HE COULD HAVE BEEN A NAZI LEADER

by Ruth A. Sheets

Donald Trump could have been a Nazi leader, you know, the ones that commanded sections of concentration camps or were in charge of removing the "enemies of the state" to those camps. He does not have the abilities of a military or political leader of the regime, but, his gifts for resentment, vengeance, self-righteousness, and hatred for anyone he believes inferior (just about everyone else) would have made him a perfect man for such a post.

His charismatic bullying style and bent for cruelty would have endeared him to those in power. They would have given him free hand to do whatever he liked to those under his control and I have no doubt he would have used that power. The objects of his wrath would have suffered tremendously as long as Mr. Trump received good food and a beautiful place to live. 

Having no moral compass, I suspect nothing would have been off-limits to him. That, is, if he didn't have to actually perform the cruel acts himself and could blame it on his underlings or the victims. "They did it" or "They made me do it." 

Mr. Trump's ability to be manipulated by anyone in his circle would be of great benefit to the other Nazi leaders.  They would be certain that he would do what was "necessary" to get the last drop of life out of the powerless he supervised.  Those pathetic souls would declare how much they loved him and wanted to serve in their pathetic inadequate way, under threat of death, of course.

It is impossible to have watched Mr. Trump for the past few years and not notice his cruelty, his inability to accept responsibility for anything he says or does, his inability to judge people on anything beyond their loyalty to himself.  His racist statements, even about the President of the United States show there are no limits to what he will say or do to promote whiteness as the superior attribute of a human being, a perfect Nazi leadership stance. 

And, Mr. Trump's got the lying knack down pat.  His ability for stirring up a crowd while spewing insults and lies to their faces is astounding.  Then, he repeats the lies and false claims over and over to make them true.   

For example, his idea of deportation is telling poor people of color they would be going back to a place where they will be with people of their own kind who will appreciate them, while sending them to a gang-torn impoverished land where their lives will be at risk from the moment they step off the plane.  There are definite similarities with the holocaust boxcar stories, if not the actual horrific conditions of the journey.  Death often comes at the end of both, though.   

This man was elected president of the United States by an outdated, racist structure, the Electoral College.  He has no mandate to be doing the things he is doing to the people of this country just as Hitler and his cronies had no mandate in 1933 when they took power.  As with the German government in 1933, the Republicans and other conservatives are bowing to Mr. Trump's wishes for the win, even if they have only a slight inkling what he is demanding.  If Mr. Trump could, I suspect he would order all kinds of despicable actions on behalf of his racist, sexist, homophobic agenda.  He already started the process by ordering Muslim bans, deporting undocumented parents of American children, ending the "Dream Act," and trying to ban transgender people from the military.

At least this is still America and we have laws to stop him, but the bowers and scrapers reside in our Congress and could make some of his cruelties law, and how likely is it that our highest court would stop them?  We really haven't seen the Court in action yet to have any real sense of it.

Having read Michael Wolff's book, Fire and Fury, you may note that Mr. Trump surrounds himself with family members and sycophants who either don't know or don't care what America stands for.  It's about power and who has it.  We already know Mr. Trump agrees with the last person who spoke to him, unless they disagree with his basic beliefs of white male superiority. 

Mr. Trump surrounds himself with people who know how to get him to do and say what matters to them, so, the next steps could be dangerous to many people in this country.  As long as the lower level Nazi leaders produced the desired outcomes, their superiors didn't care much how it happened.  What a scary thought that the far right haters could get their "leader," Mr. Trump, to do their bidding.  Their goal is a hierarchy of white men on top and everyone else to serve them.  Too many women or people of color around?  Get rid  of them! put them in their place! 

The parallels are strong with this one.

WHEN YOU CAN'T FEEL SHAME, LYING IS THE LEAST OF YOUR FLAWS

by Ruth A. Sheets

The year 2017 will ultimately go down in history as a year in which a political party did its best to undermine the American way of life, to promote dysfunction, and to enhance control at all levels by the wealthiest few. 

Donald Trump ran as a populist, which in the past has meant support for the common person.  It has meant a movement toward civil rights for all and a level of equalizing power and resources among many, if not all groups.

The media were enthralled by this man who would say the most outlandish things - Mexico will pay for a gigantic wall on its northern border, there is a war on coal which he will correct, disabled persons are worthy of ridicule, Gold Star families do not love America as much as he does, Black people should vote for him because things can't get worse for them, the mainstream media only does fake news, unlike Fox News, and so on. 

