Fully Present Post 50

This past week I had a heated phone conversation about how wealthy people use their money. It made me stop and think about where we are headed as a nation. It was clear during the conversation that neither of us is against the accumulation of wealth, nor do we begrudge the right of billionaires to spend 50 million dollars to have their wedding in Italy with other uber rich people and celebrities as guests. Our initial disagreement was about the harm caused by the undue influence expenditures of that money in politics can have on our democracy.

Capitalism encourages people to innovate and work hard to achieve personal gratification and wealth. When people and the environment are not overtly exploited by capitalistic endeavors, Americans tend to admire folks like Henry Ford, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Warren Buffet. Some of them are philanthropists, giving huge amounts of money to help others. And that’s a good thing, however, a country of free people must never depend solely on the generosity of the wealthy to provide for our general welfare. That is the job of “We the People” according to our Constitution. We elect representatives to direct the taxes we pay to fund policies, projects and programs that support the public good. This is why it is important that each American pay his or her fair share and why cutting taxes for the wealthiest individuals often comes at the expense of cutting the funds that support the public good.

In our conversation, I argued we have created a problem that allows wealthy individuals to use their wealth to exercise extreme influence over our elected representatives so that they no longer have to pay their fair share in taxes, can exploit people and the environment with impunity, and can redirect the allocation of public tax dollars away from supporting the public good. To our detriment, a few extremely wealthy individuals are using their money to influence elections, bribe supreme court judges, and pressure representatives to make laws that suit their personal agenda instead of laws that benefit their constituents.

This is what we have allowed to happen over time with one bad court ruling after another. Our elected representatives are no longer representing “we the people” as set forth in our Constitution. They are instead representing the interest of the corporations and wealthy individuals who finance their campaigns, offer lavish gifts, and steer them towards profitable investments in return for passing laws that benefit their benefactors.

This “Big Beautiful Bill” that just passed is a prime example of how our elected Republican officials failed to represent the people in their districts in their pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. Their express job is to pass laws on behalf of “we the people”. Instead, they passed a bill that will cut taxes for the wealthy while devastating the lives of the most vulnerable people in their districts and increase funding for cruel ICE deportations. Most workers will not benefit from the no tax on their tips provision because of the requirement to itemize deductions. Budget laws that allocate our tax dollars are supposed to provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty for us and our posterity. That is how our representative democracy was set forth in the Constitution.

At this point, I think it will be helpful to define a few key words that are being bantered around these days.

Autocracy and authoritarianism – government in which one person has unlimited authority.

Aristocracy – government by a privileged upper class who are regarded as superior.

Communism – a system of social organization in which all economic and social activity is controlled by a totalitarian state.

Democracy – government in which supreme power is exercised directly by the people or their elected representatives. A state of society characterized by formal equality of rights and privileges.

Egalitarian – the belief in the equality of all people.

Fascism – a totalitarian governmental system led by a dictator and emphasizing aggressive nationalism, militarism, and racism.

Feudalism – a medieval European system of social and economic organization based on estate ownership of land and the resulting relations between lord and vassal.

Nationalism – devotion to one’s nation; patriotism.

Oligarchy – a government run by members of a dominate clique.

Socialism – a system of social organization in which the means of production and distribution of goods are owned and controlled collectively or by the government.

Totalitarianism – a government in which one party exercises dictatorial control.

I thought deeply this Fourth of July week about the founding and trajectory of this nation. I considered the history of our nation: its aspirations, its present state, and where it is headed. We must never forget that the Fourth of July is a celebration of revolution against rule by an authoritarian king and its feudal system of aristocrats. The Founders were determined to replace that system with a representative democracy. It’s important to understand that our founders came from European countries (specifically Great Britian), ruled by kings who appointed aristocrats, gifting them land and governance over those living on their lands. They were oppressed by the authoritarian king and decided to fight for independence.

Once free, our founders were determined to establish a more egalitarian society ruled by the will of the people, not a king nor his aristocrats. Mind you, they themselves were products of the world in which they lived. They were the aristocrats of the new world. They were white educated wealthy landowners who had indentured servants and owned slaves. Their wives were their property who had no property rights nor social rights of their own. The egalitarian ideas they pinned in the Constitution were aspirational in nature. The notion that “all men are created equal” was not a part of their social upbringing nor their lived experience up to that point. But they pointed our country in the direction of greater equality, liberty, and justice for everyone.

Over the years, we have put in the work (including a civil war and multiple protest movements) to progress towards a more perfect union where the egalitarian and democratic aspirations set forth in our Constitution were on the edge of being fully realized. We stopped killing native Americans and forcing re-education on their children. Women gained the right to vote, to own property, to work, to get credit and bank accounts in their own name, and they gained bodily autonomy. Black slaves were set free, and people of color gained the right to be citizens, to vote, to expect equal access to opportunities, and were moving towards equal justice under the law. LGBTQ folks were able to come out of the closet without being jailed and even gained the right to get married like everyone else. This was progress toward equality and justice for all. We finally celebrated our diversity, expected equity as fairness, and pushed for greater inclusion in all aspects of society. We even elected a black president. But not everyone was happy.

A sinister backlash emerged from just beneath the surface. It began as a whisper and under Trump’s leadership it has become loud, cruel, brutal, and overtly violent. It was fueled by lies, insecurity, bigotry, and a visceral need to permanently re-secure both power and money in the hands of white men. A few wealthy white men whose European forefathers had written the aspirational words of the Constitution have turned against those ideas. We find ourselves in a situation where a few very rich white men have funded and enticed white “Christian” politicians to say what was necessary to be elected so that they could then disavow their oath to the Constitution and ignore their constituents.

The Republicans today are by definition fascists. They strive to embody the definition of totalitarian rule wherein their Party exercises dictatorial control. They uphold the ridicious executive orders of Trump. Their particular brand of nationalism is characterized by whiteness and “Christianity”, and they villainize anyone who is not white, Christian, or heterosexual. They call those who are against them “communist and socialists”, but they are the ones who are creating a system (much like the one in China) in which all economic and social activity is controlled by them, the totalitarian state. Think about that. They are actively trying to control women’s bodies, the media, private industry, journalism, education, people’s sex lives, information, scientific research, and books in the same way the Chinese Communist Party and the Taliban do.

The Republicans applaud Trump as their front man, cheering him on as he destroys any expectation that our Constitution is to be followed and that we are in any way egalitarian. Republicans are working hard to destroy the established value in diversity, equity and inclusion so that they can return to the myth of white male superiority. They are paving the way for a return aristocratic rule where members of the ruling class both in government and across all industry are straight white males. While Trump has dreams of being a dictator (like a king) with his gold toilet and his cronies praising his every cruel action and stupid comment as brilliant, Republicans abandon the rule of law and the Constitution itself while holding an American flag in one hand and a Bible in the other. They ignore the teachings of Christ and pray loudly in public like the pharisees Jesus condemned for their hypocrisy. They ignore freedom of religion in favor of establishing a “Christian” state that has nothing to do with Christianity, but everything to do with white supremacy through oppressive laws backed by brutality.

