want to grab these people, shake them, and scream,"Where the hell have you been for TEN GODDAMN YEARS?"

The ones who are still loyal Trump suck-ups, I can't forgive them, either, but I can manage to hate them about five percent less. At least they're owning it. They're standing by their vote, too stubborn or stupid to know any better.

The ones who have changed their minds? That tells me that they're capable of changing their minds. They could have learned in time to prevent this. They just didn't.

A few years back, I had a conversation with a co-worker who was not quite a Trumper. She hadn't voted, in fact, wasn't really on either side, and didn't see anything wrong with Trump offhand. When I pointed out that he'd literally tried to violently overthrow the government, she said,"Oh, who could have seen that coming?"

"I could have," I said. "I did. Back in 2015, when he was campaigning, he was very open about that."

I remember the moment. He was asked if he would respect the results of the election. Offhand, casually, he said,"I'll respect the results if I win."

And that scared the hell out of me, right then. I felt a chill come over me, because with that one sentence, I instantly understood what he was capable of.

That's the thing---That's why I'm so furious with the recently converted types. It's not as if Trump really tried to hide any of this. He never really made any serious attempts at concealing his approach to governing. All along, every step of the way, he was completely open about his intentions. The people who didn't see it chose not to see it. They could have; they just ignored it until it reached crisis levels.

These people would start a GoFundMe when their house burned down, when in fact an arsonist walked in and said,"Gonna torch your house now, is that okay? Yes? No, you just stay right there, I'll take care of this. Got any kerosene?"

My sympathy, at the moment, is reserved for the people who were smart enough, decent enough, to see this coming and try to prevent it. My kindness doesn't extend to the people who were warned repeatedly and didn't bother to help until it was too late.

I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said,"Have the day you voted for," and that's about where I stand on this.

We've been warned about this for ten years. We've warned each other, the media warned us, and hell, Trump himself warned us, every goddamn time he opened his rancid mouth. He showed us what he was with every word, every action, his entire first term.

If you didn't listen until now, that's on you.

And I also have to point out that it's not as if the recently converted people have suddenly learned compassion. They really haven't---They didn't care about any of this until it happened to them. All along, as it happened to others, they couldn't be bothered.

And that's why we're in this mess, when we should have been able to prevent it.

Three Terms, Infinite Stupidity

To nobody's surprise, President Dumbass has announced that he wants a third term. It's not really the first time he's floated this idea, or something like it: Early on in his first term, he was already making comments about being president for twenty years. Never mind that he's not legally allowed; Trump understands the Constitution about as well as he understands everything else. Trying to explain what's constitutional to Trump is a lot like trying to explain algebra to a raccoon.

He doesn't really want a third presidential term, of course. He and his supporters don't understand that, but that's not what he wants. He's not being a president as it is. What he really wants is to be king for life. Trump claims that he won the 2020 election, which, if true, would disqualify him from even serving this term. You can only serve two terms as president. Eight years. Legally, that's it.

Trump, who insists on topping himself every time an opportunity to act like a stupid asshole comes up, claims that there are "methods" by which he could have a third term. This isn't true, short of changing the Constitution, but Trump doesn't get that. He's under the impression that no matter what stupid shit he says, it magically becomes true, because he also doesn't really understand how reality works.

So, here are a few methods Trump might use to remain in office:

-Tell everyone that he's still president and hope they believe him.

-Grease himself up so nobody can get a grip to drag him out.

-Forget to have his mail forwarded, so he has to keep coming around all the time.

-Have a T-shirt made that says "THREE-TERM PRESIDENT" and wear it all the time.

-Wear a fake mustache and run for office as "Ronald Frump."

You laugh, but these make at least as much sense as anything he might come up with.

In all seriousness, no, there are not "methods" by which Trump may legally stay in office. Not that he cares about legality; he already tried to remain in office by siccing violent supporters on the Capitol once. But, no---The 22nd Amendment puts a firm two-term limit on the presidency.