For those not enthralled by this rhetoric, these were shameful words.  They and so much of
Mr. Trump's campaign language were clear lies, just spoken loudly and with conviction.  Alas, it appears for human beings, the louder and more often something is said, the more believable it seems. 

One can understand that Mr. Trump is not ashamed of his lies and despicable actions.  These were a pattern during his professional life for decades.  Since he can't feel shame, he can say and do things that should be, at least seen by others, as shameful.

But, alas, this shamelessness is spreading.

Beginning in January, 2017, after the inauguration, Republicans in the United States Senate participated in the lying, deceit, and acquiescence to the shameful agenda of Mr. Trump.  They rubber-stamped nearly everyone put before them for government positions, no matter how unqualified or opposed to the department, agency, or people they would be supervising or making decisions about.

-Need a Secretary of State, America's chief diplomat?  Well, what about a man whose only experience is as CEO of a huge oil conglomerate, without a diplomacy background? 

-a Secretary of Education?  What about a woman whose only experience of education is through private schooling and anti-public school activism?

-a Director of the Environmental Protection Agency?  What about a man whose political career was engaged in fighting the EPA on behalf of fossil fuel and other polluting companies, and by the way denies science?

-a Secretary of the Interior?  How about someone who sort of cares about the natural lands of his own state, but anyone else's, not so much?

-a Secretary of Labor?  Maybe a person who opposes unions and anything that will help workers?

-an Attorney General, the head of our justice system?  What about someone known for his racist and misogynist views, who is OK with police brutality and militarization?

-need a Supreme Court justice, not one nominated by that last president, who of course, was not a legitimate president?  Why not another ideologue, someone who does not have to think about his decisions, but simply has to think of what would be best for people like him?

-a bunch of judges for the Federal Courts?  How about some of the least qualified, mostly white men, around, especially ones who don't even know the law related to the court they would serve?

-a head of the Federal Communication Commission?  How about a man who has close ties to a large communications conglomerate that wants to control the internet, who opposes "net neutrality"

The Senate should be ashamed!  They should feel guilty that they have put so many Americans at risk, but do they, not a chance. 

Millions of Americans wrote, protested, and called to tell their representatives they did not want the recent tax bill to pass, but those Americans were ignored so Republicans could get a victory.  And, aha, they got away with giving the biggest cuts to those least in need of them.  Who will pay?  The Congress is now preparing bills that will cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid as well as many other programs that serve the middle class and poor citizens in this country.  Where is there shame?  They have none, so the lies they tell themselves and their constituents are only a minor flaw.  The bigger flaw is that they are beholden to the money that they have made while in office and the money that will help keep them there. 

Admittedly, some Democrats are also beholden to the big money, but they have, so far, mostly felt enough shame they could stand against the appalling legislation brought before Congress.  Will they continue to stand firm?  That is unclear.  A vote to continue funding CHIP, the health insurance for children of working-class families, and DACA, the "Dream Act" among other bills will be coming up soon.  We'll see where they stand.  We know MANY Congressional Republicans have sacrificed their humanity for some kind of victory.  Let's hope this disease is not contagious.

SEXUAL HARRASSMENT?

by Ruth A. Sheets

Sexual harassment has come to the fore this year, probably at least partially because the current occupant of the White House has credibly been accused of and has admitted acts of sexual harassment.

Individuals and groups are rushing to jump on a sexual harassment policy bandwagon.  The noise and pseudo-excitement is sweeping up a lot of people, many of whom have made comments or have touched someone in a way the touchee did not want or appreciate.  Often these take place between people whose level of power vary greatly or where one of the people has at least some level of control over the other person's livelihood.

It seems to me any sexual harassment policy MUST take into account levels of harassment.  Touching someone does not automatically mean sexual harassment.  Making comments that are "off-color" does not necessarily mean sexual harassment.  I am so sick of people "coming forward" with claims for things that can happen in ordinary conversation, particularly with someone who is generally demonstrative.  One act like this does not a sexual harasser make.  However, repeated such acts, that's a different story.

The process should begin with training in this area for everyone.  Then, there must be a graduated level of types of harassment from infrequent unwanted comments to  touching in a "Sexual" manner to lack of promotions for women unless they succumb to advances, to actual rape or assault.

Lately, though Democrats are acting as though all sexual harassment is the same.  No matter what the act, it requires the "perpetrator" to resign in disgrace.  This is absurd!  A casual touch, a comment in passing, touching the thigh of someone sitting next to one in the excitement of a stimulating conversation  don't come close to demanding sexual favors for promotions, career opportunities, money, or any other material or other gain.  And, they are not even in the same league with rape or attempted rape.