Independence Day was this past Friday. I didn’t celebrate. Instead, I reflected on who we are and where we should be headed. I, for one, will not silently return to the days when women, people of color, and LGBTQ folks are simply vassals to wealthy white men. Let’s hope our protests will be enough, but if not, I suspect a second revolution is in our future.

Every public official, including federal workers, military personnel, and elected officials up to the vice president, swear an oath to the Constitution of the United States. The oath is required by our Constitution and is found in Article VI, Clause 3. Their oath is a solemn promise that reads, “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”

The president takes a slightly different oath that reads, “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

What we are collectively witnessing today are Republican public officials, including Supreme Court judges, forsaking their oath in favor of allegiance (or at least silence) to President Trump’s assault on our Constitution, especially our basic rights and the rule of law spelled out in it. Specifically, they are empowering and enabling him to strip away our Constitutional protections such as birthright citizenship, free speech, the right to assemble, the right to choose our own path to happiness, equal rights under the law, a free press, and due process. I find it alarming that they are blatantly ignoring the entire purpose upon which our country and its Constitution was established.

Our Constitution begins with “We the people” (not a monarch) are responsible for creating a more perfect union wherein we establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for our common defense and promote the general welfare and ensure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our future generations. We do this by electing representatives to pass laws, confirm federal judges and high-level public officials, and to keep the executive branch in check on our behalf. Sadly, we elected a Republican majority who are using the fact of their narrow election win (based on false pretenses) to forsake the Constitution and their oath to protect and defend it.

I watched in horror as Senator Mitch McConnell ignored the pleads of young activists to have a conversation with them about their concerns. He refused to even look at them as he hightailed it to an elevator. Most Republican representatives are refusing to face their constituents at Town Hall meetings because they don’t want to hear people voicing their anger over their betrayal of their oath to the Constitution and their refusal to hold Trump accountable for blatant violations. Republican representatives are clearly not representing “we the people”. They are in lock step with the President, pursuing the interests and agenda of white Christian nationalists and wealthy campaign donors.

It’s become obvious that they will allow Trump to declare himself king as he violates the Constitution, enacts cruel policies, and enriches himself. Their collective strategy is to erode the Constitution along with the systematic silencing of any who may attempt to stand up for it. They use their megaphones on Fox News and social media platforms along with insults and lawsuits to silence journalists. They coerce oppositional law firms by cutting off their access to government buildings. They defund intellectual centers that provide scientific research if they refuse to promote their white nationalist agenda in their classrooms. They fire any government employees who insist on upholding the value of “liberty and justice for all” otherwise known as DEI. And they make a spectacle of arresting vocal citizens and lawmakers using humiliating brutal force when challenged.

Unfortunately, they have a majority on the Supreme Court thanks to the unethical maneuverings of Senator Mitch McConnell. It’s the same Court that ruled that Donald Trump could break the law so long as he is acting in his official capacity as president. So much for the long-held view of the Founders that no one is above the law. Now the president is. This past week, they voted 6 to 3 to disallow federal judges to issue nationwide bans on clearly unconstitutional executive orders. They expect “we the people” to sue for our individual constitutional rights if they are violated by executive orders. In other words, if our Constitutionally guaranteed rights are violated by executive order, it is up to us to file a class action lawsuit to insist upon restoring them. Their decision left Trump’s unconstitutional ban on birthright citizenship in place in those states that haven’t challenged it. Imagine a child being born “state-less” unless his parents have the ability to sue for his or her citizenship. Many class action lawsuits are in our immediate future. In fact, some were filed (or amended) within hours of this Supreme Court ruling. This past ruling is no less ridiculous that their ruling that the immigrants who were illegally arrested and deported without a hearing have to sue for their due process rights. In other words, our Constitutional rights are no longer guaranteed, but up for debate if we have the time and money to insist upon them in court.

These are dangerous times for Americans who don’t fit the white nationalist’s agenda or who are not independently wealthy. The Republicans are working to enshrine a two-class system where people will fall into one of two categories: low wage earners, uneducated, chronically ill, beholden to the generosity of others, subjected to a military draft, and with unprotected Constitutional rights. The other category are the wealthy. These folks have no limits on their accumulation of wealth even if it means destroying the earth in the process. They protect their Constitutional rights because they have the financial means to do so. They can buy healthcare, education, and clean up after natural disasters. They can buy their way out of military service by sending their kids to private school and they can purchase expensive bunkers to protect them from any bombs that may fall. They will have the time and means to vote in elections.

I’m convinced that Republicans believe that discriminating against certain people will lead to their desired class systems. Their policies are designed to maintain or propel ambitious white Christian men to economic wealth with all the political and social power in the country. As seen by the cabinet picks, qualifications don’t matter; whiteness and loyalty do. They want white women to return to white men as their domestic servants in exchange for economic and social protection. They want to enact legal discrimination to eventually force people of color, religious minorities, and LGBTQ folks into a permanent underclass without civil rights, wallowing in untreated illnesses, poor living conditions, lack of education, subject to over-policing and prison slave labor, and perpetually desperate to earn poverty wages to at least exist. And they want LGBTQ folks to simply disappear.

The problem is that white male superiority is a myth. They aren’t now nor have they ever been the smartest, the most talented, the most courageous, the most innovative, nor the most driven. White Christian nationalists lack an understanding that human traits are spread across the human race without regard for color or gender. What those white men in the past possessed was access to weapons and a willingness to use them against others to force their will upon them. They lacked empathy, decency, and foresight. Their perverted thinking only led to endless wars, bloodshed, and human suffering.

The White Christian nationalists in our government are no different from the Taliban who are forcing their perverted religious will upon an entire population through violence. But notice how their country is unable to prosper. When you silence the intelligent, the talented, the innovative, and the driven within your population, you not only make people miserable, but you make prosperity impossible to achieve. The same will be true of these white Christian nationalists. They will destroy this nation and many lives if we allow it.

Today, I call upon my readers to join me in financially investing in one or more of the law organizations working to stand up for our Constitution and our individual Constitutional rights. These include the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the ACLU, Public Citizen Litigation Group, Lambda Legal , Democracy Defenders Fund, The Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown University, and Democracy Forward.

In addition, it is important to never agree in advance to give up our rights or to subject ourselves to a king. Support the “No Kings 2.0” protest on July 4th organized by local chapters of Indivisible by promoting it, donating to it (I do this), helping to organize, or taking to the streets. There is also a “Free America” event organized by Women’s March on the weekend of the Fourth of July and a “Good Trouble Lives On” scheduled for July 17th. We are in this together and we must act as “we the people” to protect and defend our Constitution on Independence Day 2025 and beyond.

