Author: tonihall805@outlook.com

My husband injured his hip and needed medical help this week. With fear of COVID-19, he didn’t want to go to the doctor’s office and thankfully his doctor isn’t seeing patients in the office anyway. He learned from the receptionist that the appointment would be by teleconference to which my husband expressed anxiety. Being chronically “old school” in just about everything, he’s never used Skype or Zoom or any kind of social media platform. The receptionist asked if there was anyone in his home who could assist him with the set up when the time came? I spoke up and told him to respond by saying, “yes”. The appointment went off without a hitch. We have the internet, wifi, a blood pressure machine, a scale, and a thermometer. He reported his own vitals and symptoms to the doctor and after responding to a lot of questions, he secured both a diagnosis and a prescription. This whole incident got me thinking about what could lie ahead once we are on the other side of this pandemic.

We now understand that having access to a smart phone and laptop, high speed internet, and wifi are essential infrastructure items in the world today. This infrastructure allows students to continue with school, it allows many people to continue working, it allows online banking, it allows families and friends to connect anywhere in the world, and it allows patients to reach doctors remotely. Moving forward, we can use this infrastructure to save time and more importantly we can reduce our driving and gas emissions. I already do my banking online and most of my shopping with the exception of most groceries is also done online. But that, too, can easily change. With this rapid change in our physical distancing, it’s clear that our most pressing infrastructure needs have also changed.

In this world where disaster looms around every corner, Congress should invest in technological infrastructure that reaches across every corner of the country to increase both access and our overall bandwidth moving forward. We need these virtual roads and bridges as much as the physical roads and bridges that we collectively pay for with local and federal tax dollars. Every low income student and senior should be provided with a laptop and smartphone as an essential items. Access to the internet should be publicly paid for just as libraries and schools are. There are savings and efficiencies to be realized without reducing effectiveness if we maintain some of the services online that this pandemic has necessitated. Medicare would do well to provide low income seniors with thermometers, scales and blood pressure machines to help make this possible.

I envision a new normal once we get past this pandemic where conference rooms (not offices), restaurants, theaters, churches, parks, sports arenas, gyms, and concerts are social gathering places. Learning, office work, most doctor’s visits, banking and shopping can all be done at home and perhaps for fewer hours in the day, freeing up time for socializing and truly enjoying life. This pandemic has opened my eyes to this new possibility. And I like it. It would take some getting used to, but the savings on child care, on gas emissions, and on stressful commutes to work might be worth it.

During this pandemic I have been grateful that we have a home gym, computers, smartphones, an internet connection, password protected wifi, a pantry full of food, water, and toilet paper. What we don’t have is a personal generator to keep it all going in case of a blackout or other natural disaster. That’s on my new shopping list for this new unpredictable world we’re living in. Of course, my capable husband will research and purchase the most appropriate one for us on Amazon and it will be delivered right to our front door within two days.

I was searching for a quote that captures my thoughts and emotions about the crisis unfolding before us with this pandemic. Every morning I wake up to hear that the numbers of those infected by COVID-19 and those who have died has risen. That announcement is followed by the pleas of governors and healthcare workers for needed resources. We even sent our physician daughter in law six of our N-95 face masks to use at the hospital. I feel two emotions simultaneously: sadness and anger. The latter is born out of frustration and disappointment at the stupidity, lack of leadership, and lack of planning coming from the Trump administration. And then I face another day of working from home.

I chose a quote by an American writer who was completely unknown to me: Robert Tew. He said, “The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need tomorrow.” That quote really hit the mark for me. And I hope it is true.

There is no doubt that we are in a struggle and our weaknesses and vulnerabilities are being exposed every minute, both personally and collectively. We can clearly see where we have failed and where the cracks are in our healthcare system and financial policies. These have exposed us to a public health disaster and financial ruin.

