Dismantle, Destroy and Joy

 When I woke up this morning to the news that RFK Jr. was to be given the position as the head of health and human services, I exclaimed, in disbelief.

        "Seriously??"

        "Did you really expect him to nominate anyone good to his cabinet? He thrives on chaos," said my husband. He added, as a physician, he is personally offended to have a man who disbelieves in science to be at the helm of this agency

        "Not really, but I DID expect some level of thoughfulness. At least an iota."

This week has brought such insanity to the selection of people to head up important, federal agencies. It is probably the most unqualified group of individuals to be in a presidential cabinet in history, with the likes of Matt Gaetz as the head of the Justice Department; Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News Host, as the Defense Secretary; Tulsi Gabbard, famed Putin-lover for Director of National Intelligence; and the likes of Elon Musk; Vivek Ramaswamy; the list of Trump-cronies who will be loyal to him is astounding. What is terrifying is their lack of skill and their inability to do their jobs effectively puts our country at great risk.

            "Maybe they won't be confirmed," I sighed.

            "Ha," my husband laughed. "Teflon Don gets everything he wants. They are kow-towing to him for fear of excommunication. He said on the campaign trail he would punish his enemies, so they will confirm during recesses and avoid consent and approval by the senate. He is now the king. He makes the law."

        "But it does not make sense. This will destroy the government."

        "Exactly. "Dismantle and destroy the administrative state as he outlined repeatedly during his campaign."

        "For what purpose?"

        " To demonstrate he is the ONE in power, and all government is all but irrelevant --aside from him."

            "So many people will suffer."

            "And maybe," he said, "this will give pause when they think of the man they voted in."

DISMANTLE AND DESTROY.  He is right. But how do I and others like me make it through the next few years as I watch a government caricature of a real government? How do I keep my faith? How do I support my good friends and loved ones who feel as I do, somewhat hopeless? And who are the people who understood what he was and voted for him anyway? I am so disappointed in this electorate, this country.

My husband says we will fight when we are able to, and find joy where and when we can, in those small moments of grace. I have already zoomed in on my friends and family, like-minded people, already befuddled and searching how to make sense of this election. I don't want him taking up the same space he did since 2016, when each crime he committed seemed like he would surely be nailed, and the coffin would be shut. Now, I know he can walk away freely from anything and for whatever insane reason, people vote for him and love his blatant disregard of norms. The nastier he is, the more they cheer. For Vance, too, who during his campaign week dared to call Kamala "garbage."

To exorcise Donald Trump from my head space, I will focus on my children, my grandchildren, my friends.  But I will also do the things I love, which give meaning to my life. Just this morning I taught poetry to a class of three- and four-year-olds in my cousin Jackie's class. I had two City College poetry mentors shadow me, Miguel and Mateo (Frida), both of whom energized the room. I asked Miguel to pretend to be a dog, while I read dog poems. The children were so excited to write a group poem. It filled me with joy. It also reminded me, I can try harder to find the positive anchors in my life, which give me happiness and meaning--and I will.

JOY I will create, and when the time is ripe, for the sake of our future generations of lovely, smiling children, I will FIGHT to bring back the kind of world these childen and all our children and grandchildren deserve.

        

            

Anti-Semitism

 Just the other day, a theatrical version of Anne Frank was performed in Michigan. Outside of the theater, a group of people were waving Nazi flags--and no one took them down. This has now become a norm in America, and around the world. People have taken to painting Jewish stars on people's homes in France. In Amsterdam a bunch of people terrorized Israeli soccer fans in droves. As Brent Stephens says in his editorial on 11/13, "It wasn't merely just overflowing anger over the war in Gaza. It was something altogether darker." On a popular app, people were using the term "Jew hunt." In an Oslo station it read, "Hitler started it. We will finish it."

