Lately, I must admit that I’ve become weary of the constant barrage of attempts by this current Administration to fundamentally change what it means to be an American.
I have made it clear in thought, word, and action that I believe we are currently in a struggle for the very soul of America. The vision that I and the great majority in my circle have, is clearly not the one being peddled by President Donald J. Trump or his minions. From the results of many recent polls, it seems now that most of the Country feels the same way. The President’s approval rating is below 50% in virtually all of them.
But that doesn’t mean that the struggle is over. In fact, it will only get worse.
The litany of both harmful and bizarre legislation being implemented by the White House and GOP controlled Congress continues unabated. As of this writing, our Federal Government has been literally shut down due to the failure of the Republican controlled Congress to pass a budget or even stop-gap measure. The President is using the stalemate to further his draconian goals by laying off thousands of Federal workers. But, then again, it’s part of the plan. It always has been.
His assault on the 1st Amendment and other Civil liberties is well documented by me and many others. The Administration’s plan to eradicate undocumented immigrants has accelerated and increased. It is designed to inflict the maximum amount of cruelty on those families affected. Cruelty has become the point. Furthermore, the recent stage show disaster by Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth and President Trump addressing our top military leaders is a great example of how truly out of touch they are with reality. Perhaps the most telling part of the event was when Secretary Hegseth, the very pinnacle of traditional masculinity with slick hair and tailored, well-fitting suit, chastised the literal fat cat generals in the audience for their sloth. Then he had the audacity to introduce the horribly out-of-shape, bloated President. Absurd.
I could go on. It’s not that hard for me to find fault in just about everything Mr. Trump is looking to accomplish. It’s all just so exhausting. I’m exhausted! However, beware of fatigue. It’s when we weary of the fight, they win – and that’s also the plan. Dictionary.com defines attrition as a noun, meaning in part as a wearing down or weakening of resistance, especially as a result of continuous pressure or harassment.
We can’t let that happen – unless we want it to. Our Democracy has, despite its perceived strength, always been tenuous. It takes work. Lots of it. And it’s only going to get harder. We must be prepared to do what is necessary to preserve our Union and our freedoms. It won’t be easy. It never is.
Frank LoBuono is a Nyack Resident, photographer, blogger and retired CBS News journalist.
Photo by Frank LoBuono