I spent most of June 14th watching the live feed on YouTube and Instagram of the “No Kings Day Protest” from the comfort of my sofa. I listened to multiple speeches and read a great number of signs. I nodded approval of those who went the extra mile to create clever posters and costumes for the protests. About 5-6 million people showed up to approximately 2200 protests across the country. And one brave soul was a woman in my senior center knitting group (an 80+ Latina immigrant from South America). She marched in protest that day against her son’s advice. Everyone else in the group agreed with the need to protest but didn’t go, including me. But that was expected.

Notably absent from the crowds were black faces, although there were a few charismatic black speakers. I explained to my group that I was tempted to go, but I had made a commitment not to. I explained that I identify with the 97% of black women who supported and voted for Kamala and did our best to warn the country of the impending danger of voting for Trump. The election forced us to realize that this conflict had to be fought among white and brown people who had yet to decide among themselves the difference between right and wrong. I explained that a large black presence could be counterproductive. The country is desensitized to our protests. And most importantly, the opposition would be relieved to see black people put their bodies on the line so that they could unleash a violent response without restraint. Our absence gives members of law enforcement pause and makes the protests somewhat safer. So, I didn’t go and won’t be attending these protests in person. I will promote them, watch them, and applaud them from the sidelines. I’ve even considered making signs to hand out to would-be protesters, like my white male neighbor who wanted to go protest but didn’t make it. Two of his siblings did though.

But what of the remaining women in my knitting group? Granted they are all elderly women, but all of them are still physically able-bodied. The situation reminds me of the 80/20 rule wherein twenty percent of the people complete eighty percent of the work in any given project. The eighty percent could be lazy, distracted, apathetic, disinterested or simply cautious. I don’t know why my neighbor didn’t protest that day (he’s certainly knowledgeable and passionate) but I think most of the women in my knitting group were rightly cautious. They knew about the protest and agreed with it but were too afraid to go. I understand that crowds can be scary, particularly for elderly women who fear falling, a lack of access to a restroom, and an inability to run away should things turn violent. I understand the “better safe than sorry” mindset that comes with age. So, I give them a pass. I give black people a pass. I also give babies and pregnant women a pass.

But the rest of America should consider protesting in the streets if they disapprove of the kidnappings, the incompetence, the reckless firings, the indecency, the lawlessness, the corruption, the tariffs, the book bans, the demonizing of educators, researchers, LGBTQ folks, immigrants, and scientists, the defunding of safety nets like Medicaid, food stamps, and FEMA, the bullying of law firms, universities, and news networks, the destruction of reproductive rights, the removal of environmental protections, the attacks on voting rights, and the rise of white supremacy accompanied by legal discrimination and the erasure of history.

I am a firm believer in the saying that “silence is consent”. In a nation of 350 million people, there aren’t yet enough people using their voice in opposition to this Administration. Silent opposition will not do. Complaining at the dinner table isn’t enough. Action is called for. I get that there are Trump cultists, racists, white suprematists, sociopaths, and sadists who genuinely enjoy watching the chaos, destruction, and pain of others. But I believe they make up a small minority. The latest polls indicate that Trump has a 40% approval rating. As I said to visiting neighbors just last night, I believe a good portion of those people are unaware of what is actually happening. Our neighbor’s wife cited personal encounters with people who watched Fox News and thought everything was great. We developed a strategy for disabusing them of that idea without offending them. Our idea was to share Fox’s own defense in their lawsuit for lying to their viewers about the 2020 election. They themselves claimed that they aren’t news, but entertainment. Even so, that’s still roughly 140 million people who won’t be protesting in the streets against this Administration.

We can add to that number Americans over the age of 75. They make up 7% of the population, so that’s about 25 million. Black people make up 13% of the population in the U.S. so that’s another 45 million people. Children, eleven years and younger account for about 46 million people.

That leaves a pool of 94 million people who can potentially demand a restoration of our democracy, decency, and the rule of law in street protests. The good news is that Robert Reich, a prominent professor of economics (and former Secretary of Labor), cited a study in his Saturday podcast, “The Coffee Klatch” that it only takes 3.5% of a population rising in opposition to bring down an authoritarian regime. In the U.S., that’s roughly 12 million people if you count everyone, including children. We are almost halfway there.

Thankfully, we have another opportunity to reclaim our country if enough Americans take to the streets at the “No Kings 2.0” protest on July 4th. Let’s actually earn our barbecue and fireworks this Independence Day.

For the next few weeks, our collective job is to raise awareness about the “peaceful” protest and need for protest, remove obstacles to protesting, help with logistics, become an organizer, and build up the courage to protest, if not in ourselves, in the hearts and minds of our friends and family. Let’s save our nation and its people from the horrors ahead if we do nothing. In addition to peaceful marchers in protest, I’m happy to see the cartoonists, the musicians and singers, the actors, the activists, the podcasters, the organizers, the citizen journalists, and the writers (like me) doing their part to express opposition. I’m even grateful for the table complainers (like my husband) who simply strengthen the resolve of those willing to take action. I’m optimistic that we can save our nation if just 20 percent of us are willing to do some real work.

I rarely talk about my father. If you’ve been reading my blog for a long time, you might recall my accounts of his horrific spousal abuse, our night terrors and quick escapes, my parent’s multiple attempts at marriage reconciliation, his lifelong struggle with alcoholism and his slow death by stroke at the age of 54. I was 29 years old, married with 3 young children when he died. Unlike my mother’s huge funeral, only a few showed up to mourn him. The song I selected to sum up his life was “I Did It My Way” by Frank Sinatra.

But there was another side to my father. His name was Lionel Jerome Ball. My mother called him, “Romey”. Like my mother, he was born in Mississippi, both raised in Detroit, Michigan. He came from a large well-to-do family. He grew up as a middle sibling among six children (five boys and one girl). He lost his mother to stroke at the breakfast table during his teens and later had two stepmothers. He was known to be a brilliant young man with a genius level IQ. But he was complicated. For example, he was both an honor student and a gang leader. He owned a bowling alley when he was just 15 years old. Being brilliant and ambitious as a black man in those days couldn’t have been easy.

He grew up to become a successful tax accountant with a law degree who helped many black businesses in Los Angeles get their start. He was tall, movie-star handsome, and very charming during my early childhood. His father was one of the personal bodyguards of Henry Ford and Ford paid for the college education of each of the six siblings (as well as our diapers from the factory floor) when we were babies. It was during college that my father became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. My mother was a graceful, pretty, smart, and musically talented little sis to the fraternity and they fell in love. For whatever reason, they eloped instead of having a fancy wedding that I’m certain my mother would have enjoyed. They did have a fancy reception and an announcement on the black society pages to satisfy my grandparents (on both sides).

