Tag Archive for Trump

A Pardon I Can Live With

I haven’t agreed with all the pardons President Trump has either granted or contemplated, but I do with this one…Susan B. Anthony, leader of the Women’s Suffrage Movement. That woman dared to vote in 1872, when it was illegal for women to vote. And she got caught.

I’m a bit surprised that Pres. Trump pardoned her, with his fierce stand and warnings against voter fraud (which this was), but who am I, a simple American citizen, to question his decisions?

Details at Trump to pardon women’s suffrage leader Susan B. Anthony.

I Have to Vent

I’m sorry, but today I need to vent. I’m watching all those kids who are alone although warehoused with hundreds of other kids, scared, wanting their parents, not knowing what’s going on or what will happen to them five minutes from now, feeling that they must have done something really bad to be in the situation they’re in.

And what am I hearing from the adults who can do something about this? Depending on who’s speaking, it’s the fault of 1) the President, 2) Democrats, 3) Republicans, 4) government agencies, 5) the kids’ parents, 6) Obama, 7) Obama and Bush, 8) current law….

It really, REALLY bothers me that the only activity going on to alleviate these kids’ misery is a bunch of hot air–blame rather than action. Yet, if politicians set aside their political bias, narrow allegiance, and eye toward re-election, they CAN do something. The President can sign yet one more Executive Order in his long string of them. The Democrats and Republicans can stop bickering and pass legislation with enough of a majority to override a possible Presidential veto. Government agencies can do what they’ve done recently to create this  problem in the first place, namely reinterpret the pretty broad law. It’s too late for the parents to help their kids, because they’re already here. But where are all the other adults?

Call me a bleeding heart liberal, but even my conservative friends are crying along with those children.

Splish-Splash Gate

Is anyone else bothered by all the Trump brand water bottles at every seat during government meetings?  They’re clear as, well, water, in pictures all over the media.  I’m irritated by the fact that taxpayers are forced to buy a Trump product and that this product gets frequent, free, valuable advertising.

On the lighter side: There was Watergate, then Whitewater. Could this be Splish-Splash Gate?  Consider President Trump’s normal demeanor in light of the lyrics to the old Bobby Darin song “Splish Spash.”

Lots of Jobs!

Great news, in case you missed it.  U.S. jobs have been growing for 80 straight months!  Good for our economy AND for many people struggling to find work.

Looks  like the economists are right. Since 80 months = roughly 6 years under Obama and half a year under Trump, Presidents have little to do with job growth.  Who  cares who gets the credit?  As long as more American workers are finding employment and their families are having improved quality of life!

 

I Was Right

At the end of January, I predicted (see my Jan. 30 post that President Donald Trump would become the great unifier, bringing Democrats and Republicans together in agreement.  Not on everything, of course, but on some issues important to the welfare of our country.

Looks like I was right.

 

Irish, Congress, Trump, and History

U.S. Presidents or Congress have been doing it for years, and this year President Trump did it: declared March Irish-American History Month to honor the contributions to our country by Irish immigrants and their descendants who are living here.  Today’s Thursday Thought, then is in honor of them.

“Well, it takes all kinds of men to build a railroad.”
“No sir, just us Irish.”

–Railroad barons in “Dodge City,” Warner Bros., 1939

 

It Makes Me Cringe Bigly

I have to say it.  I’ve held off, tried to be open-minded and tolerant.  But now that others are picking it up from President Trump, I can’t hold off any longer.  Here it is:

NOT ALL ADJECTIVES WERE MEANT TO BE MADE INTO ADVERBS!

“Bigly” makes me cringe.

Please, please, dear readers–do NOT perpetuate that abomination of a non-word.  For my sake.  For the sake of the English-speaking world!

 

 

 

Pity Poor Kellyanne Conway

I’m starting to feel sorry for Kellyanne Conway.  She keeps mis-speaking and having to defend what she thought President Trump meant by what he said.  She’s on the front lines in the war with the media, demonstrators, the courts, Democrats, and even some Republicans.  It’s taking its toll; she’s exhausted.  Just compare the two pictures below.  I think, for the sake of her own health and for her family, she should resign and let her boss find someone else to  do the job.

 

Before working for Candidate Trump:

2 days ago, after working two weeks for President Trump:

 

Proposal for a New Cabinet Post

I propose a new cabinet post: Secretary of Tweets.

I’m serious.

I thought that, once the election was over, Donald Trump wouldn’t find it necessary to tweet as much.  It’s not the number of tweets, though, it’s the fact that Mr. Trump is, like many people, not careful with his word choice and tone.

With all due respect, I would suggest to him that he’s going to be very busy as President and, therefore, have even less time to choose the wording of his tweets.  At the same time,  what he says and how he says it is important to Americans as well as to foreigners, like heads of state and world-wide military leaders.  So often he has to backtrack on what he tweets, because  he meant it as a joke, for example, or came across in a troublesome way.

Mr. Trump will want to take advantage of every tool possible to accomplish the good he intends.  But what if one of those tools insults an important world-stage player he’s trying to make a deal with or creates misunderstanding, animosity, or mistrust among people or countries he needs to work with?  He minimizes his chance of success.

Think how much work this would save poor Kellyanne Conway, who is showing visible signs of exhaustion from trying to interpret Trump’s  tweets for us and make the message more palatable on camera.

Here’s where the Secretary of Tweets comes in.  Trump could tweet all he likes, but only to  the Secretary, who might be his favorite retired English teacher  or writer. The Secretary, a word-smith who knows the President well, can “translate” those tweets into ones that make the important point but do no harm, then send them out.

I think it’s a good idea.  But, no, I WILL NOT apply for the position!

Follow-Up on Yesterday

It’s worse than I thought.  In yesterday’s blog, I expressed my concern for the increase in hate crimes against a particular group, Muslims. Now I’ve learned that acts of hatred and bigotry are increasing toward many groups, and increasing very quickly.  You can Google it for yourself, but here’s a summary.

Since the election there have been 437 cases of racist vandalism, harassment, and intimidation.  Just since last Friday–less than a week ago–the number of such incidents nationwide has doubled, bringing it to four times more than any average week.  They are anti-Jewish, anti-Mexican, anti-immigrant, and others.  They contain swastikas and tweets about “Mud Men” and signs like “Trump Nation Whites Only.”

Trump has told his supporters to stop it.  But, in post-election furor, after 1+ years of having their prejudices and fears played upon during the campaigns, they aren’t listening to him.

I encourage Trump to try harder to quell this disgraceful, demeaning, dehumanizing, nation-damaging tumult.  More than that, I urge all of us to regain our senses and realize that this is a momentum that WE have to stop!