I’ll make my reflection short. There will be other crises moving forward because that is the world we live in. My hope is that this present struggle will make us shore up our healthcare system to be more about people than profit. I hope corporate leaders and government leaders will recognize that the present financial system that suppresses wages to the point that workers had no savings for these rainy days will rethink policies and practices to reduce these absurd levels of income inequality. And I hope that American voters will see the error of having a president like Donald Trump in the White House as his leadership has only worsened this disaster and choose to dump him this year.

This November, we will have the opportunity to make the country stronger by electing Joe Biden and senators who actually want to strengthen our healthcare system and reduce income inequality. We’ll be in a better position for the next crisis if we get this right in November.

At work this past Monday we were all in the building together maintaining social distancing which included our daily meeting via Zoom from our respective offices. By Thursday we were taking shifts in the building. By Friday the entire building was shut down and we were ordered to work from home. Thankfully, I was allowed to gather items I need to work from home and now once a week I will be allowed into the building for a couple of hours alone to handle critical tasks. Beyond the need for flexibility, this pandemic is teaching us important lessons. First among them is that leadership is important. Accurate information is paramount. Hope is not a plan. Technology is essential. Rainy day funds are necessary. And how we behave affects others. It is also highlighting our major failings.

I have a daughter-in-law who is an MD working at a major hospital. By virtue of her work, my son has been working from home for a while because her hospital made it clear that she will likely become infected and so will her household. They are young and healthy and so they take it in stride. But what does this say about our lack of preparedness? Hospitals, urgent care facilities, and doctor’s offices don’t have adequate supplies to care for themselves while caring for their patients. There aren’t enough masks, hospital beds, or ventilators. Our government saw this coming and did nothing. Hope is not a plan. Denial and closing borders is not preparation. It’s disheartening to hear doctors and nurses pleading with the public for the supplies they need to treat those of us who become ill without exposing themselves and their own families. We have to step up now and produce what is needed. The continued failure of leadership at the highest level is striking and dangerous.

Our other failing in this “information age” is not doing a good enough job convincing people that their behavior affects others. I get that Americans are rugged individuals who pursue their own best interest first. We aren’t a collective society that looks first at what is in the best interest of the whole. When faced with a situation such as this, our pursuit of individual fun, protection, and profit harms the most vulnerable among us. For a nation full of religious people, we ignore many of religious moral commands. We are in fact our brothers’ keeper and the way this virus spreads drives this point home. The college students enjoying spring break on Florida beaches, the hoarding and fighting in the grocery stores, the scammers looking to make a buck online using the virus are all evident of the failure of individualism. We need to strengthen our teaching around the greater good.

And finally, this pandemic has shown just how financially vulnerable most of us are. The poorest can’t take advantage of the technology that is making some life functions doable–like working, shopping, socializing, and learning from home. In addition, most Americans don’t have a rainy day fund to get through an economic emergency like this when income is cut off. I’ve listened to every financial advisor for years talk about setting aside at least 6-8 months worth of expenses. I realize that while we were in the position to do this, many people are living pay check to pay check because wages and income have not risen except at the very top. So, as jobs and paychecks disappear, in order to prevent a full-on economic collapse our government will need to give people money. I understand this. But all of us who are able should do extra too by donating to food banks, by giving or lending funds to friends and family members who are out of work. I think about my nail and hair salons that were ordered to close. We can’t visit our favorite restaurants because they, too, are closed. Theaters are closed. All those workers are now without income. Were they able to save 6-8 months worth of expenses to weather this emergency? It is doubtful. So, they won’t be able to pay their rent, utilities, buy food or other necessities without help. I’m going to give where I can. Perhaps this will be a wake-up call to Americans to save more and spend less in the future. Even more importantly, perhaps employers will start paying their workers better so that they can continue to spend and save, too.

There are a few bright spots in all this. Some employers like Mark Cuban are still paying workers who work during NBA games. Some singers like John Legend are posting living room concerts on YouTube to cheer people up. Some governors are taking leadership in ways our president has failed to step up. Most cell phone providers have eliminated extra charges for exceeding data limits. And technology is proving to be a life saver for work production and for teaching and learning in most places. And the brightest spot are by far our health care providers who are putting themselves on the line for the greater good.