My parents had three children in quick succession (we are each only one year apart). My father made no attempt to hide the fact that I as the youngest and only girl was his favorite. He often bragged that I was the one he gave birth to because he called from law school the moment I was born. I recall being carried around to his business associates in fancy clothes as some kind of show piece. I hated the forced kisses to stranger’s cheeks. Both my parents were extroverts who I now realize had no clue how excruciating their lifestyle of social events and parties along with the endless introductions and forced affections were to an introvert.

But there were plenty of good times with my dad. He would take us to Mexico shop, watch bull fights or dog races. We’d head to Las Vegas on a whim where he’d pay the bar maid to allow us to stay on the casino floor to watch. We’d go to horse races and bet on horses, always letting us keep any winnings. We’d enjoy all kinds of restaurants. We’d have entertaining nights at home with dance competitions. Occasionally, he’d bring home candy bars, just because he wanted to surprise us with a treat. Despite everything that was great or horrifying in my parent’s relationship, I always felt the support, unconditional love, and pride of both my parents towards me even when their next breakup thrust my mother and us kids into an impoverished existence crammed into a motel, a small apartment, or living with a relative. Too escape poverty, my mother even remarried the year I turned seven. But the man was abusive to my brothers and my dad had to rescue us. During that drama, I was sent to my grandparents in Detroit for the entire summer. When I returned, we were living with my father again in his big, beautiful house with the backyard swimming pool. Predictably, their reconciliation didn’t last. I don’t think he ever forgave or trusted her for marrying another man. But they kept on trying.

I was 16 years old when my parents tried their final reconciliation. I was furious at my mother for exposing us again to his terrorism. At the height of my rebellion, I refused to make my father lemonade and he in turn attempted to strike me with a horse whip (of all things). He was too hung over to prevent me from yanking the whip out of his hands and asking, “Who has the whip now?” I didn’t hit him, but I left the house for several hours. Shortly after that incident they separated for the final time. I was relieved that my sleepless nights were finally over. Months later, I gained the strength to tell my father how his alcoholism and violence towards my mother hurt me and our entire family. He made no excuses. He didn’t even apologize. In fact, he made it clear to me that he wasn’t going to stop drinking. I told him that I forgave him anyway because I loved him. But I also set up a boundary around myself that he could never be in my presence if he had been drinking.

That is how we got along. He walked me down the isle of my marriage sober. He visited with my three children sober. We had long conversations. He gave me sound financial, career and business advice. Our relationship was solid. He and my mother remained friends, so much so that she nursed him back to health after his girlfriend poured scalding water on him in his sleep after he beat her. He went on to abuse many women over the years and I hated that about him. I once went to visit him at his home in Los Angeles only to witness an ambulance carrying away the dead body of his then girlfriend. Her teenage daughter, about my age, whispered to me that my father was responsible. I immediately apologized because given his track record and his attempts on my mother, I didn’t doubt it. But both of us knew that the Los Angeles Police cared very little about domestic abuse and even less about the death of a black woman.

Some years later, on Mother’s Day (which was also my mother’s birthday that year) he had a stroke while working in his office. He never woke up from his coma.

I happened to be a stay-at-home mom at the time, so I drove an hour and a half every day from Simi Valley to Hawthorne to visit him while the kids were in school. The nurse assured me that his vitals improved while I was there and so I just kept going to sit with him and talk. I was his only visitor aside from my mother’s occasional visit and that saddened me, but did not surprise me. It had been the same when he was hospitalized for a bleeding ulcer. His alcoholism had not only destroyed his health and taken away his driving privileges but had alienated many people.

Our annual vacation was the third week of June, and he was still lingering in the hospital. He was terminal and they were about to move him to a hospice care nursing facility. Even though children were not allowed on the ward, on the day we were heading to San Diego for our family vacation, I was determined to give my children the opportunity to say goodbye to their grandfather whom they had only known as kind, funny, generous and good natured. The nurse saw me with my husband and our three kids and chose to ignore us. The kids kissed him and hugged him in his unconscious state. I told him I loved him and that we were going away for a week.

Midway through our vacation, I had a very vivid dream that I was in my father’s hospital room. My parents were sitting on the edge of the bed having a lively conversation. I was in shock. He looked great. His foot that was about to be amputated, was fine. My parents were in such great spirits, and I was flabbergasted, asking them how this was even possible given that he was about to be moved to nursing hospice care. I woke up with my heart racing and reminded myself that he was still in the hospital terminally ill. Within minutes, the phone rang. It was about 6am.

My mother called to inform me that my father had passed away overnight. I told her about my dream. She didn’t say anything. In retrospect, perhaps that dream was a premonition because less than five years later, she was gone too.

On this Father’s Day, I wish everyone peace and a willingness to acknowledge that not every father is perfect. We are all flawed human beings. Granted, some are more flawed than others and I think my father fits that category. But even at his worst and most violent depraved moments, I was able to recognize his love and devotion to me as his daughter. He honored my boundaries. And for all that I am grateful. Happy Father’s Day.

I spent my Saturday morning drafting the letter below and then emailing it to every Republican senator. A few limited the word count, so I had to cut a few things, but most received this letter in its entirety. I share it with you hoping that you will be inspired to send your own email to Republican senators or to make your support for our nation and its constitution and laws known. Don’t allow your silence to become consent.

Letter:

Sleeping is difficult these days. I find myself waking up filled with anxiety, outrage, or sadness over our country’s turn away from creating a more perfect union where liberty and justice for all is an actual aspiration. I miss the country where I believed that our elected officials were decent people working to establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for our common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our future children.

Instead, I am greeted each day with human beings being grabbed off the streets and forcibly detained based on the color of their skin and the language they speak. I am greeted by stupid if not unconstitutional executive orders of a president who uses foul and false accusations against immigrants, journalists, judges, teachers, prosecutors, scientists, women, transgender people, and his political enemies. The constant lying, blatant corruption, ridiculous appointments, and unjustified attacks on law firms, universities, and diversity, equity, and inclusion frustrates me to no end.

To these horrific actions coming from our White House, most of you elected officials either remain silent and too many of you are complicit. The Congress is a co-equal branch of government, but you have collectively abdicated your duty under Republican rule. The American people voted for greater safety, an end to wars, and real problem solving, even if some of the threats, underlying war issues, and problems were fabricated and misrepresented by Trump, conservative podcasters, and Fox News. People voted for false promises to address fabricated fears. People groomed to be afraid of immigrants, people of color, and trans people voted for protection. People deceived into believing that scientists are wasting their money on “transgender mice” and lying to them about vaccines and climate voted to end waste, fraud and abuse. People convinced that diversity, equity, and inclusion are the reason for their failure to get ahead voted for a false merit-based system that is nothing more than white male cronyism. Republican representatives failed to demand that their presidential candidate be worthy of the office.