For anyone who has family who perished in the Holocaust, to anyone who was raised with the good values of tikkin olam--actions intended to improve the world-- (which is why I know all but the right wing Jews voted for Kamala, since they  are into repairing the world, not destroying it); to anyone who has reached out to humanity at large, many Jewish people--like myself--were raised with integrity, to a revulsion for what is ugly and vile; hence, read between the lines: Trump used awful antisemitic tropes in his speeches. So, as Stephens says," they are like generations of programists before them--out to get the Jews. Antisemitism in Europe has "now reached the point where the future of many of its Jewish communities is seriously in doubt. They want countries "free of Jews." Isn't that what White Nationalism is partly about? "Jews will not replace us," was chanted on the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017--during Trump's first presidency. And his response,"There were good people on both sides."

No. This is not a situation of duality. Antisemitism is never good. I ordinarily do not agree with Stephens, who I sometimes find too conservative, but now there is a warning if we don't pay attention as Americans. "If we stay on this path, the Jew hunt of Amsterdam may be upon us, too, and sonner than we think." Sadly, it already is.

The Ocean

 I walk along the beach; its sands are endless white and go on for miles.  I love the ocean, any ocean. I am at Lido Beach; Aruba; Turks and Caicos; Greece, Split. Everywhere I travel, there are oceans, and I am always drawn to endless stretches of sand and aqua waters. I am no longer the beach swimmer I once was, but I still love the feeling of its water swiming over my feet. It is here, at the beach-any beach, but particulalry off-season, when I find the most serenity. I love to swim, too, and when I am in the pool (not the ocean), I can swim endlessly, which I do over the summer. It is the quintessential meaning of peace.

It is here I offer my prayer. They say sea and animal life is in danger because of water pollution. It is also said that we are in danger, particularly in coastal communities, of terribly dangerous storms which could destroy many inhabitants and their environs. We have seen these natural  disasters wreak havoc on Florida and North Carolina. Please save our planet from the destruction of global warming. I know the head of the EPA in the new administration will most likely adhere to the political ideology of no global warming, even in the face of clear indications otherwise. But it is science, science is real and you can't diminish the power of air and water pollution, storms which have destroyed communities.

Please protect our oceans, our sea and animal life, the land we live on. You need to save the earth we live on. This is not about politics. It is, instead, about love. Without love of your people and this planet, what is--at the end of the day--left to save?

Amen!

GOD and Jesus and PRAYER

 As far as I know, there is separation of Church and State. Recently, there is a movement across our country to do away with this. Now that 2025 will bring about a new administration, I fear this separation will be eroded and people with other religious denominations will be forced to pray to one God. Not only that, I am afraid that White Christian Nationalism has already solidified their priorities, so that one bible (The Trump bible, still for sale) and the ten commandments will be daily discourse in our public schools. This is already happening. And these same people-a fairly large electorate, has declared Donald Trump the new Jesus Christ. They pray to him, they prayed he would win this election, they threatened violence in case he did not win, but alas, their prayers were answered.

Let's be clear. This brave new world stands in sharp contrast to Jesus Christ. Want to start with the ten commandments? Donald Trump has broken every single one of these, and his only religion is OF THE SELF. If Jesus is extolled as kind, compassionate, humane, and cares for the poor, sick and hungry, the sheer hypocrisy of this is unbelievable. Let's be clear: you are praying for millions to be deported, jailing of enemies, separation of children from their parents, doing away with supports for women with children; doing away with care for a woman bleeding out from a miscarriage. The poor, the sick, the hungry? My God, he wants to do away with the ACA.  What will you do when your health care is gone?

So please, spare me your prayers and evocation of God; this will be the most uncompassionate adminstration in recent history. It is the furthest thing from care and compassion. A true believer could never say this is a kind, Christian administration that will soon be in office; it is the opposite. A discussion of God and Christianity has no place in a discussion of the terrible deeds about to be unleashed. By the way, there was a Maga-rally(why, they won?) with the red hats and incorrigible signs: get out of our country. They hurled insults against people strolling through Bryant Park on a beautiful day. What would Jesus say???

And let's get real. There are many religions in this country. Pray to whomever you want. Meanwhile, please, please don't talk to me about God and Jesus and kind, compassionate Christianity if he achieves even a fraction of what his policy goals are. This is where autocracy begins and Democracy ends. Spare me the hypocricy when you are talking about such blatant disregard of humanity. If there is a God, my guess is he or she is weeping at this world.