This virus has exposed areas where we need to improve. But it has also exposed the generosity of some and the insensitivity of others. We’re all in this together and we rely on each other. So, I hope that is the biggest lesson we take from this pandemic.

This was a week of rapid changes nationally, personally, and professionally. A trip to several stores to purchase disinfectant wipes or sprays was completely fruitless. I hadn’t thought about additional paper towels or toilet paper until my daughter told me she couldn’t find any. My husband called me at work to say that there was a line inside COSTCO to purchase them and that by the time he got back there, they were sold out. And now public gatherings are being cancelled left and right. Many schools, including my own, have gone to online instruction. In addition, my University cancelled all conference travel, including a conference I was scheduled to attend this week. I wasn’t planning to attend anyway to limit my exposure. A cousin called to ask me about the family reunion I’ve been planning for this summer. My response was to extend the registration deadline because I don’t have a crystal ball.

And that’s kind of the problem. We simply don’t know where the end is. The only thing we do know is that the virus spreads easily among people and that it can be deadly for the elderly and people with underlying health conditions. My husband and I fit both categories and so we are extra careful. Social distancing is essential to slow the progression of the virus. I appreciate that another daughter who usually stays with us when she is working in California decided that she might not do that for a while given that her exposure to others is greater than ours. She isn’t afraid of getting sick, but she fears passing the virus to us. I’m happy to have raised a wise and considerate woman.

But really, this is precisely why schools are suspending operations or going online. It’s why college and professional sports have suspended or postponed events. It’s why theaters have gone dark and conferences have been cancelled. We all want to protect the vulnerable people in our lives. I heard someone jokingly call this disease the “Boomer Doomer”. I made a rather cynical remark to my husband that this is one way to cut the cost of Social Security and Medicare. He grimaced. But it is undeniable that there is a fiscal impact associated with this virus outbreak.

I think about the all the losses to businesses that provide services to sports fans, conference goers, work sites, and tourists. Just this week, I personally cancelled my hotel and travel. None of the restaurants I would have patronized for three meals a day over the course of five days will get my business. My daughter cancelled her flight to New York as all the theaters there went dark and her clients in numerous shows ceased to work. Last night, I picked up Chinese food from the local restaurant we frequent and my husband admonished me for it. We ceased eating out, but he doesn’t even want take-out. Will local businesses survive if we all adopt this behavior? I think of all the businesses that went under during the 2008 financial crisis and I get worried. Many businesses we patronized in our small community never returned.

I don’t have an answer. I just know that priority number one is to physically survive. Second to that is financial survival. I haven’t had the stomach to look at my stock market investments. I will continue to invest because I’m in it for the long run and its possible to view this as stocks being on sale. But it’s not easy. We may well be headed for a recession if the government financial package isn’t smart and adequate enough to assist people whose livelihood is adversely affected by the loss of work.

My immediate plan is to find toilet paper, disinfectant, and canned goods. I’ll only purchase enough for my husband and me. I won’t be a hoarder, recognizing that my fellow human beings are in the same situation and will also need these items should we become house-bound. But what we found in the four stores we visited Saturday was astounding.

First, we arrived at COSTCO 30-minutes before it opened and found the line to enter the store was wrapped around the building and extended far into the parking lot. We left. The grocery stores had many bare shelves with a glaring absence of essentials like milk, bread, and canned goods. We were shocked. I found and bought two cans of disinfectant at Home Depot and purchased two of the three disinfectant wipes that had just been restocked in Target by paying for one of them in a separate line from my husband. We were unsuccessful in purchasing toilet paper anywhere and opted for napkins and facial tissue instead. Thankfully, we already have about 20 rolls in stock.

However, without a crystal ball, I’m not entirely confident that this is enough. I’m just hopeful that we can curtail the spread of this virus and eventually get back to life as we’ve come to appreciate it.