The fact is that no one voted for a tariff war with the entire world that is harming businesses and raising prices. No one voted for hard working (non-criminal) mothers, fathers, and children to be disappeared off the streets because they look to be immigrants. No one voted for government workers to be sloppily fired without understanding their contribution, due cause, nor due process. No one voted to defund medical and scientific research that address human challenges. No one voted to have the safety net pulled from under the feet of the most vulnerable so that the wealthiest among us could save a few more tax dollars. No one voted to erase history, destroy public education, and roll back consumer protections. No one voted to subject themselves to climate change disasters without relief. No one voted to pardon actual criminals who did real harm. No one voted to dismantle the protections of our public health, our food, our drinkable water, and clean air. No one voted for the reverse brain-drain among students, scholars, and researchers at our universities. No one voted to destroy the tourism industry by terrorizing tourists. And certainly, no one voted to waste our tax-payer dollars on a military parade to inflate one man’s ego.

While I still have a Constitutional right to petition government, I request that you find the courage and the moral compass to reject the unconstitutional and immoral actions of President Trump. It is not enough to complain behind closed doors about actions you know are harmful to the American people and to the world. You must stand up for those who voted for you, not cower before a bully who proves every day that he wishes we were North Korea.

I want my government to work as the founders intended. Therefore, I ask that you stop this “Big Beautiful Bill” and provide us with a bill that taxes people and corporations fairly in order to pay for our priorities. As a citizen, I want you to ensure funding for an ongoing safety net for vulnerable people, to upgrade our infrastructure, to fully fund FEMA, to protect and fund medical and scientific research, to end the tariff war, to protect the rights and civil liberties of every American, to fund public education and job training, to address the broken immigration system and provide adequate temporary work visas, to safeguard public health, to protect law firms and universities from frivolous attacks, to protect our elections from billionaire influence moving forward, and to conduct oversight over the executive branch.

Like most Americans, I know this country isn’t perfect. But we can and should do better. Investing in the American people is investing in our future prosperity. Right now, we are moving in a dangerous direction, toward increasing public corruption, poorer health outcomes, indecency, ignorance, and the loss of basic civil rights. Please save us from this daily nightmare!

In the final hours before his release from the hospital, the doctor of my best friend’s husband convinced Medicare that her husband needed continued professional care at a rehabilitation facility and should not be sent home again. Weeks before, they sent him home without professional homecare, only for him to deteriorate into an excruciating rebound of his infection. My friend is a nurturing person, but she not a nurse. She is a petite 80-year-old who has serious medical issues of her own. Despite this, she was willing to again try to care for her husband who has chronic pain, no longer walks, requires diaper changes, and has signs of dementia because there was no alternative. Insurance was refusing to pay for his continued hospitalization and a home nurse was going to cost about $200 per day. She was stuck and beside herself with anxiety. I was helping as much as her pride would allow. Her sons preferred not to be bothered as they wanted to continue their lives burden-free. Thankfully, the doctor was more convincing this time and her husband was not coming home yet. My point is that accessing insurance has become a nightmare. It is no longer the safety net that we have relied on for so long. While not condoning the brutal murder of the United Health Care CEO, I understand the growing frustration towards ruthless profiteers like him who deny legitimate medical claims. And yes, my friend has her Medicare Advantage policy through United Health Care. Personally, we opted for Medi-gap coverage because there are fewer denials and fewer restrictions. It does cost more, but we receive premium reimbursement through my husband’s retirement benefits.

These days, it’s not just medical insurers that are making access difficult. At the beginning of the year, I switched my personal dental insurance policy to one sponsored by my husband’s retirement benefit. It provides higher coverage than my previous dental insurance and the premiums are reimbursed as part of his retirement benefit. However, I soon discovered that accessing the additional benefits was going to take hours on the phone. Last week, I went to my scheduled cleaning and x-ray appointment. The dentist recommended replacing an old silver filling and filling a small cavity. At the front desk, the insurance guru informed me that my new insurance policy only covered two cleanings and x-rays. She printed out the list of benefits that clearly showed that their practice was “in network” but that no dental work beyond cleanings and x-rays was covered. I knew this didn’t make any sense since the premiums alone cost more than teeth cleanings and x-rays. It took three days searching the website personal portal, two phone calls cleverly navigating AI to reach a human, and finally the completion of a “Waiting Period Waiver Form” that no one previously mentioned, to access the $2000 in dental benefits. I was nearly persuaded to forego the insurance benefit and just pay for the work out of pocket. But my need to fix that which is obviously wrong, stopped me.

Apparently, the insurance company automatically places a waiting period on new policy holders until the customer shows evidence of prior dental coverage for the previous 12 months to obtain a waiver. The problem is that they neglect to inform new policy holders, like me, of this process. I only learned of it by calling them directly after being denied coverage. Even the dental office insurance guru was unaware of a possible hold on my insurance coverage. Perhaps more disappointing is the fact that I had to call a second day because the first representative who told me about the waiver form then failed to email it to me as promised. I spent an entire day waiting for it to arrive in my inbox. I even checked my spam folder. No waiver form!

The problem with insurance these days extends well beyond medical and dental insurance. I live in California where we have wildfires and earthquakes. I know of a few friends who have been kicked off of their homeowner’s insurance because of the fire danger. Few companies will cover homes at wildfire risk for a reasonable premium, if at all. In some cases, the insurance is higher than the mortgage payment. When we were looking for houses, I purposefully steered clear of hillsides and open fields, recalling the traumatic experience of a wildfire evacuation situation in my early teens when our family home was in danger.

I’ve also experienced earthquakes, both big and small. However, earthquake insurance is not only unaffordable, but it isn’t even practical. Prior to the big 1994 earthquake, homeowner’s insurance covered earthquake damage. But after the huge damage claims insurance companies paid in 1994, earthquake insurance became a separate policy. We recently researched earthquake insurance only to learn that it would cost an additional $9000 to 12,000 per year and that the deductible is at least 15% of the replacement value of the home. That would come to anywhere from $100,000 to $150,000 before insurance ever kicked in. Most homes will not be a total loss in the event of an earthquake, so it makes little sense to purchase that costly insurance. Although terrifying, most of the damage caused by earthquakes (even in 1994) isn’t catastrophic because of strong building codes. One of my friends mentioned that she was planning to rely on FEMA if disaster struck. I had to inform her that President Trump is trying to get rid of FEMA and that the big, beautiful budget bill eliminates FEMA funding. There are several states who have already been denied federal disaster relief and others still waiting for an answer. We may already be on our own if and when a natural disaster destroys our homes.

Although a real pain, I’m still a believer in having insurance because unforeseen circumstances can ruin family finances. Unless young families are independently wealthy, they should definitely have life insurance to protect the ongoing livelihood of surviving family members. Both parents should be covered, even homemakers, because the out-of-pocket cost of childcare, cooking, and housekeeping are enormous. Even for the ten years I was a stay-at-home mom, I had a life insurance policy. As an elderly person, with independent adult children, I don’t have nearly as much life insurance as I once did. But I have enough to take care of my remains and any remaining obligations.

