Patricia Eireann Holz
He waited for a long time sniffing around the edges waiting to see when to jump in. He had become bored with everything else in his life. His cronies, his employees, everybody would kow tow to him, he was their billionaire leader, he could do no wrong. They hung on to his every word. Yet he secretly despised them for their dependency, but he needed them. Needed them to say those words that were like velveteen to his ears. " You would make a great President, Mr. Trump".
Thinking long and hard he wrote down 3 notes to himself. Things to remember: never show your tax return, listen to Russia, and monitor leak releases with Julian. Tucking his Trump cards under his belt he was ready! Wow, he winked at himself in the mirror, if I get there, I could rule the world and in the process my brand could make a lot of money. In 2015 to start running against a woman? He was ready to jump!!! And so, he did.
Like a bulldozer, he entered the race instantly trampling on everybody and everything that intercepted his path to the White House. One by one he swatted his Republican opponents, watching them fall like flies. He launched his mad escapade with schoolboy name calling and demeaning slogans. In rapid sequence, he violated all basic boundaries of decency. His surrogates defended him by saying "That’s not the Mr. Trump I know". At first the onlookers thought he was funny, that he was just some clown sideshow in an otherwise serious election. Gradually his innate meanness came to the surface along with his lack of knowledge, including Russian takeover of Crimea. He didn’t know because he didn’t read, only "watched some Sunday TV shows”: In early 2015 it became clear this man was not qualified in any way to become President of the United States.
But the show went on and thousands waited in line for his rallies. They loved him, he kept telling us "Look they love me” but it was hard to know why they seemed to "love" him except they were being entertained and joined him in their anger. "Bulldoze the whole system, he roared, no refugees, no Muslim’s, illegal immigrants-- out!! We’ll build a wall, Mexico is sending rapists and murderers" etc, etc.
A man who knows zero about governing was using his bullhorn to light a fire under all hidden animosities. Where were we heading with this candidate for President? The press seemed bewitched, bewildered and completely baffled. On one hand the cable channels were tripling their viewers giving Trump all the exposure he could ever dream of, while every so often giving a report on Hillary Clinton's meetings with Afro Americans groups and mothers of the slain and raising concerns and trying to find solutions to gun violence.
As it reached a feverish pitch with panel after panel of experts and surrogates spending most of the time shouting over each other, turning off people interested in learning more facts. As the months went by the press seemed intimidated by threats of repercussions from Trump. Instead of raising a focused discussion on what could be done about gun control, and the stark differences between the two candidates, commentators took the easy way out by blaming both candidates for dragging the debate into the gutter. This was not true, only the bulldozer was responsible for the swamp he was creating hourly and daily in rallies and nightly tweets.
In rapid sequence he continued to violate all boundaries of decorum and decency. The bulldozer was digging so deep into the mud that it was extremely painful to watch, one could feel the violation as a stomach turner, from the Meagan Kelly episode to the criticism of Mrs. Kahn, a Muslim, and the mother of an American soldier, a war hero, who had died for our freedom. But no, it continued throughout the entire campaign culminating in the atrocious video, taken on the “Access Hollywood” bus. Listening to his disgusting comments about how he has treated women in the past, any woman with any doubts about the kind of man Trump is should have been instantly cured of any illusions, or take a serious look at the value they place on themselves.
The following are two of the many episodes I will never be able to forget, that destroyed any hope I could ever have that something good could come from his being elected.
1. When Trump made fun of a handicapped journalist, by imitating the man's disability, his lack of empathy appalled and astonished me.Did it even occur to him how much that man was already suffering as he struggled to work every day and was doing his best to keep his life as something to be proud of? Absolutely not, or he wouldn’t have said what he said.
The second most offensive sign of breaking all boundaries was inciting the crowds to shout "Lock her up". (Going into the rally they were handed flyers with the chant of the day). This was so primitive a call it takes us back centuries to the Romans colosseum used for public executions. Even to the 1st century AD, the Crucifixion of Christ. when the Pharisees shouted "Crucify Him" “Crucify Him”.
I have only heard that kind of chant in church on Good Friday it always touches me deeply.
This is as sad as it gets, to think a man who has lived 70 years and apparently has learned nothing about humanity. That a man endowed with so many blessings can stoop so low as to stand in a crowd chanting scorn at another human being. How can this person lead our country?
Cover photo via fullhdpictures.com