I delayed mailing in my absentee ballot and ended up voting for Joe Biden in the primary. He wasn’t my first choice but he was the only viable choice left to me as a moderate democrat. I’m disappointed in myself and the American people because we don’t seem capable anymore of electing the smartest, most articulate, and temperate person as our leader. In my opinion, towards the end of this particular primary cycle the most capable candidates were Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, and Pete Buttigieg. But they pulled out, leaving behind two old white men as the only viable Democratic choices. Yes, Tulsi Gabbard is still in it, but her chances of winning the nomination are slim to none.

How is it that the same American electorate that put Obama in the White House for eight years gave us these dismal choices? Obama represented us around the world with dignity and was well respected. He was intellectually brilliant, thoughtful and articulate, put forth policies that uplifted millions, saved our economy from a depression, kept us safe from another 911 terrorist attack, was scandal free, was empathetic and caring, and was a role model for our children. His wife was beautiful and brilliant and put forth a platform that actually made sense. And then we elected an old white man with none of these admirable characteristics and a wife whose platform is incoherent if not downright hypocritical.

This November, we’ll be choosing among three old white men, each much older and each less capable than Obama. The incumbent is a lying criminal narcissist whose ignorance is on display every day. He has singlehandedly discredited the office of the presidency in the eyes of the world and has become a laughingstock among world leaders. No reasonable parent would point to Trump as a role model. But most importantly, he is a threat to our security, the planet, and our health and general welfare. And our choices now left to replace him are better, but certainly not the best we were offered.

There is Bernie Sanders who is calling for a revolution that will likely result in a government stalemate, getting absolutely nothing accomplished. He isn’t able to compromise and his years in the Senate have shown this. His ideas of socialism go farther than the countries he says he wants to emulate. And he can’t show exactly how he will pay for all these freebies he is offering. While I do believe that healthcare should be a right and I’m for a Medicare for all type of system, I’m not on board with everything he’s promoting. I believe there is dignity in working and investing to earn a living and too much free stuff is a disincentive and causes major shortages of everything. I believe his policies would ultimately bankrupt the country. Besides that, his personality is that of a grumpy old man and his supporters have taken on his nasty personality on social media. At least he is honest, but I don’t believe he is electable in November.

The third old white man is on the ballot is Joe Biden. He is a kind and temperate, empathetic and moderate democrat. His policies are good and less dangerous than both Trump and Sanders. However, he opens his mouth and who knows what will come out. He is likeable, experienced, and just smart enough. He is certainly smarter than Trump and more likeable as a human being than both of his competitors. He might embarrass us on occasion with a gaff here and there, but he won’t be a laughingstock around the world. His belief in science, the reliance on experts rather than his own “hunches” and knowledge of history and the world would make him an acceptable president. I hope that he chooses either Klobuchar, Harris, or Warren as his running mate. These are smart, capable, and temperate women who would be able to step in as president on day one if necessary.

And who knows, if Biden chooses Klobuchar, Harris, or Warren as his running mate, the next president of the United States in 2024 or sooner might just be a brilliant and capable woman that we can all be proud to call “Madam President”.

My great-grandmother Mary Wilson Carson died in the 1918 Influenza pandemic at age 32 leaving behind her husband and nine young children, including her namesake and my grandmother, 5 year old Mary, also known as “Doll” by family members. Every day we hear the number of Coronavirus infections and deaths, but I am keenly aware that behind each statistic is a family that is in mourning and forever changed. I am worried.

I’ve come to terms with the fact that I am among the most vulnerable populations to succumb to the Coronavirus, being over age 60 and having asthma. It doesn’t help that I constantly work with people who travel around the world. The thought of distancing myself from other humans is depressing, but I can see that as the virus spreads, this will become my norm for the foreseeable future. No more hugs and handshakes. Washing down my desk and doorknobs between appointments and washing my hands frequently. I learned the other day that hand sanitizers break down the PH in the skin and make it more permeable. So, plain old soap and water for 20 seconds is best and hand sanitizers are a backup plan. Breaking the habit of touching my face will take effort.