Of course, auto insurance for drivers is a must. We recently learned that auto insurance rates for the elderly are just as high as for new drivers. Despite not having any accidents nor traffic tickets, our premiums jumped way up when my husband turned 70 several years ago. And they just keep rising. We have two cars and neither of us drives much in our retirement and so I often question the necessity of two vehicles. But my husband prefers that we maintain our independence, so we keep paying to maintain two vehicles in addition to paying the rising premiums. My husband took a senior driving course to lower our premium and I sign a low mileage waiver every year, but our premiums remain as high as for young drivers. This wasn’t something we anticipated, but it is something we bear so we can come and go as we please. My best friend with the hospitalized husband finally realized a few days ago that her husband has been unable to drive for the past six months and she finally took him off the insurance, receiving a $500 refund in the process. I realized when helping my elderly next-door neighbors two nights ago that they no longer drive either. They are both using walkers and pay for a home care worker to assist them. I thought about the two unused cars in their garage and wondered whether they are still paying for auto insurance on them.

The point is that insurance has an important role to play in our lives. Having emergency savings set aside is just as important. So, when it comes to insurance, we need to make sure we have the appropriate amount when possible and realize that we might need both energy, patience, and a bit of persistent determination to insist on the benefits we are paying for.

I’ve long believed that most people act in their own best interest. Even altruistic actions ultimately serve to make us feel better about ourselves. I’m a highly empathetic person and I have deep compassion for the challenges people face. I hate injustice and actively pursue resolution. I am driven to help others, but I acknowledge that I derive great personal satisfaction and even pleasure from alleviating someone else’s pain, bringing justice or joy, or solving a problem. People are helped and I feel fulfilled by being able to help. Thankfully, these pursuits are win-win situations. However, I recognize that not everyone is like me. Some people are only fulfilled by win-lose situations.

For many years, I projected my motivations onto others. As a result, I often excused people who hurt others because I believed the hurt wasn’t intentional. I chose to believe that the perpetrator was trying to fulfil a personal need and the harm to others was collateral damage. Because of this flawed mindset, a therapist once told me that I was far too forgiving. She told me that an adult considers the effect their actions will have on others before acting. She suggested that I needed to do more to hold people accountable for their harmful actions even if I thought that they were not intentionally trying to hurt me or others.

Recently, it was inconceivable to me that the American people would knowingly elevate a person to the office of president who lacked basic empathy and was blatantly cruel to others. I thought we would never elect a person who needed to win and cause others to lose. But they did. It hurts my soul to watch “winners” laugh and applaud at the destruction of people’s lives based on false accusations, bigotry, revenge, or carelessness. I truly believe that such people need psychiatric help if they derive pleasure from sending migrants to a foreign prison based on unproven accusations or applaud the firing of government workers on a whim or accept the separation of children from their undocumented parents or admire the bullying of lawmakers, judges, law firms, universities, journalists and companies into quiet submission. This is not healthy behavior; it is sadistic.

Many say that Trump behaves like a toddler: illogical, prone to tantrums, a short attention span, unpredictable, and seeking his own gratification without regard for others. While that is undeniably accurate, I’ve come to the conclusion that Trump is a sadist. He genuinely takes pleasure in the forced submission and cruelty he inflicts on others. I’ve observed that he tries to mask his pathology through fake charms and storytelling, conning people to believe his cruelty is justified. It’s obvious to reasonable adults that he latches onto and promotes conspiracies and false accusations while claiming to protect Americans from fictional threats. One example is his preposterous accusation that governments emptied their prisons and insane asylums and sent those folks to our country to murder us. Or how about the Haitians who are eating the cats and dogs? Or schools who are performing transgender operations without parental permission? Or the “epidemic” of transgender men in women’s sports? And then there are the journalists who report fake news, liberal judges who are corrupt, and universities who are racists and antisemitic. Without evidence, he claims there is rampant waste, fraud and abuse in government. Traitorous generals who should be hanged. The Biden crime family. And how about the countries around the world who are taking advantage of us?

The list of false accusations and manufactured threats to justify his cruelty grows every day. And some people willingly ignore or approve of his actions until his actions negatively affect them. And they inevitably will because it is his nature to be cruel. However, I think that after meeting Putin and especially Kim Jong Un, Trump has discovered that he can use his cruelty to achieve a seductive end goal: greater personal power and unlimited riches.

I’m beginning to believe that Trump ultimately wants to be like Kim Jong Un, a rich ruler within an isolated country. He wants to revel in the outward accolades and loyalty of the people, especially if it is compulsory because he feeds on the pain of others. Like Kim and Putin, those who object or do not comply to his satisfaction face prison or even death. Trump’s need for inflicting pain is reckless and without any tangible goal in mind beyond feeding his ego and his bank account. He needs the military parade. He needs gold toilets. He needs to see world leaders grovel at his feet. He needs his name and picture plastered everywhere. He needs adoration. He is a sick person. But those who surround him are also sick. Their proximity to power makes them disregard their morals. However, unlike Trump, they have a vision for the country beyond feeding their own egos and bank accounts. And that makes them even more dangerous.

JD Vance, Mike Johnson, Elon Musk, and Marco Rubio may not be sadistic egomaniacs with insatiable greed like Trump, but they have a vision for America that imperials the lives of women and minorities. Trump wants us to be like North Korea while they want us to be more like Afghanistan under the Taliban. They are seeking to create a country where white heterosexual men are in total control and the rest of us fall in line with their viewpoint. In the country they re-create, they control art, education, and science. White men are in charge, men of color are the labor, women are relegated to the home and baby-making, gays are back in the closet, and corporations are subject to government rule. Personal freedoms will be tossed out along with the Constitution. The Congress and the Courts will no longer be co-equal branches of government, but subject to the whims of the executive branch. This will be a police state. These American Taliban are using Trump’s recking ball actions to clear the path for them to take over.

But we can stop them. We have a short window of time to reject both the cruelty and the plan. So far, the Courts are holding up, but judges are under attack. The Republican led Congress has already sworn fealty to Trump because they are either complicit or afraid of him. Using our voices, we must embolden those who are afraid by making them more afraid of us than of Trump. We must never agree in advance to the rollback of our freedoms. The attacks on due process, free speech, and basic rights must be met with resistance. I understand that June 14th, Trump’s birthday and the date of his military parade is also the “No King’s Protest” day. We must participate.

If we do nothing, we will certainly see a very different country moving forward and this will no longer be the land of the free nor the home of the brave. It will be more like North Korea in its isolation from the world and like Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

My mother’s birthday and Mother’s Day sometimes fell on the same day. So, Mother’s Day was always a big celebration of her. And in my opinion, she deserved all the love and accolades and gifts we showered upon her each Mother’s Day. She was a loving, attentive, hardworking and supportive mother who was far better as a single parent than as the wife of my violent, unpredictable alcoholic father. In truth, I loved them both, but I only trusted her.

