Friday, January 12, 2018

Enough is Enough

In such a politically charged year, it has been really hard to bite my tongue.  I have not always been successful, sometimes giving my opinion when it was unnecessary.  I sit here today, still baffled, angry, and confused that our so-called president is still in office, and more than that, that people are still supporting and defending such an evil person.  To call him a man would give him too much credit.  No man I know would be ignorant enough to do or say 99% of the stuff he does.  America, he is setting us up for failure.  His presence in office threatens our safety and and pushes us further away from peace than we have been in a long time.  He is hate-filled and ignorant, viewing the world from the back seat of a limousine or Air Force One as opposed to coming down to the level of those he claims to support and stand behind.

 We have put up with this abomination long enough.  His disgusting words yesterday are further proof of his ignorance and the hate that fills his very soul... they are evil words that evidence his grossly hardened heart.  There is no proof of love or grace in him.  To use the undignified language he does is immature, unintelligent, and serves only to weaken this country.  He is a racist bully that believes he needs to say such things in order to show his power and make this country great again.  I've got news for you, so-called president, you are an embarrassment who has done nothing but breed further division.  There is no greatness in that.  It's hard to hear such horror day after day.  It's hard to believe that this is what America is reduced to now.

After having lived in one of those "shithole" countries for a number of years, I can tell you first hand that though infrastructures are not perfect and corruption is the norm, so many of those beautiful countries are doing more for their people than the commander in chief would ever dream of doing.  Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, is the approximately the size of Oregon.  Relatively small, right?  It has taken in over a million refugees in the last year alone.  Along with the help of many NGOs, it provides food, shelter, clothing, and education for its victimized and traumatized neighbors.  To me, that looks a lot like something Jesus would be involved in... a lot like something I so long to be involved in again.

I have sat and listened to the stories of trauma first hand.  I have held their hands, wiped their tears, laughed and rejoiced with them.  I have been a part of educating and mentoring these dear people.  I have seen lives completely transformed... I've seen healing take place.  This is not about what I've done in the least, though.  It's about the work that's being done all over the world, every single day, that betters the lives of so many.  Christ came and died for all, or have we forgotten that each soul matters?  I could go on and and about the many ways that I've seen good come from a "shithole" country; much more than I've seen from anyone in our current administration, but I digress. 

I would be willing to wager that the president has never in his life been willing to get down off of his pedestal and to support and encourage people from such plights. Why would he, after all? He may get sweaty or dirty if he did that.  He may miss a round of golf, or worse, a meal.  It wouldn't serve him and his nationalist way of life.   Someone else would have to be the center of attention and we've all seen what happens when that's the case... like a toddler in his terrible-twos, he throws a fit and tweets how great he is, greater than whoever is his current target.  Again, it's astonishing and incredibly disappointing.

I'm so proud of all of the "shithole" countries that are working hard to improve day after day, instead of going backwards by decades as we are in America.  I will continue to support and stand behind all of the amazing work that is being done in so many African nations, in Haiti, and all around the world.  With MLK day coming up, I'm encouraged to be reminded of what real leadership does and and what real leadership looks like.  I'll end my anger-filled, heartbroken rant with the words of Martin Luther King Jr.: "He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it.  He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it."

Stand up.  Resist.  Call your reps.  Enough is enough.

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