“In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.”
-Aeschylus
“Vote!”
-President Barack Obama
I want to remember. I write these posts more for myself than anyone else. I want to remember where I have been, what I have seen, and how I felt.
This has been an awful week.
Sunday, May 24th
It is Memorial Day Weekend. The holiday is dedicated to the memory of fallen soldiers who gave their lives for the country. It is also the traditional start of Summer.
The country remains paralyzed in the grips of the pandemic with fitful attempts at reopening across the country. Forty million people are unemployed. The death toll from the pandemic is approaching 100,000.
Our fearless leader chose this moment to go golfing. The outing cost the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of dollars. During the weekend he tweeted more than 100 times with various insults, promoting a baseless conspiracy theory about mail in voting without evidence. He, again, touted the virtues of hydroxychoroquine as a treatment even after numerous medical studies have shown this information to be false and even dangerous.
As if all of that was not enough, he advanced another conspiracy theory that a former congressman and vocal opponent of him had in fact committed murder. Despite no evidence to support such a claim, The “Leader of the Free World” accused a US citizen of murder from his golf cart.
The White house released a press statement about the pandemic. However, nothing came from our fearless leader. At no time did he personally acknowledge the grim death toll of the virus or show any empathy to a nation bleeding.
Monday, May 25th
Our fearless leader laid a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery. No mention was made of the pandemic.
He met with older veterans without a mask violating his own CDC’s protocol.
He tweeted more insults and doubled down on his attacks of the congressman he accused of murder.
Tuesday, May 26th
We learned today that the wealthiest hospital systems in the nation, with millions of dollars of assets, received billions in Bailout money. Rural and community hospitals most at risk received a much smaller amount. Our health care system remains a travesty.
Our fearless leader wants a “normal” political convention with thousands of people packed into an arena without masks or social distancing. The governor of the state, a Democrat, is resistant to the request given the recommendations of the CDC regarding the pandemic.
So, our fearless leader is threatening to move the convention to a “Friendly State”. Georgia immediately agreed to his demands.
Our fearless leader continued to tweet inaccurate statements regarding the safety of mail-in voting. He then fires a 4th government Inspector General responsible for over seeing the government.
On television that evening a Fox news commentator called our fearless leader “The greatest president in American history”.
Wednesday, May 27th
Florida now joins Georgia in offering to host the Republican National Convention on our fearless leader’s terms.
We pass the 100,000 mark in deaths from the Covid 19 pandemic. This number is higher than all the deaths from the Vietnam War, The Korean War, and 9/11 combined.
The White House moves the flags to half staff for the day. No other mention was made from our fearless leader except to praise his own efforts saying , “It would have been higher if not for him”.
George Floyd, an unarmed African American man, is murdered on camera by a white Minneapolis police officer who held his knee on the man’s neck for 9 minutes.
It was appalling to witness.
Thursday, May 28th
Minneapolis erupts in violent protests over the death of George Floyd.
Our fearless leader tweets “When the looting starts, the shooting starts.” He refers to protestors as “Thugs”. He insults the mayor of the city and threatens to “Take over “ the situation.
He then attempts to change the subject by attending the Space X launch.
It was rained out.
Friday, May 29th
Riots have spread to more than 30 cities. The White House is placed on lockdown due to protestors.
The officer that put his knee on George Floyd for 9 minutes is arrested for murder.
Our fearless leader continues to tweet false and misleading statements regarding mail in voting and fraud. Twitter as a company decides to place fact checks on two of his many misleading tweets.
In a fit of rage, our fearless leader declares social media companies are conspiring against conservative and issues an executive order to make them obey his wishes. He does not, without Congress, have the authority to take such a step. But, it doesn’t matter. It is the fight, the disruption, and the distraction that matters.
In cities across the nation buildings burn and people are in the streets crying in pain.
Coronavirus haunts the streets and continues to spread. Since Wednesday an additional 5,302 people have died.
Our fearless leader finally made some comments.
He blamed China, and severed ties with the World Health Organization.
The WHO is charged with caring for the entire world as they fight the pandemic. We, the U.S., helped found the organization. The organization has saved tens of thousands of lives world wide.
All of this on a single Friday.
Then, he said this ......
It has been an awful week.
There was a time when Presidents brought the country together in times of crisis. Presidents from both parties put aside differences and brought comfort and solace to a wounded nation.
“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have born the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nation”
-Abraham Lincoln
“Amazing Grace how sweet the sound….”
-Barack Obama after the church shooting in Charlestown
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”
-Franklin Delano Roosevelt
“They slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God.”
- Ronald Regan after the Challenger disaster
Can we aspire again to such leadership? One day our fearless leader will be gone. In his absence will be the bile filled wake of the last few years. How long will it take to feel clean again? Will we ever trust our leaders again?
Can we actually become that “Shining city on a hill”?
I want to be lifted up.
I want to believe again.
Saturday, May 30th.
SpaceX and NASA successfully launched two men from American soil to the International Space Station. This is the first time in 9 years the United States has accomplished this feat.
I will remember.
Postscript - June 2, 2020
I don't understand how anyone can reasonably reach such conclusions.
I received this note on Facebook from a relative of mine. It is word for word and includes the grammatical errors.
The entire argument, such that it is, is full of falsehoods and shows a lack of understanding of history at a profound level.
"Glenn you being a sheep.
AMERICA knew he was not a politician when he was voted in!
He is trying to do what he promised AMERICANS he would do! That being put AMERICA first & drain the swamp.
OBAMA lied, cheated, paid Favors (PAYOLA to crony’s) and lined his own pockets) CLINTON everyone knows what he was along with his crooked wife. They gave nothing to AMERICA except heartache, always taking never giving. BIDEN has been in office all his adult life and has not contributed anything! He is a proven crook who solicited PAYOLA from a foreign country for his son then bragged about getting the investigators fired from the case (they were investigating the case)
TRUMP gives at every turn any salary he gives to our VETERANS.
No DEMOCRATIC has ever given anything close to what PRESIDENT TRUMP has given to AMERICA.
TRUMP is the best thing that has happened to AMERICA sense, REPUBLICANS pushing the 1863 EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION.
You had people (probably DEMOCRATIC’S) fighting President Lincoln then also.
Removed, hell I wish he had a twin. That way we could put him in after TRUMP’S second term in 2020 is up!"
Is it any wonder why our streets are on fire?
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