My mother was born on May 13, 1936. She passed away on an exceptionally beautiful spring day, April 11, 1994, just one month before her 58th birthday. I was providing hospice care at my home, and it was difficult watching her lose her appetite, her strength, her smile, and eventually her battle with breast cancer. She was not ready or willing to die, which was evident in her desire to keep living. In fact, the day she passed, she asked me to take her to Pier One Imports. However, she clearly lacked the strength for a shopping trip, so instead she settled for a wheelchair ride through the neighborhood to enjoy the many beautiful flowers in bloom. We share a love for plants and a green thumb. Soon after the walk, and as predicted at her final doctor’s visit, the cancer reached her heart. The cause of death listed on her death certificate is cardiopulmonary arrest due to metastatic breast cancer. She had been in so much pain that I was hesitant to call the ambulance when she stopped breathing, but I knew she wanted to continue to fight despite the pain. So, I called 911. When they arrived and began working on her, I wondered if she would be angry with me for denying her the relief she was finally given. They revived her and her carried her away in the ambulance. She passed away in route to the hospital. I know this because the ambulance attendee felt compelled to call me that evening to recount how he watched her “decide” to go.

In death as in life, I have enjoyed an exceptional and very close relationship with my mother. Days after she passed, she literally guided me to the unusual hiding place of her Last Will and Testament after I spent hours searching my files for it. In a brief moment of rest, I clearly heard her voice say to me that her Will was upstairs in my master bathroom in the second drawer of my vanity. That seemed both impossible and ridiculous, but her voice was too clear to ignore. So, I trudged up the stairs, went into my bathroom and decided to be methodical and start with the top drawer and work my way down. As soon as my hand touched the top drawer, her voice said to me in her familiar reprimanding tone, “I didn’t say that drawer.” I stopped immediately and obeyed. I opened the second drawer, and stuck to the side of the drawer was her Will.

For several years following her death, I frequently met my mother in dreams so vivid that I became somewhat confused as to whether she was really dead. I felt as though I was living in two alternate universes. The nightly dreams were beginning to mess with my daytime thought processes, and then they suddenly ceased. Now, I am able to welcome the occasional meeting with my mother in my dreams. I miss her physical presence, but I believe her spirit is alive and well and that she is a part of that cloud of witnesses. I talk to her about the important things. I point out the wonderful things. I mention some of my concerns. I don’t know whether or not she can hear me, but I choose to believe she can. I find comfort in that.

In many ways, I carry on my mother’s legacy of nurturing others. We are both highly empathic with generous spirits and so people tend to gravitate to our warm energy. My mother was an extrovert, but I am an introvert, so our expression of care is different. My mother approaches people, but people tend to approach me. Just yesterday, a lady leaving the grocery store stopped and commented to me that my smile brightened up her day. I wasn’t even aware that I was smiling. When I look in the mirror, I often see my mother’s warm smile starring back at me. She named me after herself, so each time someone calls my name, I am reminded of her, and I like it.

So, this past Mother’s Day, like every Mother’s Day since her passing, I spent a good portion of the day remembering her. I recall her humanity, her many accomplishments, wisdom, love, and encouragement as well as her flaws, fears and missteps. She was my biggest cheerleader, and I feel that she continues to be. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom. You are loved and your physical presence is missed, but your spirit is always welcome to be with me.

The last hundred years has provided unequivocal evidence to everyone in the world that heterosexual white males are not the superior beings many once thought. When given the opportunity, people of color, women, and LGBTQ people have demonstrated the reality that talent, intelligence, ingenuity, strength, courage, and moral decency are not bestowed in greater abundance upon any particular race or sex among people. Biology confirms that beneath the color of our skin, we are in fact one species, making race a purely social construct. And to top it off, biology and neuroscience have shattered the mythical binary of male and female, revealing a sex and gender spectrum that can be seen both in the genetic code, the obstetrician’s observation, and in brain activity. However, these revelations present an existential threat to sub-par heterosexual white males and the weak women who covet their protection.

Many of these people view Donald Trump and his policies as a way to turn back the clock to a time when male whiteness was superior and deserving of the opportunities and privileges afforded only to them. They justified their genocide of native Americans to steal their lands and their enslavement of blacks to steal their freedom, labor, and dignity by believing, despite all evidence, that others were inherently inferior to themselves and therefore slightly less human. The reality is that they had more lethal weapons at their disposal and a propensity to use them.

But over time, through undeniable accomplishments, protests, perseverance, courage, heartache and even bloodshed, the myth of white male superiority crumbled. Everyone could clearly see that capability, creativity and courage are traits spread across humanity irrespective of race, gender, or sexual orientation. For a season, particularly within the U.S., progress toward a more equitable and inclusive country was being made. Our diversity was finally being appreciated for the strength it actually is. Although we were not yet a perfect Union, discrimination laws were overturned, the doors to opportunities were opening, and historic impediments to success were being remedied. For the first time, the historically oppressed with the talent, intelligence, creativity, energy, and ambition could finally climb the ladder of success. And many of them did to the silent chagrin of some less talented, less creative, and less ambitious white folks. For the first time, white male heterosexuals were required to compete for societal positions they once assumed belonged only to them. Envy and insecurity along with the pushback against this progress was inevitable.

I think the tipping point for many white people was not only the accension, but the intelligence, grace, and success of Barack Obama and his family when they occupied the highest seat of power on the planet, the White House. Their core belief in the supremacy of whiteness was not only challenged but threatened. The candidacy of Hillary Clinton after Obama further challenged and threatened the supremacy of their maleness. It shocked the system’s progress when Donald Trump, a clearly inferior candidate in intelligence, creativity, and basic decency was elected. He was a terrible president, but he along with the racist and misogynist in the country refused to give up their dream of reclaiming their domination. It came as no surprise to me that it took another white male in 2020 to defeat Trump. And perhaps 2024 was too soon to expect a white change of heart.

Despite the objective reality that Kamala Harris was smarter, wiser, more experienced, and clearly a better human being, Donald Trump defeated her in 2024. Although there is speculation that he won through voter suppression, lies, and perhaps other election rigging tactics, he is once again the president. It’s regrettable that more eligible voters declined to vote than voted for either candidate. And those who voted for Trump cited the desire for lower prices as a shield from admitting that they couldn’t bring themselves to vote for a woman of color. The depth of the racism and misogyny at work has become evident in the days following the election. Not among the masses, but among the MAGA loyalists who embody about 30% of the American population.

The cruelty and chaos we are experiencing today is their last-ditch effort to turn back the progress we have made toward a more equitable society. They want the good ole days back when white men held all the reins of power and had first dibs on the best opportunities. They covet the jobs that don’t require an education but pay them enough to live. The men want women to return to being subservient to them and for people of color to fear them. They want LGBTQ folks back in the closet. Trump wants to dominate and so do they.

