Thar She Blows

Warning: I am about to demonstrate what I have in common with a whale – other than the fact that my mid-section is the biggest part of me. I am ready to blow. Completely. Furiously. Without exhibiting any caution. You have been warned.

This morning, a friend – a friend – posted the following on Facebook:

“We did not hire Trump because of his squeaky clean past, but to sweep out the trash in our corrupt government. Only he has the balls to do it.” AKA drain the swamp.

I hate to tell you, folks, but you cannot believe that a swamp dweller will actually drain the swamp. Truly, you cannot. You also cannot trust that a swamp dweller will tell you the truth.

Ridding the corrupt in our government? Okay, I see you William Barr, the attorney general who apparently believes he is Trump’s personal attorney.

I see the associates of this man who is expected to clean out the corrupt. Just a few of the many who have been indicted and/or confessed to committing crimes or are under investigation since Trump was elected: Chris Collins, Paul Manafort, Rick Gates, Rudy Giuliani, Duncan Hunter, Michael Cohen, Sam Patten, Roger Stone – need I go on?

Corruption in the government – Mitch McConnell is still riding high. He who chooses what the Senate will hear, will consider, will listen to. He who announced prior to the impeachment proceedings that he would not find Trump impeachable.

I have heard the words Trump speaks – fomenting division between races and political parties. Speaking about subjects of which he has no knowledge, no expertise, but pretending he does.

I note that of Trump’s three wives, two were immigrants. Yet, he is the one who condemns immigrants, and wants no more of them in this country. This seems to me to be contradictory.

I listen to Trump believing what Fox News tells him to believe. Taking advise from employees of Fox News over his own experts, his advisers, whose job it is to advise him. To keep him up to date. Some of them are experts – some of them are people who have supported him, brown nosed into obtaining their positions, despite their lack of experience. Why do you think he has “acting” directors holding positions of importance? Well, for one thing, if they are “acting” they don’t require Congress’ approval. Does this make you feel comfy and cozy?

I am not saying that everything the press prints is completely truthful, unedited, not biased. But – I am saying we need to appreciate that we have a free press, that we need to appreciate that we have the ability to fact check what is said and what is printed. That we can see and hear the words that are spoken on our televisions, so we can be upfront witnesses. That we have the freedom to make our choices, but also – remember – the responsibility to make our choices because we have used logic, true facts, reasoning. We seem to have lost that ability.

I admit that the ideology of the Republican party is not my own. Nor is all of the ideology of the Democratic party. However – what I expect in the person who is elected president is integrity, honesty, morality, compassion, empathy, intelligence, the willingness to listen to those he/she surrounds him/herself with and, hopefully to make wise choices based on not only his/her impressions, but also those of his/her hopefully wise advisors.

What I want in a president is someone who can be a role model. Someone who earns respect and gives respect. Someone who doesn’t govern by Twitter!