It is exciting that this issue has resurfaced for the general public.  It was out there in 1991 with the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court hearings when Anita Hill came forward to report an ongoing pattern of harassment on the part of a man who would be sitting on our nation's highest court.  She was only believed by women who had experienced the same kind of harassment.   Even many of them thought this was just the way of life and should not have been brought up.  Thomas was voted into the position he still holds more than a quarter of a century later.

It would be great if the current movement were to stay front and center, but people are already getting fed up with it, and I mean women, not just the men who keep the sexual harassment going.

Most people recognize the differences in levels of harassment and, like me, don't want legislators, particularly Democrats to rush to "do something, anything."  Sometimes when Democrats acknowledge a problem, they jump on it with both feet and want to immediately purge the problem and all perpetrators from their ranks, like some kind of religious mission.  In an undemocratic manner, they drive out people who do care and could learn and practice more appropriate actions in their lives.  Heck, the accusations have only been in the public court, not in the "real" courts or even before any kind of board that can help everyone work through what actually happened.

The need to work through what happened is essential if we are to have any kind of uniform understanding of the levels of sexual harassment.  How did a particular situation arise?  Are there political or other reasons an accusation was made?  Is what happened actually a crime?  Have apologies been made and accepted?  Will either party have to be in a working or social situation again?  Is the harassment a pattern or a one-time thing?  What can other women (or men) do to recognize when what is happening to them is sexual harassment?  Are there ways to avoid the situation? 

Without transparency, sexual harassment becomes a "she said, he said" situation and the victims don't get the full story out and the accused does not get to either explain or defend his/her position. 

Clearly some sexual harassment is a crime and needs to be addressed through our judicial system.  rape, attempted rape, assault, pedophilia, threats, and other acts are truly crimes already on the books.  What a good policy can do is address in a fair way the "lesser" acts.  What is a realistic response by an organization, by persons within that organization?  Should there be laws regarding specific acts described as sexual harassment?  What steps need to be followed to see that accuser and accused are heard?  How should issues of power in relationships related to harassment be addressed?  What kind of training in the workplace and other sites actually improves conditions?  These are all important considerations and will take time if we are to make effective sexual harassment policy.

Democrats MUST be involved in the process, but not pretend that driving their representatives out of office without some kind of due process is OK.  It isn't.  Dems must stop playing "holier than thou.  Republicans and Independents are just as involved in harassing, perhaps even more.  So, when Dems try one of their own in the court of public opinion, with no formal means of explaining, They are enabling the public to think it is only Democrats who are sexual harassers.  That is simply foolish and shows Democrats feeding on their own and gives Republicans victories they don't deserve. 

HOW DOES IT HAPPEN?

By Ruth A. Sheets

I just finished reading the book "The Seamstress" by Sara Bernstein.  It is one of the most disturbing books I have ever read.  I nearly stopped reading it numerous times.  I read it as an audio book and the reader's storytelling voice made it all seem almost normal by the end.  What was normal, the experiences of a young Jewish Romanian woman, a victim of the Holocaust. 

As I read, the old question kept surfacing, How could this happen?  How do whole groups of people lose their humanity while they are working hard to destroy the humanity of others?  Do the perpetrators realize they have lost their humanity?  Is there any way to let them know what they are doing in time to save them and everyone else from the horrors to follow?

In the memoir, a young girl, her friends, and a multitude of Jewish women are brutalized, starved, forced to work as slaves, deprived of all dignity, herded like animals because of religion.  Christians performed unspeakable acts on people they did not know just because they could.  They had the power of the state behind them.

The hardest part to read was just how slowly and methodically it all happened to Ms. Bernstein and her friends and family.  Pay was cut, jobs became harder and harder to find if you were Jewish.  Christian citizens of Romania and Hungary had no problem hurting, spitting on, and otherwise humiliating people they thought were Jews.  They restricted where they could live, where they could shop, where they could go.  The Germans had not even entered these countries when these actions were happening, so they can only be indirectly blamed for the way things got started there.  Much of the brutality was home grown in Hungary and Romania.

By 1942, life even in the cities became nearly impossible.  People were arrested and accused of spying, when they were actually charged with being Jews.  The military was everywhere and if they happened to shoot someone, well, that was only a Jew, so who cares.