What we are witnessing is what some are calling, “extinction burst”. It’s a temper tantrum that happens when a child realizes he will not get his way. It’s like the child who viciously breaks everything in sight until he wears himself out. Trump and MAGA are those children. We see it in their constant rage against women, against immigrants of color, and against transgender folks. It’s amplified in the ridiculous unconstitutional executive orders and the discriminatory policies being thrust upon us. It’s the bullying, the firings, the book banning, and even the tariffs. It’s their last-ditch effort to force acceptance of their mythical white male supremacy. But we stand tall and simply refuse.

They can burn every history book and confiscate every video and close every museum door, but the truth is here to stay because it lives in the heart of decent people throughout the entire world who aren’t going to bend the knee. We are using our rational adult voices for progress and in defense of our constitutional rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We are protesting in the streets, taking them to court, and showing up at their town halls. Some are putting their bodies between ICE agents and their would-be victims.

Rational Americans aren’t going to allow these petulant children to remove our due process, our freedom to speak, nor our freedom to assemble. Their temper tantrum is being met by the adults in the room who refuse to relent. And in the end, they will relent.

So, I’m hopeful because I’m convinced that rational citizens, together with the courts and world leaders, will make sure that Trump and his MAGA followers will be denied the white male dominion they seek. I’m just hoping the “extinction burst” ends sooner rather than later because they are breaking a whole lot of stuff and the clean-up isn’t going to be easy.

This past week, the Republican majorities in the House and Senate codified the Trump tariffs, essentially relinquishing their Constitutional duty over trade tariffs to a president who clearly either doesn’t understand tariffs or wants to use tariffs for a nefarious purpose even if they tank our own economy. In fact, on threat of tariffs, the economy shrank by 0.3% for the first time since the pandemic era as companies stockpiled imported goods. The stock market is down, and prices are as high as ever. This isn’t Biden’s economy as Trump gaslights; it’s all him!

Economists, business executives, and political analysists can’t figure out his actual motives for starting this trade war against the world. They repeatedly warn that no one wins a trade war and that farmers, businesses, investors, and consumers all suffer under the weight of tariffs. They also agree that Trump’s disturbing rollout revealed deeply flawed tariff calculations, a lack of understanding about trade deficits, and an ill-conceived presentation that included a country with only penguins as residents.

Trump began his tariff debacle claiming that tariffs were necessary to stop the flow of fentanyl into the country from Mexico and Canada. The truth is American demand for the drug drives “Americans” to traffic the drugs across borders and very little of it is coming from Canada. Then he moved on to his desire to rectify our trade imbalance with other countries because they were “taking advantage of us”. This makes no sense either because less populace and poorer countries will never be able to establish a trade balance with the U.S. because they lack both the demand and the funds to purchase enough goods to create a balance. In fact, we may not even have goods to trade that they need or desire. And now he claims that he wants to bring manufacturing jobs back. The fact is that businesses have come to rely on the less expensive labor found in other countries and they source many of their manufacturing materials from around the globe. An iPhone made in the U.S. would cost about $4,000. Besides that, it would take years and huge capital investments to build manufacturing plants for everything Americans consume if businesses had the faith to even begin such a process. Under scrutiny, none of his stated reasons make much sense.

With this understanding most thinking adults are left scratching their heads. However, it seems to me that ego is at the root of these tariffs. Trump seems to have a deep-seated need to publicly dominate everyone, especially other world leaders, requiring them to “kiss his ass”. Many have noticed that Russia and North Korea were left off his list. Perhaps he kisses Putin’s ass and so admires Kim that he wouldn’t dare tariff either of them? According to Administration reports, many countries are humbly seeking exemptions or manageable concessions to avoid financial disaster. Even U.S. farmers, small businesses, and whole industries are begging for exemptions to avoid going out of business.

But some countries are turning away from the U.S. altogether and establishing alternative trade partnerships. And most notably, China isn’t playing his game. To punish China’s obstinance, Trump raised tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%. China went as far as reciprocating with 125%, saying that rate will end imports into China, so they had no need to go any higher. And in a bold move, China has halted shipments to the U.S. and have called upon other countries to stop trading with the U.S. altogether because we are unreliable. Those buying goods directly from China are being slapped with huge tariffs bills from UPS and Fed Ex. Not surprisingly, our ports are reporting a dramatic slowdown of imported goods from China and people are being laid off. The trucking business is also taking a hit, and farmers are in panic mode as trade deals with China for corn and soybeans have been destroyed. I think panic among U.S. consumers will soon follow.

Most of the goods on store shelves come from China. Retailers estimate that shelves will begin to show signs of scarcity in about two weeks. Ahead of tariffs, many retailers, both big and small, stocked up, but the supply on hand will soon be diminished. Some retailers believe they will soon go out of business altogether. Scarcity means higher prices and lost jobs. It’s simple supply and demand. Remember how difficult it was to get toilet paper during the pandemic and how many people were out of work? Do you remember the long food lines?

This past week, Trump advised the American people to understand that they will need to cut back and endure some pain for a while. He told parents that they should only buy two dolls this Christmas instead of the usual thirty and expect to pay more for them. This from the same billionaire class Administration that told us that only fraudulent social security recipients would complain if their monthly check didn’t show up.

So, what do we do? First, we make sure our Republican representatives are more afraid of us than they are of Trump. We protest in the streets, we flood their offices with emails and phone calls, we show up at their offices, and we vote them out of office in 2026. Second, we financially support the many organizations that are bringing lawsuits against this Administration for their tariffs and their lawlessness. Third, we enthusiastically support businesses that openly defy Trump policies and boycott those businesses that cower under threat or openly support the Administration and its policies. And finally, we stock up sooner rather than later on the most necessary goods for the next year.

In previous posts, I shared how we expanded our vegetable garden, did any renovations, secured new cell phones, stocked our pantry and stored basic household necessities ahead of Trump taking office. Well, yesterday, I purchased Christmas toys for my grandsons in anticipation of the shortages. Everything was slightly more expensive, and each toy was made in China except for the Hot Wheels (which were from Canada).

My guess is that the true motive behind these tariffs is to help establish a Trumpian white male dominance across the entire world. It is pure arrogance driven ego. That is the common denominator among Trump, Musk, Vance, Mike Johnson and the Cabinet members (arrogance and big egos). However, at their core they are broken, insecure, empathy-lacking, sociopaths. They are real life evil villains hellbent on shaping and ruling the world.

But perhaps we should all breathe a sigh of relief that the rest of the world sees Trump and his Administration for the corrupt, incompetent, and sloppy group of egomaniacs that they are. Many aren’t buying what they are selling. In fact, the Trumpian candidates in both Canada and Australia lost their elections this week as backlash against Trump. And Americans are slowly waking up to the reality of who this man is. One hundred days in, he is now underwater in every poll on every issue. So, I’m keeping the faith that this kind of evil will once again be defeated by our united resistance. So, resist in every way you can.