It would appear that the fiddle is fast being tuned while the fire has been set in the heart of the citadel.
In reality, he is precisely the leader that you elected him to be.
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And in some small way, most of you knew, somehow, that a point like this was coming. Amidst cries of necessary change, and a return to myopic greatness, and a restoration of supposed core values and an escape from toxic politics, there came your hero. An avatar for a rebirth. And instead of vetting this new leader with your reason, and with the necessary consideration for the demands of the job with which you were electing him, you made the choice. You pulled from your pocket the pack, willfully doused the ground in lighter fluid, and struck the match.
I believe there is no doubt that our President is wholly unqualified to do the job that he has been elected to do. We have moved well past the “give him a chance” stage of the proceedings. Just over one week in. We should never have been there, but it appeared that the psychology of some among us required the rather Pollyannaish emotional crutch that the statement offered. This idea that our new President would somehow grow and mature into the leader that you elected him to be.
In reality, he is precisely the leader that you elected him to be.
You didn’t vote for an individual who suggested that he was going to lead an increasingly diverse nation. He plainly pandered to Supremacist sensibilities, subtle and not, whenever he was able. Considering that he first chose Steve Bannon, a known Supremacist, as his advisor, and then per executive order elevating him to our nation’s Security Council, while also demoting the Joint Chiefs…well, you said that you wanted a departure from old, toxic politics, so you voted for neo-toxic politics.
Just over a week in office, Our President, the one who you willingly and aggressively voted into office decided, in a move that should surprise no one, that the time was right, again per executive order, to effectively ban the travel of peoples from certain Muslim nations into the U.S. 90 days he suggested. Even certain very well respected and devout members of his own party, Graham and McCain, had to react publicly. I have to wonder why more have not. This new brand of politics you so desperately wanted, I would assume.
The optics of the White House and Chief and Commander these prior eight years represented some form of emotional threat.
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The ban is yet another indicator, none particularly new, that Donald Trump is wholly unqualified for the job that you surrendered to him. Willingly. In this instant, he has determined that public, widespread bigotry is acceptable policy in the guise of security and interest of the people. Though the people have taken to the streets, and protested his every policy, vehemently, he will suggest that this has been done for you. And you, over there, you, will pretend to believe him. The dissonance you experience at having voted for this man and what is says about you and your choices and your thinking, cannot comfortably co-exist. You will espouse hope and chance and belief. None of these things describe you and your feelings particularly well, but carry on, if you must.
Whether it be the abject abolition of a functioning health insurance marketplace which aided the poor and families with access, or the not-so-subtle manhandling of policy around women’s reproductive rights, or the rather childish social media presence, or blatant racist policies adversely impacting Native Americans and Muslim peoples, and the suggestion that the military be marched into urban centers such as Chicago, or the unqualified choices for cabinet positions, or the obvious contact with known bigots and Supremacists including his Chief advisor, this is what you knowingly, and willingly voted for.
And do understand, regardless of what you offer as reasoning for ultimately making your choice in leader known, the optics and outcome are the same. You, regardless of your background, race, creed or religion, chose to endanger us all, as a means of shifting the focus of politics and leadership in this nation, our nation, back to the optics of the White/Male/Christian halcyon days. You, it would seem, had had enough. And you voted to say so. The optics of the White House and Chief and Commander these prior eight years represented some form of emotional threat. You need not admit this, you said all you needed to say with this vote, with this man being filtered through other candidates to win that party’s ticket,
Many among you are now publicly claiming that you were duped. This ban is a bridge too far. Not the history of abuses to women. That didn’t disqualify him as your President. Bombastic, demeaning, combative, inexperienced, bigoted…none of these disqualified him as your President. So said you.
You fell victim to the trick. You believed the popping lights and blaring sounds, over here. You believed the rhetoric about danger to our borders and how he would secure them. You absorbed, and repeated, the line related to returning to greatness. What you heard in that moment, was that this President would make this land, this place, this time, all of You. You would see yourself in his policy and action, and it would be good.
You failed to see the trick happening over there while you focused on the You he was pressing into that mold. You missed it. Just that quickly. Just that willingly.
This performer is not this clever. Never has been. He is not the major threat to our safety, and progress and growth.
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Magicians are skilled in that way. While they offer you a herring to chase stage left they execute the prestige stage right. In this instant, he needn’t have tossed the herring skyward. You simply laughed and smiled, eyes closed while he performed the trick. He is such a great magician that you were willing to voluntarily close your eyes while the magic happened.
This magician, in your name and stage right, has removed any voices that could challenge him on the Security Council. He is reorganizing the NSA per his advisor’s instructions. The same Alt-Right advisor we cited earlier. All while you begin to wake up to what has happened with your medical insurance, and to your Muslim neighbors, and the healthcare of women, and this motley crew of a cabinet being given authority over your safety, education and housing.
All of those balls have been thrown in the air for you to follow, this after you closed your eyes to the trick itself.
This all travels alongside the most obvious of all facts. That you decided that You over We, was all that essentially mattered. You have tried, largely in vain, to explain what you now see happening. You have brought up religious values, of which this President has espoused so few. You have discussed a time of greatness, of which many of your minority and women neighbors have no concept. You applauded during the setup of every trick, and now you believe that you have been deceived by the magician.
There is a hard truth to be shared here, one which I assume you are waking to. This performer is not this clever. Never has been. He is not the major threat to our safety, and progress and growth. No. There are those advising him, who know what he truly is, a convenient figurehead, who are steering his choices. The true magicians behind the curtain. And you, you are a danger as well. The audience. You who willingly close your eyes during the prestige. You are slowly opening them now, and realizing that you demanded this show, these tricks, just for you.
I implore you, I implore your reason and goodness, though it may seem absent, to return. I implore you to resist, with mind and purpose. I implore you to act. We should not count on this performer sabotaging him. The entire house may burn down with him doing so. No. This is your doing, we must oppose all that we know is wrong here.
That fiddle is being tuned. That match struck. What are you prepared to do before the music starts?
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Photo: Getty Images