The labor camps where thousands were driven by overwork to their deaths, then the concentration camps where millions were starved and murdered are so hard to imagine because there has been nothing like them.  The Germans and other leaders built upon each other to devise more and more horrific acts to use against their captives while they pretended they were just doing their duty.

I have read other memoirs of the Holocaust, but this one was the recollections of a woman.  Had I been born in a different time and place, it could have been I who faced the horrors of watching her sister shot in front of her, watching women beaten to death for singing, seeing the bodies of dead and dying women tossed onto piles to be carted away.  The author was 44 pounds when rescued in 1945. 

I know many conservatives don't like anything they do or say being compared with the rise of the Nazis in the 1930s in Europe, but I am seeing clear parallels.  We Americans are told "That could not happen here.  No one would allow it."  Having read this woman's story, I am not so sure.  It came on so slowly most people didn't even recognize what was going on until it was too late to do anything about it. 

A nebulous anger about jobs and working condition led Christians who felt entitled to good work at a decent wage needed someone to blame.  For centuries, Jews had provided fodder for their hatred.   How were Jews responsible, just by existing.  It was easy to target Jews in small communities, but more challenging in cities where there was more education and more religious mixing.  Begin limiting their rights, a bit at a time, make it difficult for them to earn money or have businesses.  Call them "Christ Killers," so you are excused to do whatever you want, in the name of Christ, whether you were actually religious or not.  See Jews as foreigners with no right to be in the country.

Some people in power in our country work hard to limit the rights of those they feel are beneath them, perhaps even inferior to them.  They have helped to create fear of people of color, a disdain of women, resentment of the poor - the takers, a belief that their religion is the only true faith and that one religion in particular is filled with terrorists.  They glorify the military, no matter what it does. 
They champion a kind of American nationalism that leaves many in our nation and the world vulnerable.

Immigrants are bad, except my ancestors "who came here the right way."  These folks are OK with incarcerating children for life, if they are of the feared groups.  They will deport the parents of
American citizen children just because they can, they are illegal immigrants, you know.  Racists and sexists are "fine people" and we have to protect our culture and its statues.

Remember, America has had its own concentration camps during World War II when more than 100,000 Japanese Americans were interned for being Japanese.  We still have Guantanamo which can hold a lot of people in a place that could easily be closed off to all inspection. 

Is this how it begins?  Is this how it happens?

WHEN ALL THAT MATTERS IS A WIN

by Ruth A. Sheets

Before Thanksgiving, our Congress is planning to vote on major "Tax Reform" bills and have them signed by Mr. Trump before Christmas.  Republicans claim the bills they have brought forth will cut taxes for the middle class and "stimulate" our economy.  They also claim they are simplifying the tax code.  It is hard to believe even they believe these claims. 

When supporters, all Republicans in both the House and Senate, are asked about provisions of the bill, it is clear they don't really know or understand what is in the bills, let alone the consequences of passing this legislation for most Americans. They say they don't want to give tax breaks to the rich, but know full well this is what will happen.

Republicans in the Senate made sure that only Republican votes would be necessary to pass this tax overhaul and shoved hundreds of amendments into the bill which will affect large numbers of the most vulnerable Americans.  This includes cutting Medicaid and Medicare, license to drill in the Arctic Wildlife Reserve and a repeal of the most critical part of the Affordable Care Act, which was already voted down several times this year, and lots more.

What is going on here?  It is about a win, a big win.  Supposedly, Republicans promised their constituents they would repeal "Obamacare."  Because it has the name "Obama" in it, it is reflexively hated by a large number of white Americans.  "How dare a black man think he could be president and pass anything?"  So, in order to keep the loyalty of these constituents, they feel they can cheat, lie, misdirect, and generally cause harm to many Americans as long as they can claim a big win.

The one thing that is certain, if members of Congress have to prepare a bill in secret, then scheme and plot to make sure only their party gets a say in what is passed, something is wrong with the legislation.  And, of course, there is a lot wrong with it.  Cutting taxes for the wealthiest hoping they will put that money into more jobs or anything else except their bank account is  ridiculous.  Cutting corporate taxes nearly in half also hoping for more jobs, higher wages, and the return of money from offshore is a fantasy they want uninformed Americans to buy.

But wait!  Most Americans do not want these bills at all.  Over and over, polls tell all of us that Americans do not want tax cuts for the wealthy.  They like their health care.  They like the deductions for state and local taxes.  They like the deductions for student loans (even though they are very small) and those for home mortgages.  This does not seem to matter at all.  No Republicans have come forward to say "I am not voting for this thing.  My people don't want it, so I support them."  If they were to say this, their donors will supposedly pull financial support for their campaigns.  These Republican candidates are sure their courage will not be rewarded at home.  Far right candidates will be put against them and be better funded, so they will lose the seat.  

