“This administration is running like a fine tuned machine.”…Donald J. Trump
“For some, self-delusion may be the only way to survive.” Author unknown
The November election will center around two related issues; gun reform and correcting the biggest failure in ethics and leadership this country has known. Republicans in Congress, with few courageous exceptions, have refused to consider country before party and people before donors. They have cast their fate with a corrupt administration and a president who is unstable and dangerous. And we have a Republican led Congress more beholden to the gun lobby than saving the lives of their constituents.
Consider Mr. Trump. His first responsibility is the safety and security of this country. We were attacked by Russia when they intervened in the 2016 election. Electoral systems in 7 states, including Florida, were hacked. Trump has done nothing to punish Russia or stop further intervention. Dan Coats, Trump’s Director of National Intelligence stated, “Frankly, the United States is under attack” adding Russia continues to “degrade our democratic values and weaken our alliances.” But Trump has yet to make any statement condemning their actions. The heads of the National Security Agency’s Cyber Security Program and the FBI stated they’ve received no directive from the Trump administration to take any steps to stop this. The $120 million earmarked for the State Department in 2016 to combat Russian intervention have not been spent, or even allocated – not one penny. One is left to conclude Trump wants Russian interference to continue. The basic question remains: What do the Russians have on Donald Trump?
Meanwhile, Putin threatens an arms race by announcing the development and testing of strategic nuclear-capable weapons immune to US defenses and, at least in the graphic, aimed at Florida. How does the President react? He doesn’t. Instead, his next tweet is about Alec Baldwin’s impersonation on SNL. His administration is imploding around him; several of his former staff have been criminally indicted, Kushner may be next, and those who haven’t already resigned are fleeing in droves. The basic question remains: What do the Russians have on Donald Trump?
Now consider gun reform. The killings three weeks ago awakened the nation. The status quo will not stand. Polls overwhelmingly support gun reform; Quinnipiac polling is clear; 2/3 of all voters support stricter gun laws – the highest in their history of polling with 97% in favor of universal background checks. What’s different now is that there’s no difference between those who own guns and those who don’t – 97% of owners also support universal background checks. Sixty seven percent (67%) of voters support assault-style weapons ban – the highest number ever polled.
No one wants to take away the right to hunt, shoot for sport or for self-protection. People do want the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) beefed up so that it applies wherever guns are sold and all relevant data – including contacts with police and adjudications by mental health agencies – are included. Assault style rifles, the weapon of choice for mass shootings, are designed to kill; just ask any trauma doctor who has viewed the results. There is nothing that justifies their existence in a civil society.
Training and arming school personnel is the worst possible response to improving safety in schools. If enacted, it will result in disaster. As an aside, Trump’s suggestion that he might go running, unarmed, into a classroom to save children is as far from reality as his claim that “I’ll be too busy to play golf once I’m in the White House.” Running into a classroom? President Bone Spurs would head in the opposite direction.
Trump is not on the ballot this cycle but be assured voters will be working to curtail his power, to rein in his excesses and to follow up on the results of the Mueller investigation. The Republican controlled House will not instigate impeachment proceedings but if findings warrant, a Democratic controlled House will. And sensible gun reform will be one of the first items on the agenda when Democrats win back the House and Senate.
Enough is enough. The nepotism, the corruption, using public service for personal financial gain, the lack of transparency at every level, the appointment of unqualified people in the White House and to head government agencies, the graft and misuse of taxpayer dollars, allowing access to top secret information by staff who haven’t passed security clearance, the constant and continual lies about the great and inconsequential, the dumbing down of the presidency, thoughtless pronouncements that have to be taken back the next day, cozying up to enemies while punishing allies, and the total disregard for the most basic component of our government – our security – it’s all mind blowing. Let’s face it; the current President of the United States couldn’t pass a basic background check let alone obtain top secret clearance. And now we have a porn star suing the President! What a class act.
The President may be self-delusional but voters are not. He hasn’t yet shot anyone on Fifth Avenue, but he has done serious damage to our country, our government, its citizens and our friends around the world. Voters will turn out in record numbers, as they have in special elections, and by their participation and votes, confirm that finally and without doubt, enough is enough.
Villager Marsha Shearer is a frequent contributor to Villages-News.com
