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Saturday, January 21, 2017

The 45th President


The unimaginable has happened—Donald Trump, fool, oaf, bully, and sociopathic liar has become the 45 President of the United States – POTUS.  I was shocked at the election returns of November 8 and had hopes that time would make my distrust wain.  It has not. I hoped that he would choose a cabinet that would be conciliatory. Instead, we has embraced billionaires, incompetents, Wall Street insiders, lobbyist and extremist. A far cry from what was promised.  

I am afraid he is going to roll back progress on many fronts. The environment, banking regulations, woman’s issues, health care, and GLBT acceptance. Do not forget we are the “T” in that equation.  

Although President Trump is a political unknown, we can derive insight from those in his orbit. 

Why should we be concerned? President Trump picked Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, to deliver his pre-inauguration sermon. This is what Jeffress has said in the past about us. 

"Gender identity confusion is an emotional disorder, that should be treated… Gender identity confusion should not be exploited by social activists like those in the [President Barack] Obama administration who want to deny the God-given distinction between the sexes. This is a rebellion against God's plan," he added.

Former Indiana Governor Mike Pence, President Trump’s Vice President, attracted national attention in 2015 when he signed a religious freedom law that members of the LGBT community said could worsen discrimination. He only backed down when the economic pressure became enormous.  

Further, Pence writes, "Resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior." Politifact had indicated this to mean Pence advocated spending on institutions providing conversion therapy, which is something LGBTQ advocates say is clear from the statement. 

On the 2000 campaign website Pence wrote: "Congress should oppose any effort to recognize homosexuals as a discreet and insular minority, entitled to the protection of anti-discrimination laws similar to those extended to women and ethnic minorities." 

Understand that normal is going to drift and shift in ways we are unaccustomed. Trump has normalized so many once-outrageous attitudes, from open racism to blatant lying.  In his inaugural speak he preached selfishness. President Trump's statement: "Going forward, It is going to be only America first." An policy modern America has never demonstrated to the rest of the world.       

We need to be aware and provide insight where ignorance and hate may become prominent. The haters feel empowered. Now at the local level, we need to be diligent and oppose hate. Speak up. Help the world to understand us. Support local officials that support us. Resist giving up the rights and acceptance we have gained thus far.   





2 comments:

  1. <>

    What surprises me is that so many people are saying Trump and his administration can't be THAT bad. They'll point to the people who worked for him in the Trump organization, and cite them as examples that Trump won't discriminate. Sadly, they ignore his rhetoric, his corrupt deals, his penchant for revenge against perceived enemies, and it sickens me that excuses are being made for such vile behavior. This is the first symptom of tyranny, a distorted normality, and I for one, want no part of what will happen.

    So, I will give my support to those who will fight for our liberties, and do whatever I can do to stop these evil people, using the law as much as possible to put roadblocks in the way of evil....

    M

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  2. I found this on Quora - a comment on by Sooj Oh. It Describes Pence well.

    Pence would put his religious morals ahead of practical governance.

    As governor, when faced with a growing HIV crisis, Pence did not want to issue free needles to the growing population of drug users in his state. Instead, for two months, he decided to pray while more people contracted the disease.

    Pence does not believe in separation of state and religion, a foundation of American governance. Trump may be a crazy egoist, but he’s not a religious nutjob (in spite of all his pandering to the religious right, it’s pretty much certain that he has no religion at all).

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