The United States of today is operating as a truly broken and dysfunctional government. The current resident of the Oval Office is functioning as a vindictive dictator who has no regard for our Constitution, freedom of speech, the rule of law, or the role of the three separate and equal three branches of government. At the same time, the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of government are presently unwilling to carry out their respective duties. The ‘President’ will often issue Executive Orders to eliminate staff and programs, executive orders that are often unconstitutional because many such changes need to be initiated by the Congress.
His selection of inexperienced and unqualified people as members of his Cabinet is mind boggling. The Kennedy appointment as Secretary of Health and Human Services is just one more example of this dysfunctional administration’s leadership. Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of ‘War’ is another.
The slashing of the those in charge of protecting our nuclear stockpiles and those who follow dangerous weather patterns for the safety of our citizens, are other examples of his mindless decision making. In both cases, these essential staff members had to be rehired for the welfare of all of us. The only problem with this is that his administration destroyed the names, phone numbers and addresses of these staff members.
We are living at a time when lying, misinformation, alternative facts and conspiracy theories have replaced truth itself. Our citizens are many times caught between misinformation and outright lies and often, don’t know the difference. If we can’t believe what we are being told, how can we make essential decisions regarding the welfare of the country? The truth is, we can’t.
Those who speak out against the present inhabitant of the Oval Office are being threatened with physical, legal, or financial punishment. The families of those who differ with him are living under the threat of harassment, as well. It is against the law for a government official, especially President of the United States, to threaten a citizen with harm. Such threats can lead the threatening official to be sent to prison.
Public education programs are being cut so that people won’t be able to read, write or critically process thoughts. Programs that are intended to upgrade the skills of employees, often minority employees, are being cut. Schools of higher education and law firms are being threatened with facing legal retribution if they go against this reigning ‘want to be despot.’ And media outlets are being threatened with being taken off the air if they speak out against the prevailing message being called forth from the Oval Office. The notion of ‘freedom of speech’ is truly being challenged.
Then there is that portion of our population who are the neediest among us. Those who can barely make ends meet, the ill, the infirmed, the elderly and disabled are being targeted to have their social and medical programs stripped from them and to have their previous funding be available for tax breaks for the wealthy. The ‘Big Beautiful Tax Bill’ blatantly favors the wealthy. It is estimated that thousands of these who live in poverty will needlessly die due to the lack of medical care funding.
In times like these what do we do to change the course we are presently on? Waiting around for someone to act for us is being discouraged. Robert Reich, someone who I deeply respect, has said that in times like these, we cannot wait for someone else to do what needs to be done, that it is we, who must take on this mantel of resistance to what is destroying the America that it has taken 250 years to create and build. An America that has shed blood to defend its values in a Revolutionary War, a Civil War, two World Wars and other essential engagements throughout the world. At the same time, we have been instrumental in creating the United Nations and N.A.T.O. to maintain international stability.
We have, over years become increasingly aware of our mistreatment of Native Americans and African Americans, only to find ourselves, with the current Administration supporting a racist White Christian Nationalism. For this group the only skin color that is American is white and the only sex that has its rights protected are men.
Our present self-styled leader treats immigrants as those who are ’poisoning the blood of our citizens.’ And these members of our American family are having their Due Process Rights thrown out daily by masked ICE Agents. To add further insult to injury, those who have served to defend all that we have created as a nation and have given their lives in the service of our country in times of national threat, our military, are being referred to by our ‘resident draft dogger’, as ‘losers and suckers.’
What must we do to change our present course of national self-destruction? I believe that we must get back to some basics about how we relate to ourselves and with one another.
· The Dalai Lama has written, ‘Without a sense caring, there can be no sense of community.’
· If we can’t believe what we are being told, how can we trust others or make essential decisions regarding the welfare of our country?
· I would suggest that we begin by treating others as we would like to be treated. Simply put, is how I am treating someone else the way I would want someone else to treat me?
· Instead of judging or making fun of someone else, reflect upon the fact ‘that, there but by the grace of God go I.’ We could all have been born with a different skin color or into an impoverished place in the world, or suffering from some illness, or be a different sex or sexual orientation?
· Do we know that underlying our anger is hurt and underlying our hurt is an unmet need? When we get angry, ask what is my hurt, and what is the unmet need that sets off my anger?
· Did you know that if we change our thought, we change how we feel within an instant?
· Do we know that we can use the same words and speak different languages? Some of us are thinking oriented or feeling oriented, some of us sensation focused or intuitive. How we focus on our world impacts how we view the world. The thinking person is at home with ideas, while the feeling person focuses on something feels, the rights and wrongs of a situation. The intuitive relates to the whys and wherefores and the potential of things and the sensation person deals with rock are hard and water is wet.
We might find ourselves in a disagreement with someone else because of our different way of relating to life. Instead of arguing with someone over what you don’t agree with in what they are saying, ask yourself where are they coming from and what can I learn from what they are sharing?
Sending hugs to all. I have been told that hugs are something that can make us all feel good…