Wow!  So donors buy the seats and make demands from those who sit in them.  In New Jersey, a Senator is on trial for accepting gifts with no evidence that those gifts influenced his votes on anything.  How is he on trial when wealthy Republican donors are not?  They are getting votes for their gifts.

When the win is the only thing.  People will sacrifice their honor, their integrity, and just about everything else for it.  They will allow themselves to be threatened, cajoled, and bribed into doing things they know are wrong.  Or, they lie to themselves that what they are doing is good for everyone because it is good for them.  I keep hoping a Republican "lawmaker" will see defeating a horrific bill as a win.  I doubt I will see it any time soon, though.  So, I will mourn with the American people as we deal with the major cuts to critical programs that will come just because Republicans need a win.

WHERE YOU COULD REALLY HELP - IF YOU CARED

Ruth A. Sheets

Every day, my inbox contains notices from candidates who just learned the Koch brothers or some other super rich entities are financing an opponent's campaign for amounts of money that ordinary citizens in their thousands will never be able to match.

This is disturbing. In a democracy, financial interference in elections by the super wealthy should be obscene, unacceptable. But, in reality, it is just the opposite. It's encouraged and Supreme Court approved. We hear both parties do it and so it's OK.

First of all, this level of financial interference with elections is not equally applied, but should not be allowed at all. There should be a reasonable limit to contributions any citizen can make to candidates, no matter their wealth. This won't happen any time soon because this super money gets people elected who are beholden to particular individuals, corporations, industries, or causes. The gains bring excessive, usually undeserved power and influence to the donors. This goes to the highest levels of government, all three branches as well as the most local levels for school board and town councils.

Rich people want to know their money will get them influence and recognition, even celebrity. They name things after themselves, establish foundations that give money to grateful groups who will make the donors seem legitimate and philanthropic. They want something for their dollars, and that something is name recognition, political influence, and a variety of "unacknowledged" special privileges.

The wealthy of the world believe they got their money by their own hard work, skill and talent, so, owe nothing to anyone else, but generously choose to share their largess with those they deem worthy. And, of course, those they deem worthy are those who have the same political and social views. Their foundations draw supplicants who come begging on their knees for the dribbles of help distributed to the poor and pathetic.

Toss a few bucks to local charities (not too much, though). Support a cultural institution, especially if your name can be on something. Give to your college/university to get a chair named for you, or perhaps an important building on campus. That also gives your kids free tuition to the institution. What a deal!

If the wealthy of our nation really cared about the country, its people, and its institutions, they would pay their workers better wages. They would name their buildings for great Americans like Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, or Caesar Chavez who made major contributions to American life and discourse. Then, they would seek out and help struggling local organizations that support people whose luck did not lead to the same level of wealth the donor has.

A million dollars to a place like Bethany Children's Home in Womelsdorf, PA that serves children from troubled home situations could indefinitely provide essential fees for graduating seniors attending school in local districts. Knowing they could attend proms, receive yearbooks, and walk at graduation would make a huge difference to so many young people. But, there would probably not be a lot of publicity. It's not glamorous, but truly needed.

That same million dollars, though is more likely to be contributed to a campaign to put some mega conservative in office who will promote fossil fuels in the face of global warming or try to limit women's right to choose as women have no right anywhere but in the home cooking, cleaning, and caring for their master. And, Oh yes, it will help to elect people who can make the donors even richer. Yeah, that's what America needs.

So, shame on you because you rich guys could make such a huge positive difference that would benefit so many more people. You could help real kids, support artists just starting out. You could help local schools get supplies and take trips that would make the education experience so much more valuable to kids. You could help communities preserve local historical sites. You could support community groups that provide after school recreation and study for kids who don't yet have the luck you had. You could do so much more with your money, a drop in the bucket for you, but you don't.
I get it, such largess might help people who don't share your ultra conservative views. Right now, you are hoarding your funds to obtain the greatest influence you can. Shame on you when you could help so many because you've received so much.

OVERWHELMED AGAIN

by Ruth A. Sheets

Over four and a half years ago I wrote a blog about how overwhelmed I was at Republican vitriol after Barack Obama was re-elected in 2012.  One would have thought he had a mandate to get his agenda passed.  That, of course, is not what happened.  State legislatures had gerrymandered districts so thoroughly that the House of Representatives was heavily weighted toward Republicans, and those Republicans could not bring themselves to support anything President Obama favored, and  racism raised its ugly head. 

