FOUR YEARS AGO AND NOW

The streets of Washington, D.C. on President Trump's last full day in office were filled with National Guard troops. If you didn't see members of the military on the streets, you saw police. In the midst of what is now unofficially known as a war zone is a city that's also home to over 700,000 people who seem to have been forgotten in the chaos of the days following the insurrection of January 6th. It's been tragically stressful and bizarre.

This is how far we've come in 4 years.

Four years ago I took pictures from my television screen as the world watched the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Today they speak to us in new ways few could then have imagined.

The steps of the Capitol and its surroundings were filled with people celebrating our country's peaceful transition of power despite the divisive campaign that had preceded it.

Hillary Clinton had lost the 2016 election to Donald Trump, but she showed up. As did her husband and former President Bill Clinton. It was not because Hillary was filled with joy and happiness that day, but rather she knew to put the future of our government ahead of self.

The Obama's showed up as President Obama turned over the presidency to our country's new leader. Both Barack and Michelle Obama had dealt with years of racism emanating from Trump and other right wing Republicans. Despite this, President Obama sought to oversee the political change taking place setting an example for all of us to see.

But the picture I caught of Donald Trump raising his fist to us as he walked out of the Capitol to take the Oath of Office says almost everything. He didn't greet the crowd with a wave of friendliness, but rather with a foretelling sign of his style of dictatorial power. He then delivered the darkest inaugural address in history laying the groundwork for the destruction he has left us with.

Now it is left to us and a new president to do everything humanly possible to pick up the broken pieces and move ahead. God's speed Joe Biden.

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POLITICAL & OTHERWISE the book is now available on Amazon in paperback or e-book. I hope you’ll get a copy. It helps put all the pieces of these past 5 years together succinctly. Perspective is the key to the future. Here's a link to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L8D56HH....

Disgust At Disrespect

The domestic terrorist attack on our nation's Capitol building was at its core disgusting disrespect. Disrespect for our democracy. Disrespect for our Capitol building that has survived over two hundred years of disagreements between the legislative branches that call it home. Disrespect for the historic possessions housed within its walls. Disrespect for the election process that culminated with the certification of the 2020 election. Total all out disrespect for everything except their cult leader.

I have spent over five years writing about the Trump era, and it is clear that disrespect for everything except Donald Trump himself was fostered by Trump since his first campaign rally. He saw how he could excite the audience and they became his. Then he began the process of indoctrinating his flock to believe that his way was the only way. It was never about make America great again. It was all about himself. But they became believers, and the Trump cult was created. His beloved base is based upon lies, hate and disrespect.

As I watched the rioters, saw their arrogant driven faces and bodies take over the Capitol grounds and break into the building itself coming from a rally held by their leader Donald Trump, I thought about Jim Jones and Jamestown. The domestic terrorists were true believers just like the over 900 souls in 1978 who gave themselves up to a leader who ordered them to drink poison and end their lives. It’s a mentality that buys into toxic thinking perpetuated by a toxic leader. The likes of a man who tells them, “We love you, you’re very special,” as Trump did to rioters, no matter how evil their ways.

Trump has been a toxic leader from day one. We have been witness to how his narcissistic personality has played out, and it’s a picture of tragedy upon tragedy dismissed by those politicians who hung on to his coattails for dear life, and his followers whose minds were open to his continued deception. On January 6, 2021 deception turned into yet more tragic reality.

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