Women and Men

I got on the elevator yesterday morning with a family I know had voted for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. They were with their two younger daughters. They were angry, more so at a country who could vote in a man who is "a terrible example for my young girls." He proceeded to share his feelings about this election, a conversation that went beyond thirty-six floors.

"As a father of two young girls, I want them to look up to our country at a president who represents dignity, integrity and respect. As a Dad who truly respects women, they should know that men think of them as equals, as young women who can do and be anything, not just in the kitchen at home, minding the children. If they select not to do that, and not have children, they are not 'childless cat women.' Men who respect their mothers, wives, daughters, nieces, could never vote for a man who assaulted and insults women, perversely rates them based upon their appearance, uses profanities on stage (as he will in meetings and with his staff; he has already done so) and says he will protect women whether they like it or not, though women are strong enough to protect themselves. This is so condescending.

You want to talk policy? What is his policy aside from deporting millions of immigrants; taxing millionaires and billionaires at a lower rate; tariffs to possibly increase the deficit; withdrawing aid from Ukraine; doing away with the affordable care act; taking away women's reproductive rights. More women who have obstectrical issues, miscarriages, for example, will die while not being treated. This is a man who cares nothing for the needs of poeple who are suffering on the grorcery lines. I know people like that in the midwest--family--all of whom recently started doing better and still voted for Trump. He is a charalatan, a liar, a convicted felon--everything I don't want my daughters to be. I would never allow this man ten feet near my girls when they grow up. Only a weak, insecure man who needs to prove he is 'macho' would vote for him. If he were a man of color, he would already be behind bars. He couldn't even vote, let alone be president. These men were SCARED of a strong, intelligent woman of color."

His wife chimed in, "What about families with sons? Wouldn't they want a president who is stong, while vulnerable, does the right thing for the public good, is humane and doesn't talk with a sewer mouth? Don't they want their boys to know how to treat people, without the bully pulpit? Don't crimes matter, crimes like lying, causing an insurrection and calling poeple who smashed windows, defecated on the floor and screamed to 'kill Mike Pence' in the capital? What about women, yes; is it okay for your boys to speak and act this way? Is this the model you want for your sons or daughters? As a mother, I am feeling constant, chronic grief, and can't figure out how any self-respecting woman could vote for him. He put you down, women, as did his vice president. Where is your pride in who you are as a female?"

The conversation ended in the lobby of the building. It ended with a hug and the final comment from the five year old, "He is a mean and ugly man."

Words and Deeds

There was a university professor who once shredded the norms of decency. He had poor impulse control, and often exhibited signs of abnormal hostility, particularly toward students. Sometimes this included verbal assaults; other times it was physical, especially with women. He had no problem calling students stupid; telling them they had low IQ(s); this was often done with a sneering facial expression. He punished students who were not loyal (who said they were going to report this behavior) with bad grades.  A few fearless students reported him, and within months, he was fired, and this record of behavior was recorded permanently. I assume he never got another job again, nor did he deserve one.

I once reported a student to academic probation because she plagiarized, not once, but three times. She got expelled, and I felt this was justified; I never tolerated lying in the classroom (her denial).

My husband, who worked as a vice chairman in the department of medicine at a hospital, shared a story about a physician who was a womanizer on the job. This same doctor came onto me at a hospital celebration, and when I said, "Do you know who I am?" he said, "I don't care." I walked away. This behavior, which also had preceded his time at the hospital, was reported in a local newspaper, and he was subsequently terminated.

Words and deeds matter. We have watched the downfall of media personalities because of their terrible words and deeds. There is  no way a CEO of a company would be allowed to stay at his or her job if that person verbally or physically assaulted a fellow worker--or many workers. Nor would a convicted felon be hired for any job whatsoever.

