A day of contrast in the story of these United States
In times like these it is one of those rare days when the contrast is clear about a great many things.
The inauguration of the 47th President, President Trump. He is a flawed human being. There has been a lot of reflection about this last election cycle. I think it is pretty simple. Trump ran a WWE style campaign and will continue to do it with rallies during his Presidency. That’s what his Chief of Staff knows best. He embraced the bad boy character and played it all the way to the Whitehouse and the GOP claimed both houses of Congress that way. They told a religious story about Trump, Vance, and are doing the same with some of those wanting to serve in the Cabinet who are unqualified, and yet, will be confirmed. They flexed in the ring by packing the court, outside the boundaries of tradition beginning with Senator McConnell withholding a SCOTUS seat vacant from former President Obama. All the things the GOP and Trump accuse the Democratic party of doing in private, Trump and the GOP simply do in public and dare anyone to hold them accountable. They will claim all kinds of unfairness and injustice. He will and they will send the mob for you. Does that sound like America?
A majority of my neighbors and family, small as it may be, voted for a candidate and party that governs by reign. Many or most claim Christian faith. It began with Newt Gingrich fueled by a religious group that called itself the Moral Majority. The next President fancies himself a strongman, like Putin, and desires that kind of absolute power and wealth. On SiriusXM the amount of ads for Trump stuff has increased in the last month. Cologne and a crypto coin are being pushed from President Trump’s voice. A step up from hats and t-shirts. He introduces his ads with, “This is you favorite president, President Trump.” I laughed out loud when I first heard it. Now, I look for another channel, but it’s all over SiriusXM. It’s just simple greed. President Trump will promise a lot and deliver on many of those promises through fear of making him mad at you. He will use social media, Musk, and anyone else that enriches Trump like every strongman in any Western movie. Who knows if, like in the movies, some enablers feel regret and do the right thing in the end for the common good. That’s in contrast today.
The celebration and remembrance of Martin Luther King Jr. day. He worked to expand rights and freedom. He was a flawed human being. As I think about times like these, I return to MLK’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” Does that invitation sound like America?
Oh, and the National Championship game in college football is tonight. A nice distraction or something else?