Small Town Therapist on the Word from Historians

 

Celebrate joy when you can

After the last election many people were in a conundrum. Here's what I heard: "Why is there so much divisiveness in the country? Why did our former president when in office from 2016 to 2020 with his Republican party tear down people, ignore science, insult minorities and women, threaten to disrupt the voting process get elected again? Weren't they supposedly wanting to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN in 2016 and absolutely didn't." And now we are suffering with the same slogans, bigotry and greed that's staring us in the face again in 2025? 

I believe, not only me but many people, have the answer that's been true since the Obama administration: they want to make America white again; make America anti women and anti minorities again; and make billionaires trillionaires; and make America stupid again. 'Science, we don't need no stinkin' science!' Yet, ask someone why they're voted four more years of this disastrous administration and they, to a person say, "I prefer their [GOP's] policies." What policies? 

Truth: these policies are anti choice, pro billionaires, and white power. Now look no further than who Trump, and Trump voters, the Republicans chose for his Cabinet. There was not one, not one competent or qualified person in his administration. Good lord, he had Elon with his DOGE bros decimate the competent people who were working for the government, and then the audacity to steal our data from Social Security.  DOGE took the security and wrecked it for the country. 

It was that the "qualifications" for any the important office in the Trump administration was 1. that they were a Trump enthusiast and  2. a TV star on Fox News (listed as an entertainment program). There was no concern for competence, no qualifications other than loyalty . The Republicans went right along with all this absurdity.

Trump is among the most incompetent Presidents we've ever had. Tariffs? To benefit who? Certainly not the consumer. Then with his repetitive word salad speeches,  I believe Trump has fallen into dementia. He is an embarrassment and a disgrace, like cozying up to Putin. He has proven to be a vengeful, erratic man. Vengefully he's going after the big blue cities  like L.A., D.C. and Chicago with military force, as a wanna be dictator. Is this really America and democracy? No it's not.

The world was/is baffled that we chose this felon, misogynist, right wing incompetent man again. So am I--- embarrassed and angry.

Here's some more sad history from Trump's four year term. Our dear, competent Ruth Bader Ginsberg was the epitome of an excellent Supreme court judge: principled, courageous, fair,  who fought for equal justice for all. When she was dead one hour, the GOP administration announced that they were going to push ahead with a nomination, immediately. Years ago, after Ruth died, high minded reasons were given for not allowing President Obama's choice for the Supreme Court. Said McConnell,  "It's too close to the election (it was nine months away) and the new President should have the right to choose the SCJ."  After Ruth died, the Republican party approved a Supreme Court nominee ONE month before the election. The rage that some of us felt, the betrayal and dishonesty was  another slap in the face to integrity. The unfairness for the current Supreme Court make up is running amuck. For example, SCOTUS claimed that the 'president is above the law'. No he is not. This is a cornerstone principal of the rule of law. This includes government officials and any leaders. It's to prevent abuse of power. Oh, boy. What have the conservative members of the Supreme Court done? There's no preventing abuse of power and upholding justice. Trump is dangerous and creating hardships all over the country with his tariffs and his illegal deportations with no representation. God help us, because apparently the Supremes won't.

Amy Coney Barrett, was and probably still is part of the group of Catholic women who believe that the "men are the heads of the household and make all the decisions." Then we were stuck with the pick of Brett Kavanaugh who was accused of sexual abuse. The Republicans did not believe the woman who bravely told her truth about him.  So it was goodbye to Roe vs Wade. So many of us worked long and hard to pass that bill for women's rights. Now it's possibly farewell to the ACA, 'Obama care', and forget about your concerns about the environment, the laws protecting us will be sabotaged. Is this what Trump voters want for future generations?? I'm rather fond of our public lands, clean air and water.

Currently and sadly we are now getting a refresher course on when abortion was illegal. Women died in desperation and that is the situation today. The women, and sometimes young girls, in states where abortion is outlawed have no choice to safely terminate an unwanted pregnancy. 

I had a legal medical abortion many years ago. A baby I was carrying died inter utero at four months. Had it been just five years earlier, in 1972, I would have been required to carry that baby to 'spontaneous abortion' which could have cost me my life. This is to say nothing of the sadness and horror of carrying a dead, very wanted baby. Where is our protection for equal rights under the law? That's the 14th Amendment in our Constitution.

Let's reverse roles. Wonder if women were cruel and had the power of the laws behind them and wouldn't allow a man to have a choice of what to do with his reproductive rights. The husband comes to her and says, "I've been diagnosed with testicular tumors, probably cancerous, can I please have an operation to free myself from worry and pain?" The woman coolly appraises him and says, "NO, that might interfere with my right to have more babies. Let nature take it's course!" That's the position all women were in until 1973 when they won the right to have a say over their own bodies. The right to privacy with their physician was a hard fought battle. Now in many states it's still a very hard fought battle. Don't give up!

Another truth: a woman can get pregnant once a year. Ironically a man can impregnate many thousands of women, if he chooses to in one year. Why is the pregnancy burden always on the woman? That's some pretty fancy footwork: blame the woman. As we all have seen, people piously and obnoxiously stand outside the abortion clinics waving signs and begging women to not abort. Ah, but where are these pious people when that child is born? I can state emphatically--- they're not there to help that woman/girl. 

The reasons for abortion are many. It might be that she was raped or she was ill prepared to raise a child, or that she couldn't afford the child, or she was in ill health, or she was very young and/or it was a case of incest.  This is only a small list but it does provide very good reasons to have an abortion. The pious and obnoxious people are actually only pro birth, not willing to aid or give any help to that woman or girl after that child is born. Couldn't we agree to shift the blame. WHO got that woman pregnant?  Why isn't the emphasis on the men? 

On that topic of men, especially young men, I had some experience with disseminating information about birth control. Many years ago I'd was asked to talk to teens about the dangers involved with drugs and alcohol. Fortunately for me, this was well before the kinds of very dangerous drugs that are in many high schools these days. Inevitably the subject of girls drinking to drunkenness would come up. Some cocky boy would smirk and I would lead the discussion about the the responsibility of boys having or attempting having sex with an impaired girl. What about responsibility of possible impregnation as the consequences of having unprotected sex, or forced sex, rape?  I let them know that the lowest incidents of teen pregnancies in the world at that time were in Japan. Also, at that time, the only form of birth control in Japan was the condom.  A hush fell in the room.  All those years ago, no one to my knowledge was willing to speak to the obvious: it's clearly not just the woman who can do birth control, Japan proved that.

Love can triumph, fight for it

We all want loving relationships, don't we? We all want our children loved, fed and taken care of. Don't we also want truth, justice and the American way?  What has become of the American way? For parts of this country the belief is children are too delicate to learn about the Holocaust, the Trail of Tears, the slavery of African people etc. Why is our history and also the history of the world being withheld? We need a fresh course on creating empathy in our country and it starts in childhood. That used to be the American way. Now there are those who are attempting to justify racism, ignore the unfair advantages given to people of wealth and allowing women, minorities and people of color to be discriminated against. This has got to stop.

fight for your rights

How I wish we had voted the rascals out. With the Democrats and at least we had hope, kindness and competence. My fear is that we will fall so far. Never doubt we can rise again. This country can become, again, the admired country. Right now we are a grieving country and our new (old) leaders have failed us, already, miserably. The historians voted the Trump Presidency as worst administration and they voted him the worst president we ever had.  Unbelievably he has been re elected. 

Don't just sit there join a group to fight all the egregiousness that is to come.

susansmagicfeather 2024  Susan R. Grout all rights reserved