Put Trump In The Corner

But check on him periodically

Today, Federal District Court judge, John C. Coughenour, blocked Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship, calling it “blatantly unconstitutional.” Most legal scholars believe this is not something that Trump will be able to achieve.

“Frankly,” he said, challenging Trump administration lawyers, “I have difficulty understanding how a member of the bar would state unequivocally that this is a constitutional order. It just boggles my mind.”

Here is an example of a good billionaire. Michael Bloomberg, former mayor of New York, promised to provide millions in funding that he said the U.N. would lose because of President Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement.

House Republicans are floating the idea of cuts to Medicare and Medicade in order to foot the bill of Trumps agenda of tax breaks for the wealthy.

Every day brings news that is hard to take, the above is just a sample of many things I could be sharing. We have to find a way to take it in but not obsess over every move Trump makes. In an opinion piece a few days ago, David Remnick wrote,

“One of Trump’s most effective political maneuvers might be called ‘whacking the beehive,’ a propensity to unleash so much buzzing menace into the air that it’s impossible to maintain calm, much less focus.”

This tactic makes us feel hopeless and want to give up, because it all seems like too much. The temptation is to retreat, pretenc to not care for four years. I refuse to do that, but I have to find a way to consume the news that is informed and brings hope. There are good people out there fighting for democracy.

Writers often say that writers’ block is something that exists, and that the best way to handle it is to acknowlege it. Put it in the corner, they say. And then get on with your writing. It may interfere from time to time, but keep going. I am not sure this analogy works as crisply as I’d like it to, but the same could be true of Trump. He is here now, we have to acknowledge that. Put him in a corner. Look in on him every so often to be sure that he does not become more than a block. A block is a nuisance, but should not take about your creativity. The danger would be that Trump might overtake your being and take away your agency, take away your individuality.

We cannot let him.

Here is a cartoon just for fun.

Have a good Thursday, see you tomorrow! Thanks for being here.