It's true. Before Donald Trump became President, which even now pains me to say, I believed in America. I believed in people. I believed in progress.
Now?
Now that Donald Trump not only became President but has been so for 2 years, all that is gone.
I no longer believe in the arc of progress through history. I no longer believe in the progress of humankind. I no longer see or believe in progress as being inevitable and/or natural. I don't assume it any longer.
It's the same with racism in our nation.
I used to see it as something deeply stupid that used to exist and occur in our society. I used to see it as something we would and were naturally working away from, having learned our collective lessons.
No longer.
Again, with this President---a member and now leader of the Republican Party it needs to be repeatedly pointed out--racism has not just reared its ugly head but come out very publicly, repeatedly and demonstrably.
I thought we'd all learned that lesson. I thought we knew better. I thought we were weaning ourselves of that outrageous ignorance.
Climate change?
This President doesn't believe in it. So naturally, we don't need our government or the governments of the world to do anything about it. Forget the science. Forget the scientific studies. Forget the facts and truth. Full, polluting speed ahead.
Then there's the safety nets we already decided on as a nation that this President is rolling back.
78 Environmental Rules on the Way Out Under Trump
This broke this week.
I was against Ronald Reagan becoming President and his tenure in the office bears me out. I was vindicated by what he did, in more ways than one. This was the biggest one.
Iran-Contra: Reagan's Scandal and the Unchecked Abuse of Power
Then there was Dubya'.
Yes, naturally, I was against George W. Bush becoming President.
I know, shocking, right?
And it was more, far more than just because he was a Republican. He proved me correct, too.
How Clinton Surplus Became A $6T Deficit
But Reagan and Dubya' both became President and we lived through it and I knew we would.
But Trump? Donald J. Trump as President?
In these fast two years with him in the White House, I see so many ways not just our nation but the world has gone and is going backward, already. It has made all kinds of things that were previously considered impossible, possible.
I do see some glimmers of hope. They are only brief and glimmers but there are some promising things out there. Here's one.
When even Republicans come out publicly denouncing him in any way, it gives me hope. Of course, there have been Republicans and Right Wingers publicly writing against and yes, denouncing him, for some time--columnist George Will, now-deceased Charles Krauthammer, both, among them.
While I've lost hope, I am still of the opinion we have to fight ignorance and stupidity and short-sightedness and greed. We can't give in completely. We have to work, however and whenever and wherever we can to better things, both for others and ourselves. Always.
We have to persevere.
Links:
Confronting the Cost of Trump's Corruption
Retired four-star general warns White House applicants against working for ‘immoral’ Donald Trump
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