Jealousy

Jealousy is that ugly demon that sizzles beneath the surface. Look at what it did to Othello! Personal tragedy is built on jealousy; it can be the downfall of a character, since the green monster consumes a character's inner psyche.

By now it is abundantly evident Trump is seething with rage against Obama. Even when he likes his policies, even when the rest of the country supports Obama's policies and revels in his presidency, Trump works tirelessly to dismantle them. Is there a logic? Is there a policy? Absolutely none whatsoever, other than he can not stand our former president, and so he is determined to attack every good and decent thing Obama stood for.

Why?What does he hope to gain? Daily his approval rating drops to a rate President Obama never ever saw. He never dipped below 50% even. In fact, many people loved him, and many who did not, I would venture to say, were racists.

My guess  is Obama is everything Trump is not, and he recognizes this. He is brilliant and he is a brilliant orator. He was graciously accepted by world leaders. He was classy in everything-speech, decency, intellect, integrity. He even had a classy look. He played golf, sure, which Trump criticized him for, and now our president is found at the golf course practically every weekend, looking haggard and overweight. Obama looked good. More importantly, he acted good-decent values, no bullying, no lies and his family is a class act, too-a brilliant wife and two brilliant , beautiful girls with impeccable values.

Trump has already drawn his children into ugly tirades and ugly conflict of interests, has done so many things that are so non-presidential. Hopefully, this will be his downfall. Meanwhile, it would serve his best interests to stop looking at the many achievements of our former president. He does not have even an ounce of the class, dignity, intellect, so he may as well just stop being so jealous, which might enable him to come up with a thought or two of his own-if that is possible.

The Rohingya Muslims

I finished the writing of my epistolary novel, WHY NO BHINE over a year ago, thinking this population and this racial cleansing of the Rohingya Muslims would soon send. My goal was to give all royalties from the book to Fortify Rights, an organization which supports  tackling the terriblethe atrocities in this regional area.

So what has happened? Things have gotten worse-so much worse. Daily there are murders, women getting raped, children getting killed. The hostilities have accelerated, gotten so bad, and what is worse is that people are trying to escape-and die on the ocean instead of on land.

I am filled with grief for the children-the voiceless children-who the world has turned a blind eye toward. Art is one way of tackling terrible political issues, but who will actually step forward and stop these atrocities which daily grow uglier and uglier. I wish my book were not as relevant.

Enough!!

Where is your morality? Where is your moral compass?What issue will set you over the edge, to a point where you say, ENOUGH!!

I am curious about the population who continues to support Trump. With the wildest stretch of my imagination, I can understand how middle America felt ignored. I can even understand people who voted him in saying they were sick and tired of politicians, and wanted someone not political.

Now that he has proven himself as not just non-political, but amoral, what do his fans have to say? Now that nuclear war with North Korea is a possibility; now that he lies daily (40 times a day, sometimes); now that he has stripped Dreamers of their basic rights (these are the absolute BEST of the BEST among young people); women of their rights; is trying to dismantle our healthcare;  women's rights; the very positive deal with Iran, what rationale do these people have to continue to say he is their president. I am totally perplexed, and have to wonder about their moral compass, particularly after watching neo-Nazis march spitting out venomous epithets against Blacks and Jews. "Jews will not replace us."

So, for the people who voted for him because of the morally reprehensible Jared Kushner (who it was said would help broker a peace deal in the Middle East-ha)-have you had enough? If you continue to say he is fine, I have to ask you: How do you sleep at night? The same thing I ask Republican senators who continue to support such a degrading government, just because they are getting their absurd and cruel agenda pushed forward.


At the end of the day, you need to have a conscience!!!!!

Lyn Di Iorio, my colleague and I just wrote a book, MONSTER MARIA about the hurricane in Puerto Rico. It is a picture book for young children, specifically designed as a fundraiser to help Friends of Puerto Rico, and writing this has made me realize I only want to write meaningful books now-about political and socially significant issues, books which will impact on the world. It is no longer about making money; instead, it is about helping people, which art is capable of doing. I sincerely hope our Monster Maria can help the young children of Puerto Rico, a population our president has selected to ignore.

Today Robert Mueller's investigation into Trump's corrupt administration begins. Mueller is an honorable and decent man, but Trump is not-nor are the Republicans. These are very scary times, since no one dares to stand up to him; they are scared. Tim Snyder discusses this in his book ON TYRANNY. How does tyranny happen, the likes of what happened during World War 11? It happens when people look away; when journalists do no report facts; when ordinary citizens do not cry out against ethics; when people such as lawyers and doctors become less ethical; when decency is no longer the norm.

Paul Manafort was just indicted; Mike Flynn will be, too, is my guess. But if we live in an authentically Democratic country, all roads lead to Trump, perhaps even Pence. And if you care about the state of our country, you should care, too!

It is November. Where did all the time go? Politics, grading, writing, so much has been happening. And somehow everything is related, integrated, like my politics is my personality is my writing. More about this in a few catch up blogs. Let the process begin!