So, no, Trump can't run for a third term and hope he wins. No, Vance can't run, win, and then give him the office---Among all the other things Trump doesn't understand is that the voters choose. The office of the president isn't something that anyone gets to hand out like a party favor. 

No, Trump can't run for vice-president, either, in the hopes that something might, you know, "happen" to J.D. Vance. In order to serve as vice-president, you have to be able to become president if necessary, and Trump can't. He's had his two terms; that's it.

Back when Biden was running, I saw some people suggest that he choose Obama as his running mate, proving that some Democrats didn't pay a whole lot of attention in social studies class, either. Once you get your two terms, you're done, that's it. Only someone who can potentially become president qualifies to run for vice-president. I stand more of a chance of becoming vice-president than either Trump or Obama.

Not that Trump, of course, understands any of this, or wants to be bothered with it. In the pile of rotting hamberders that passes for Trump's brain, he wants to be king, so that's what's going to happen. Factors like "legal," "constitutional," or "realistic" simply don't register with him.

And in the worst possible nightmare scenario, it could happen. Trump has made history before, and not in a good way. He's the first president to have been impeached more than once. He's the first president to be a convicted felon. And he's recently had the Declaration of Independence moved into the Oval Office, so I suspect he'll be the first president ever to get ketchup on it. I'd suggest he move the Constitution into his office on the off-chance he'll actually read it, but it's more likely he'll get ketchup all over that, too.

To My Former Friend

To my former friend....

We were friends as kids. A long time ago, we spent time together. We had fun, we bonded, and we swore that no matter what, we'd always be friends.

Now, you're sending me messages asking me why I've unfriended you on Facebook. You're asking me why I want nothing more to do with you, and why our friendship meant so little that I was able to cut you off because we disagree about politics.

Honestly, back when we were kids, I never saw this coming.

Of course, the problem is your support of Donald Trump. Your worship of Donald Trump. You voted for Trump in 2016, and again in 2020. You've made excuses for every stupid, cruel thing he's done. You deny that he bears any responsibility for January 6th. You have posted on social media calling him a "great man" and saying "unfriend me if you don't agree."

Careful what you wish for. I've done exactly as you said.

You were shocked when you understood that we are no longer friends. You thought we could always disagree, and even argue, and our friendship would still last. Once upon a time, I'd have agreed with you. But not about this.

"But we can disagree about politics and still be friends!" you cried. "Don't let a little political difference of opinion destroy a good friendship!"

You don't get it.. This is not about politics. We're not in a disagreement about whether to put a stop sign on Linden Street. Trump has attacked and denied rights to women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and plenty of others. He has advocated violence if he doesn't get what he wants. He tried to overthrow the government in America's biggest temper tantrum. That's not just a silly little difference of opinion. That's fascism and unthinkable cruelty. We can't disagree on that and remain friends. You think it's okay to hurt people, and I don't.

I could easily disagree with you on chocolate or vanilla, regular or decaf, Star Wars or Star Trek. We could chat about that all day and still remain friends. But human rights? The end of our society? No. We can't disagree on that and still remain friends.

"But I can't believe we can't just talk this out!" you say.

I've noticed something. I notice that the only people who want to compromise are the Trumpers. You say you want to remain friends, but there's no middle ground to this discussion. Again, you still don't get it---By supporting Trump, you are okay with rape, criminal activity, treason, bigotry, and the destruction of our country. I stand against all of those things. And I can't respect or like anyone who is okay with all of that.

It's not about abstract politics. My son is black, my daughters are gay, my wife is female, and I am a journalist. My father had COVID. There is not a single member of my family that Trump has not attacked or hurt in some way. I'm not speaking figuratively here---After Trump called racists "fine people," Nazi flyers were posted on my street, where my black son plays. He has taken rights from women. At a Pride festival, people are worried that there will be violence. He has called for violence, including death, for journalists.

You don't---won't---understand that. Trump and his followers have made things more dangerous for my family, and you want to still be friends?

