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.
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