Yet, America, has elected a president (over 51% of the country) whose words and deeds would not be tolerated even in the lowest paying job. As a convicted felon, he was allowed to vote. Ordinary citizens have been thrown off of the voting roll for way less. He has committed crimes which will now be irrelevant, including retaining top secret documents which were required to be returned and being the bullhorn behind an insurrection. He has sexually abused women, and denigrated people of color, migrants, politicians, with a litany of disgusting words, even profanities. No company would EVER hire him, but now he will be our president. This public behavior is unacceptable in a civilized society, but I would think calling the qualified woman running against him stupid and ugly should not be tolerated--nor should he be.

Over the past few months we have witnessed the parameters of what is acceptable be destroyed. The WORDS of this man and his running mate (who called Kamala garbage) are so beyond the norms of decency, and such ugliness has transformed an electorate who now also find it acceptable to join in with verbal and physical indecency. He continues to threaten his opponents with jail time.

Yet over half the country voted for him, so this goes beyond the price of groceries and gas, which--by the way--is getting lower. This is about character. Our values demand we be moral and decent people. Is it moral to vote because you are a millionaire and want to be taxed at a lower level? It is not dollars and cents that propelled so many voters to cast the ballot for him.

Then what is it? I can not comprehend this America that selects a president whose words and deeds have proven immoral. What does it say about this country?

Shock, Dismay and Sorrow

The country knows Donald Trump, even more so than when he was president four years ago. They know he governed impulsively, cozied up to dictators, was a habitual liar, had no regard for the rule of law, broke the law, caused an insurrection, elected super-conservative supreme court justices who overturned Roe, and exacerbated a great divide in our country. To quote him I can stand on Fifth Avenue, "shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters."

Four years later, it has gotten worse--his ugly rhetoric, his barrage of insults, his blatant disregard for laws, his disregard for the norms of government, his misogyny, his racism and his hunger for vengeance. Every day for the past few months, he monopolized the television with promises to continue all this--and more. He is waiting to dismantle the government, so he can put lawless cronies (Steve 

Bannon, Roger Stone, Stephen Miller, Elon Musk) into office. My God, Robert Kennedy will have a position as the Head of Human Services, overseeing our public health and well being. One of Kennedy's positions, aside from being an anti-vax person, is to take flouride out of water, the very element which protects our teeth against cavities. Forget it if there should be another pandemic. He could not wait (he and his lethal running mate, J.D.Vance) to jail his enemies. Believe him; he will. All the cases now offered in a court of law will go away, and he will release the January 6th prisoners who broke into the capital. Women, people of color, people with disabilities are insignifcant in the eyes of the new government. He is old, probably demented, and what is left is truly ugly.

YOU all knew this, you meaning over half the country; you knew this at a time when our country was beginning to gain back some off its lost esteeem and when our economy was among the best in the world, getting better daily. Accordingly, my biggest disappointment is the America I once knew is now gone. Were you that scared to have a woman of color in office? Over half the country voted for him, including in most swing states. These are the same people who would punish their children for being a bully, yet they voted for one, and for someone who has no moral compass, no integrity, no decency, and will make the world an awful place for generations to come. He will do nothing to avert climate change. He will make the rich, richer; the poor, poorer. He doesn't care about you, but who are YOU--so many people, who could vote for a would-be-dictator who has no problem deporting ten million immigrants, might cut social secuirty and medicare and cares nothing for the well-being of our planet. 

I am shocked and deeply sad that there are so many people in this country who have signed on for this, who now are extremists, maga people. I can't imagine a regular Republican (is there one?) would find Maga acceptable, but clearly I am wrong, so all I can say is I am disappointed in the American people who find this behavior acceptable. YOU carry the burden of lethal possibilities into our future, so all I can say is I don't know or understand this world. As an idealist whose heart is now broken, I can't comprehend  how YOU can look your children in the eye when the world spirals, and say this is  anything but indecent. The enemy is within, but not just in him, but now it's on your shoulders, too. I join my idealistic friends and family, all of whom are now weeping for the new world, one I do not know--nor do I ever, ever wish to know-- to mourn with me, the death of a dream of possibilities.