That's not going to happen. What you really want is blanket forgiveness. You want to support and admire his horrible behavior, and not suffer any consequences for it. You want me to tell you it's okay that you're hurting my family, but it's not, and I'm not going to pretend it is.

Trump may or may not ever face consequences for his choices. That's out of my control. But you are going to face at least one consequence---The loss of my friendship and respect.

You support a disgusting, reprehensible man. You're okay with hurting people and denying them their rights. And I can never agree with that, or respect it. And that's why you and I are no longer friends, and probably never will be again.

A Roe By Any Other Name

It's the hypocrisy that pisses me off the most.

There's plenty to be angry about, with the reversal of Roe v. Wade, and I'm not even going to pretend I'm the angriest person I've seen today alone. But I'm plenty mad, along with millions of other people. The Supreme Court---Six incompetent, unqualified members specifically---Reversed the decision after fifty years, which will hurt plenty of people, and they've straight-up announced their intent to hurt more.

Oh, not people like them, of course. The conservative Jesus-thumpers aren't their targets. No, it's everyone else they're after---Everyone who doesn't conform to their narrow-minded beliefs.

That isn't how they're framing it, of course. They're not explaining this in terms of forcing everyone to follow their religion. No, they've given up pretending to be the good guys, but they still have a vague pretense about caring----They claim to be protecting babies and children.

And that's where my blood pressure spikes.

We have survived over twenty years of school shootings in this society, and the most honest response we've gotten is a shrug. If these same people truly cared, they'd jump on the school shootings the way they jumped on abortion, instead of muttering "Thoughts and prayers," dusting off their hands, and moving right along.

Pro-life, my ass. These people love their guns. They want guns available in vending machines. Killing is fine with them, as long as you do it on their terms---In other words, illegally with a rifle, not legally with a medical procedure.

The people cheering this decision aren't pro-life, either---Most of them have spent the past two years trying to get people, including babies, killed by not wearing a mask. If you ask them why, they'll say some nonsensical bullshit about freedoms. Except they don't really believe in freedoms, either---They're delighted that the freedom to choose has been taken away.

No, they're not pro-life, and they don't believe in freedom. The one and only freedom they really want is the freedom for them, specifically, to choose the beliefs of everyone else.

Let me sum this up for you. They believe in saving babies, but not from guns. They believe in the Constitution, but only beginning with the Second Amendment. They believe in freedom of religion, but only as long as you choose the one they approve of. Hell, they only even believe in freedom of speech inasmuch as it applies to them; they're not too concerned about letting anyone else have an opinion.

In fact, the one and only thing these assholes really, truly care about is forcing everyone in the country to follow their religion.

Does that make any sense to you?

Me neither. And that's why I'm so angry.