In my line of work, we have been monitoring the spread of the virus continually. I have students stuck in some of the most affected cities in China. In our office, trips to Asia have been cancelled. Even a K-pop concert scheduled in Los Angeles was cancelled. The economic impact this virus will have on the world is already enormous and we are not immune.

It starts with cancellations of travel plans and spreads to not going out to dinner as my husband announced this past week. It will affect schools, movie theaters, malls, churches, concerts, conferences and numerous public events will be rescheduled if not cancelled altogether. People work at these places and depend on patrons for their livelihood. It is no wonder the stock market is tanking. We could likely be headed for a recession as people are no longer able to afford to buy things and to pay their bills.

In times like these we need to be smart and to rely on the knowledge of the experts. I was disheartened this week when Trump put Pence in charge of the messaging around the Coronavirus and said that the heath experts in the administration must run things through Pence before making public announcements. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? This is scary stuff. Never mind the messaging that the Coronavirus is a hoax drummed up by the Democrats to tank the economy ahead of the election. People will die with this kind of attitude. The first death from the virus in the U.S. was just reported Saturday. Because of the lying narcissist in the White House, I won’t pay attention to our government because they are not a trusted source. And already the shameless profiteers are posting Coronavirus cures on social media. Buyers beware.

I’ll listen instead to the World Health Organization as they are reaching out directly to people instead of governments for this very reason. The politicians we have in place today are more concerned about preserving their power than protecting the lives of their people. The newest pandemic is on its way. The time to educate ourselves and to make smart preparations and to mobilize our resources to save lives, not the stock market, is now. All this will have to take place at the local level given the government we currently have in place.

Social media is here and we’re not quite sure just how to deal with it. The question of what is appropriate to share is being addressed by parents, spouses, friends and employers. Just this week my own workplace released it’s intended social media policy in a draft of the revised employee handbook. The response sparked disagreement among employees as to what amount of influence an employer should be able to exercise over the social media posts of its employees. Not surprisingly, I’ve had conversations with family members and friends about the prudent personal use of social media.

My husband is not on social media at all. He has never signed up for a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other social media account and he doesn’t look at mine. He is simply disinterested and doesn’t see any advantages to any of it. He has imposed restrictions on my use of it as a spouse who could be impacted by what I post. I don’t talk about him and I don’t talk about travel until we have returned. And I don’t post any items of value. He is rightly afraid of making us a target. He is an extremely private person who is baffled by why others openly share so much of their private lives with strangers.

I have a different viewpoint. I believe we can learn from others and offer support, congratulations and well wishes to people who have been in our lives. For the most part, I consider myself a Facebook voyeur, silently keeping up with the marriages, jobs, movements and births of former students, friends and colleagues. What I myself post is less about my family’s life and more about life issues. I care about social justice, health, politics, the environment, public safety, diversity, economic mobility, and creating a better world. I see social media as a mobilization tool. So, I use social media to engage around these issues. I appreciate reading the opinions of my Facebook friends on social topics that interest them. Others have a different take on the role of social media.

I had a conversation with a younger colleague this week who admitted that she got most of her news from social media. As a person who is fully aware that there are targeted misinformation campaigns on social media, I cautioned her against using Facebook as a reliable news source. It is not a reliable news source with capital N.O.T. The scary part was that she felt certain that she could distinguish between what was legitimate information and what wasn’t. The reality is that even a professor widely shared a false report to her embarrassment because she was fooled into thinking a news article was factual and it wasn’t.

With technology becoming ever more sophisticated it is increasingly difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction. When bad actors can make it appear that an individual is somewhere he is not or that a candidate is saying something she is not saying, the age of misinformation has reached a new high and social media is where this misinformation is finding its home. So, let the reader or consumer beware. I’ve decided that I will not read news nor share articles on social media, period.

Beyond the evils of misinformation, social media has been linked to the rise in depression among young women in particular. It appears that others are living lives that are enviable. Bullies wreck havoc on the psychological well being of others. The number of likes becomes too important. This is a trap that parents are going to have to figure out. I’m grateful that this wasn’t a huge issue when my kids were growing up. I just cautioned that what they put out there is forever a reflection of them and can enhance or damage their reputation. My grown kids use it, but somewhat sparingly. One uses it for business but stays away from controversial topics.