Since then, the attacks on the American system have exploded.  A sexist, racist bully has been elected president by the Electoral College, an outdated structure designed originally to protect Southern states and their desire to maintain slavery.  He lost the popular vote, you know the vote by individual Americans by nearly 3 million votes, yet he believes he has a mandate to totally rework the American government.  Gerrymandering has increased significantly, so it will be harder for Democrats or Independents to stop any of the "mandated" legislation, no matter how much it hurts the people.

The majority of the American people don't want any of Trump's proposals for government change, yet we may get it anyway, perhaps all of it.  We daily face the blows to our democracy, like the ones below.

- Encourage or at least allow members of the Trump campaign to meet with Russians whose goal was to disrupt the election on behalf of Mr. Trump.
- Approve as a partisan Senate totally inappropriate secretaries to head all the governmental departments that serve the American people.  They are either incompetent (Ben Carson at Housing and Urban Development - I guess that growing up in public housing makes you an expert in it) or totally opposed to the department they are heading, to the point of trying to bring the department down, (most of the rest of them).
- Install relatives and other cronies who have minimal experience with anything related to governing.
- Start A shouting contest with a foreign entity that has access to nuclear weapons and a leader as unstable as ours, as though nuclear war is a positive.
- Ban Muslims from coming into our country even to visit.
- Stop the flow of refugees who are desperate, have been heavily vetted, and have nowhere else to go.
- surround the president with people whom he expects to lie for him to support his own lies.
- Cut funds that support family planning around the world which help  countries that are already in distress due to climate change and overpopulation.
- Oh, then, there's Climate Change, alright, it's really GLOBAL WARMING!  deny that anything is happening to the climate.  Not by choice of the American people, but by executive order, pull the US out of the Paris Climate Agreement.
- Allow coal, oil, and gas companies to continue to pollute at high levels because it costs too much to lower the emissions, even though deaths from the pollution are mounting.  Oh, by the way, it's OK for coal companies to dump their waste in streams and rivers.  Too bad folks downstream!
- Treat the citizens, American citizens of Puerto Rico with such disrespect that more than a month after the most devastating hurricane they have experienced in a century, most of the people still do not have access to power or clean water.
- "Order" the NFL to fire anyone who protests the way African-Americans are being treated in our justice system by "taking a knee" during the National Anthem.
- Insult the families of military personnel who have died, and when it is reported, claim it didn't happen and insult a respected Congresswoman.  Have your staff continue the insults too.
- Claim white supremacists are fine people and equate them with people who are peacefully protesting the group's racist actions.
- Nominate justices to the Federal courts who are mostly male, very young, hold extremely conservative positions on nearly every issue, and who are often not even qualified by modern standards to sit on any bench.
- Propose a tax bill that claims to give BIG breaks to middle class people, but actually gives BIGGER cuts to the wealthiest, who can now incorporate and get a 50% tax cut or just take their operations off shore.  In the process, cut all programs that serve poor disadvantaged citizens and communities, protect the environment, and improve our infrastructure.
- Begin a process to open public lands to drilling and mining, propose to close some National Parks, and double or triple park admissions.
- Call any news coverage you don't  like "fake news" and undermine journalists and limit access.
- Sabotage the Affordable Care Act by cutting the amount of time people have to sign up, cutting nearly all the money for advertising, and severely limiting the number of people who can  help citizens navigate the sign-up process, all leading to higher premiums and other problems.
- Appoint a "Voter Fraud" Commission manned by people who want desperately to limit voting, especially voting by people of color, young people, and a lot of other folks (who just might be Democrats).

Overwhelmed!  The majority of Americans want none of this, but Republicans are plowing head with all of it and more.  The list above could be twice as long.  How can we stand for the American people in the face of this onslaught?  That is the question I ask myself often before I think I might give up.

Well, this is my country as much as it is Mr. Trump's and I know Mr. Trump can only see dollar signs when he looks at every issue.  He allows only people around him who see the same dollar signs and will work to destroy any American institutions that might hinder his free-wheeling acquisition of money and power.

What do we do.  We read the list, We vote for people who will stand against these actions.  we pick a few things we can stand against, then we fight as hard as we can on those issues.  We find others who can stand with us.  There are great organizations working to stop the insanity.  We are not victims if we stand up to the bullying, lying, cheating, and hate.  We are patriotic Americans.