Take Back America

“I am concerned that the country is now being led by a man who is so obviously full of hate and insecurity. I am concerned that Trump seems to think he is a monarch, not a president. And I am very, very concerned at the ignorance and hatred that he seems to be stirring up.”
I wrote those words back in 2017, as Donald Trump took office. I wrote a note then, to express my feelings, to try and convey some of the fear I was feeling at the time. I was having trouble coming to terms with it then---A man had flat-out lied during his campaign, committed crimes and conflicts of interest, mocked a handicapped man, confessed to sexual assault, advocated violence against opponents, and still won, somehow. Still won the presidency. To this day, I cannot really comprehend how that happened.
With, what, about a month to the election, I’m writing again. I don’t really expect this to change anyone’s mind, not on Facebook, especially not after I’ve unfriended pretty much every Trump supporter I could click on. I started doing that a while ago, and then after the son of a bitch rigged his own impeachment hearings and evaded justice, I’d had it. Post so much as one “Keep America Great” and you’re off my friends list.
A lot of my former friends have complained to me about that. I’m sure you’re heard it---Some variation on “What, you’re unfriending me over a silly little difference of opinion?”
Oh, no. Not at all. We’re far past that now, and have been for quite a while. I’m unfriending people, but not over a minor difference of opinion. I still have friends who for some reason like decaf. I still have friends who haven’t seen Star Wars. I think both things are bizarre, but these people are still my friends.
But I won’t be friends with Nazis. I won’t be friends with people who admire a rapist. I won’t be friends with people who support a criminal. This isn’t a matter of opinion. This is about right and wrong. This is about my morality. I can’t, in good conscience, maintain any respect for someone who will tolerate this hateful, criminal, horrible behavior. Halloween is coming up, and I have to look in the mirror when it’s time to wash my makeup off.
That’s what the Trump supporters don’t---or won’t---understand. It’s not about a difference of opinion. It’s about them, cheering on a dangerous maniac as he hurts me, my family, my loved ones, people I care about.
Trump has shown no respect for anything. With every action, he demonstrates that he only cares about himself. His hardcore supporters do a marvelous job of gaslighting everyone else, or trying to---With every horrible thing Trump does, they’re right there, saying some foolish goddamn thing in an attempt to minimize the legitimate fears of decent people.
“Trump could find a cure for cancer, and you’d still criticize him!” Well, yes. Because he’s still a rapist, a criminal, a cruel bully who shows no respect for the Constitution. If somehow he manages to accomplish one good thing, it doesn’t change any of that. Also, a cure for cancer would pretty much consist of Trump advocating not testing for it, which is a thing he has repeatedly said about COVID. Among all his other horrible qualities, Trump has roughly the IQ of a crumpled Post-It note.
“Trump didn’t cause COVID!” You hear that one a lot. In an effort to completely miss the point, the Trumpers have used that as a rallying cry. Of course he didn’t cause it. I don’t know one rational person who has claimed he did. What he did do was to ignore the problem until it got too far out of control to handle. Why would he do such a breathtakingly stupid thing? For his own benefit, of course. To make himself look good. His efforts at bullshit self-promotion have cost thousands of lives, and HE IS STILL DOING IT.
It’s hard to pick one single thing about Trump that I like the least---There’s so much to choose from. But that might be it, right there---His view that reality somehow bends to his will. If he wants something to happen, he claims that it’s happened. If he wants to look good, he claims he’s done good things. Never mind the truth, never mind what’s actually occurring. Without any attempt at growth, introspection, or competence, Trump lies, knowing that a certain segment of the population will blindly believe him.
I’ve seen a lot of Trump supporters flying his banners alongside the American flag, which is disturbing as hell. Trump, with his constant campaigning and disregard for policy or tradition, has blurred the lines of what’s appropriate, and now the Trump fans seem to think the flag represents their half-wit bully. I suspect you’re not seeing the same amount of flags flown by Democrats because they’re not too proud of how things are going in America right now. And it’s terrible, it’s a shame, that the American flag is coming to be a symbol of hate.
The Trumpers would have you believe that this is business as usual, just a president who is unpopular with half the country, like most of them are. That’s not true. I couldn’t stand Bush, and hated a lot of his decisions, which now seems quaint. But I knew that all I had to do was make it through four years, maybe eight, and we’d get someone else. I have no such assurances with Trump. He’s been making comments about exceeding the Constitutional term limits since he took office, and he’s not even trying to hide it anymore. He isn’t even trying to pretend it’s a joke. In a rare burst of truth, he’s stated that he wants to serve twelve years, twenty years, more. He openly wants to take over, become the first American dictator.
Actually, “serve” isn’t really the right word, is it? It suggests a president doing things for the American people. Donald Trump serves no one but himself.
And that is why I’m no longer friends with a lot of people I thought I respected. Because they refuse to see the damage this man is doing. At best, I’m disappointed in anyone who admires Donald Trump. At worst, I now see them for what they really are. You can’t admire a criminal racist and still keep your distance---If you still, after all this, are voting for Donald Trump, then own it. You’re working to keep a dictator in office, to put a rapist, a criminal, a hateful white supremacist in charge.
Last time around, when I wrote about Trump, I ended with the hope that next time around, we’d do better. That enough good people would stand up and vote him out, and this horrible chapter in our history could begin to close.
Now’s our chance.
Let’s do this.