Social media isn’t going away anytime soon. We will all need to figure out what role, if any, it will have in our lives moving forward. I’ve decided that it is good for some things and not for others, especially reliable news.

I opened my mail-in ballot, otherwise known as an absentee ballot, and realized that I wasn’t ready to choose a presidential candidate. Many whose names appear on the ballot have dropped out, the most popular among them were Andrew Yang, Cory Booker, Deval Patrick and Michael Bennet. Thankfully, they have narrowed the field for me, but I’m still in serious deliberation.

First on my mind is electability over the brutal Trump lying and cheating machine as well as the ability to win in battleground states. Second on my mind is where each candidate stands on the issues. And third are personal traits such as health, intelligence and character. There are two candidates whom I am confident can beat Trump. They are Amy Klobuchar and Michel Bloomberg. Although I would enthusiastically support whomever wins the democratic nomination, if it is not one of these two, I would likely have butterflies in my stomach for months because the other front runners have vulnerabilities that frighten me.

First among the scary candidates to me is Bernie Sanders. I think he is too far left and the label democratic “socialist” will scare away too many voters, especially in battleground states. While I agree with him that income inequality has gotten out of hand, I’m not certain that his solutions are the answer. I agree that the wealthy and corporations should pay more in taxes. I agree that access to healthcare is a human right, however I am skeptical of his Medicare for all solution. I don’t agree that college should be free, but I do believe that those who can pay should pay and that government grants should be far more robust for needy students to the point where they do not have to take out student loans. I agree with eliminating student debt. As for his personal traits, he is smart but he also comes off as short-tempered and impatient with people. He had a heart attack and I’m afraid he might not last. I put Warren in the same category as Bernie except I like her temperament a lot more and I don’t worry about her health as much.

If I believed Americans were ready to accept a gay man married to another man, I would readily vote for Pete Buttigieg. While he is an impressive human being, he would be a lightening rod for religious conservatives and would further divide our country over the issue of sexual orientation. I like where he stands on the issues and I greatly admire his intelligence, health, positive energy and character. I enjoy hearing him articulate his ideas. He would make a great vice president and I hope that whomever the nominee is will select him.

And finally, I have given up on Joe Biden for two reasons. The first is that the Republicans successfully tainted his reputation among too many voters because of his son’s business dealings in Ukraine. Although his dealings were not illegal, they look ugly enough to do real damage to him. Innuendos about Hunter’s business deal won’t disappear if Biden is the nominee. And secondly, Biden isn’t performing well enough on the debate stage or in some of the town halls and he isn’t raising enough money. I’m fine with him on the issues and I’m okay with his character, but he isn’t articulating anything particularly well. I like Joe Biden as a person and I was pushing for him early on, but he really looks old and worn out to me. I see him and feel like he has had the stuffing knocked out of him. He looks like the tenacious fighter who just won’t give up. And I just want him to throw in the towel already.

So, I’ve narrowed my choices to Amy Klobuchar and Mike Bloomberg. I do think Mike would beat Trump by a wider margin than Amy though. His adds are impressive and he has the money to fight hard and smart. I heard that he is hiring two experts: one on how to get under the skin of a narcissist and a comic to weaponize that knowledge. I like both Michael and Amy the issues. However, Mike has character baggage with his push for stop and frisk that was a racial profiling nightmare for black and brown men in New York and across the nation. I have to balance that stop and frisk policy with the acknowledgement that the murder rate dropped by 68% during his administration and many of those lives saved were also black and brown. His age is also an issue for me, although he seems healthy, mentally strong, and energetic.

But Amy hits all the boxes for me. I think she can pull off a win against Trump because she is truthful, likeable, and smart. I like her moderate pragmatic policies. And her character, health, energy and presence are refreshing. I wonder if Mike would be willing to throw some of his 68 billion dollars her way if she wins the nomination and lend out those experts? I also believe that a Bloomberg-Klobuchar would be unstoppable and would place Amy in the position of an eventual presidency.

