We Americans are easily distracted. We have had it so good for so long that we find ways to ignore signs that our democratic republic is faltering. Instead of becoming livid when we see signs of the president restricting the press we just shake our heads and try to sanely explain that he has always been that way and there is little that we might do to change things anyway.
We allow ourselves to get tied up with concerns about things that have very little impact on anyone’s lives like trans athletes competing with young girls or going into their bathrooms. We don’t stop to find out that trans people represent less than one percent of the total population of the nation. The incidents of trans athletes taking the honor from women are so close to nil that we should not even worry.
We then look the other way when the president starts an ongoing war with Iran without following the dictates of our Constitution that very clearly gives that right to Congress. So too do we watch ICE rampaging like masked mobsters in cities and towns without demanding an immediate end to their tactics. We sit back and only shrug went the Secretary of Defense gets rid of career officers and then brings in civilians to make massive changes in how things are done. We act as though there is nothing that we can do after DOGE tore down so many government agencies and those guys were just young men barely in their adult phase of live. We even look past the very visible truth that our president is not well.
Our press is little better than we are. Comedians are doing a better job of pointing out the problems with our current government than those entrusted with providing us with truth. The majority of journalists seem more intent on currying favor with Trump rather than questioning the egregious things he is doing. The headlines rarely reach the heart of the horror of what our nation is enduring. We have to rely on independent souls willing to push for an honest assessment of what is happening while those from the networks seem to cower in fear save for a few brave souls.
The entire presidential cabinet as well as most Republicans bow and scrape to the president even as he becomes more and more unhinged. They witness his abandonment of our traditional allies and simply shrug. They see him constantly falling asleep and boast that he is so hard working that he just gets tired. When the president says that watching Iran bomb Los Angeles or San Diego would be a small price to pay, his minions insist that he is just telling a joke. Meanwhile many of us know exactly what we are seeing and hearing from the Oval Office and it is not good.
I love the United States with every fiber of my being. I have always believed that ultimately we are good people, citizens who care deeply about our nation. When Joe Biden began to look unwell I understood that we needed to insure that he did not run for office. I was proud of Democrats who realized that as well and even prouder of Biden for stepping down. It must have been difficult for him to do so but he so loved our nation that he did what he believed was best. Now we have Trump looking much more out of it than Biden ever did and nobody seems willing to stop him from reeking havoc on the entire world until after they resign and write a book.
I believe that Americans will vote against Republicans in big numbers but Trump is already shouting to his believers that Democrats are determined to cheat in order to win. He is setting up another attempt to change the results just as he did with January 6, 2020. This time he feels invincible because even with all of the evidence of his traitorous behavior his party fell in line, nominated him again, and returned him to office where he rules like a king.
I dread what will happen after this election. Things have fallen apart so much that the center may not hold. With Trump still in office for two more years his fear of being held accountable might lead him to declare martial law or to deny the results of the election long enough to create chaos in our government. He already jokes that he would like to run for a third term. He has a tendency to hide his very real threats inside what he claims is just a joke..
It is time for the press to be brutally honest about what they see happening. There can be no more pandering, no more headlines that make this moment in history seem normal. They need to focus on calling him out and standing with reporters who show the gumption to do so. It’s past time for being quietly polite when they know that what they are seeing is wrong.
I am a person who tells it like I see it. I have learned that many who are advocating for honest reporting have found themselves being threatened by Trump and members of his family and cabinet. They have been doxed and subjected to horrific invasions of their privacy. We all know that this kind of behavior is very wrong. This is the kind of thing that should warn us that our democracy is teetering under the pressure of fear. It’s time for us all to be brave.