It sounds like I’ve made my choice on paper. But I’m going to wait until the very last minute to fill out my ballot.

This was an incredibly bad week for our nation as the very fabric of who we have actually become was exposed. This week the rule of law, truth, common decency and even our sense of what is fair, good, and right were literally thrown out like garbage. Justice was not served. Even Christian values were openly mocked by a man who is vindictive, volatile, and vulgar. It was difficult to stomach. But at the same time, his approval ratings reached an all time high of 49%. The decision for Americans in 2020 is about what our values will be moving forward. This is our year to decide who we are and what we care about. My revulsion at what I witnessed this week exposed my values as an American.

First, I recognized just how deeply I care about truth and actual facts. I care about accurate facts and truths because they are the foundation upon which consequential decisions should be made. As a rational human being I rely upon what I believe to be factual and truthful information to inform my responses to issues like climate change, my health, and who I vote for. Having a president who perpetually lies and covers up the truth is dangerous to voters and to policy makers. I watched this president lie about wanting to protect pre-existing conditions in his State of the Union speech when at the same time behind the scenes his administration is in court to get rid of it. He said he would forever protect Social Security and Medicare when the week before he said he was considering cuts. He lied about the Obama economy that created more jobs than his economy. He completely ignores a deficit that has reached 23 trillion dollars because of tax cuts and doesn’t mention cuts in food stamps for the poorest among us. But people, believing these lies and never hearing the truth, will vote for him to their own detriment.

The second thing I recognized is how frightened I am for our nation because of a man who is so vindictive and volatile that those around him have to be extraordinarily courageous to expose his corruption. Senator Mitt Romney bravely held onto his convictions by voting to remove Trump from office this past week. He is now being publicly ridiculed not only by Trump, but by the GOP and their media outlets for trying to hold this president accountable for obvious wrongdoing. Colonel Vinmen who testified under oath about what he heard, and even his brother, were fired. And so was the Ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sundland, who also testified as to the corruption he witnessed. The failure of the Senate to conduct a fair trial and to hold Trump accountable for what they know were impeachable offenses is frightening for the rule of law moving forward. They allowed him to take away Congressional oversight of the executive branch of government. That leaves our whole nation vulnerable to the corrupt and self-serving whim of this vulgar man.

And finally, I recognized just how dismayed, deeply disappointed, and even disgusted I am by Americans who continue to support this president in the face of his lies, corruption, brutality, volatility and vulgarity. In 2016, some Americans just wanted to blow things up in Washington and so voted for Trump. Well he did blow things up. Like when he separated children from their parents at the border. Like when he pardoned a war criminal. Like when he abandoned the Iran Nuclear Deal. Like when he awarded Rush Limbaugh, a known and outspoken racist, the Medal of Freedom. Like when he openly mocked Christ’ admonition to love your enemies. Like when he says he has never needed to ask for forgiveness. Like when he threw out regulations to protect our water and air. Like when he hid the scientific evidence about climate change. Like when he started tariff wars? Like when he gave tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations who instead of raising wages, bought back stock and blew up the deficit. Like when he cut food stamps for the poor. Like when he referred to poor nations as “shit hole” countries and added more countries to his banned list this week. Like when he keeps appointing barely qualified federal judges who will make life hell for gays, women, immigrants, and minorities moving forward. Like when he mocks people with disabilities.

Americans of good will must really ask themselves if any of us are better off? Is our nation a better place? Are we kinder to each other or meaner? Does the rule of law matter for government leaders? Has the swamp been drained or are the swamp creatures running wild with impunity? Are there fewer mass shootings or more? Are our climate and environmental issues being addressed or ignored to our peril? Do our children and grandchildren have honorable role models in government? Do more people have access to affordable healthcare or fewer? A few people have a lot more money, but most people in this country have less given inflation because wages are growing far too slowly. A few depraved people feel happy that immigrants, religious minorities, gays, and people of color are being targeted and mistreated. A few angry people just want to stick it to anyone and everyone without thought as to how this man is actually hurting them and the nation. Do we want to continue to wake up to a new disaster every morning because of this president’s volatility? Is the fear of vengeance the way we want our lawmakers make decisions? Is vulgarity the norm we want to embrace as our national character?

The 2020 election will reveal who we truly are as a nation. I’ll be voting for anyone who isn’t a lying, corrupt, and depraved human being. My vote will be against vindictiveness, volatility, and vulgarity. So, that means I will definitely not be voting for Donald J. Trump.

It wasn’t enough that our nation had to mourn the sudden passing of basketball legend Koke Bryant, his 13 year old daughter and seven other parents and children in a tragic helicopter crash last Sunday. We also had to endure the passing of fairness, truth, law and order, and a big piece of what makes our nation great: our Constitution and the safety net of the separation of powers. There must be a price to pay for the cowardly and corrupt Republican senators who worship at the feet of partisan politics rather than protect and defend our Constitution. They betrayed us! They shamefully refused to hold Donald Trump accountable for his corruption, specifically his abuse of power and obstruction of justice. In the past four years these were among a host of other crimes that they let slide. No more! I want my country back. These GOP senators no longer deserve to represent this nation and its citizens. And we don’t have to simply throw up our hands in disgust; we can fight.

I was in conversation with a colleague this week who shared his strategy for fighting in 2020. I had one of those light bulb moments when you realize there is a whole new world of opportunity. He simply said that he was going to financially support democratic candidates running against GOP senators across the country. This was a huge eyeopener for me. That strategy hadn’t even occurred to me. It’s sad, but research clearly shows that in this nation money influences elections. It takes money to run a successful campaign. Our collective donations can make the difference in the outcome of the 2020 campaigns against the cowardly GOP senators who proved themselves unworthy to represent us from states other than our own.

There are 16 GOP senators up for re-election this year. Starting at the top, and the worse offender of all, who admitted that he was in lock step with the White House as Senate Majority Leader to get to a swift acquittal of Trump is Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Other offenders are Lindsey Graham of South Carolina who spews so much nonsense in defense of Trump that he is unredeemable. There is Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Martha McSally of Arizona, David Perdue of Georgia, Jim Risch of Idaho, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Cindy Hyde Smith of Mississippi, Steve Daines of Montana, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Tom Tillis of North Carolina, James Inhofe of Oklahoma, Mike Rounds of South Dakota, John Cornyn of Texas, and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia.

In addition to sending funds to their Democrat opponents, if you live one of these states or have friends or family in one, contact those you know and remind them to either register to vote or to check their registration, and to be sure to vote because running against someone with longstanding name recognition is difficult. You can also become a campaign volunteer to canvas, make phone calls, etc. The starting point is to find the name of the GOP senate opponent and provide three good policies they are running on to share with friends and family in that state and on social media.

For example, in Kentucky, Democrat Amy McGrath is running against Mitch McConnell. The two are in a statistical tie right now and money to get her message and name out there in Kentucky will make a huge difference. But so will being able to articulate why she deserves the votes of Kentucky citizens. I would highlight her pro-gun control stance, her fight against climate change stance, and her pro-healthcare stance as reasons to vote for her. I’m donating to her campaign today. And I will donate to Democratic senate races across the nation. I’m going to use my Facebook and Twitter accounts to promote the opponents of every GOP senator who is up for re-election until election day.

That said, we can’t afford to forget to also support the four democrat senators who are up for re-election this year. They also need support. They are Doug Jones of Alabama, Gary Peters of Michigan, Tina Smith of Minnesota, and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hamshire.

We flipped the House of Representatives in 2018. Now is the time to flip the Senate and to remove the corrupt and cowardly Republicans from our nations capital. They no longer deserve to be there. Of course, it’s a given that Trump has to go, too. Let’s make it a landslide defeat of the corrupt and cowardly in 2020.