One of Us

                                                          One of us

UPdate 3/11/2018 The main body of this post was written months ago.  As feared this administration has been a disaster for the environment and they are just getting started. If we hope for clean air, clean water, a planet even? we all need to be involved in protecting the earth. This week Congress plans to roll bank Frank-Dodd so of course am concerned about that also and just about everything else coming out of the WH. Would eliminate the "just about" part of the above sentence but am sure if think on it for awhile (days.months?) there is probably something this administration has done that is not too horrible. What that is however escapes me for now. 

Another update 3/17/2020
Presidential character counts. We all have flaws and presidents do too but thankfully in times of great crisis our Presidents have indeed shown great determination, consistency of message, and courage to help guide us through. Abe, FDR, Harry and others had such in abundance. Of course they made mistakes too but they displayed appropriate humility and humbleness. And what are the indicators that a President will embody the necessary character when such is needed? Their personal history for one and if seeking reelection what they did as President is another.

We are now facing three great crisis and several others such income inequality, voter suppression, looming recession/depression. For not though am just going to comment on the 3  most pressing.  The coronavirus pandemic, climate change, and the situation in the mid-east especially as concerns Iran. Mr. Trump by rolling back hundreds of regulations that protect our clean air and water; pulling out of the Paris climate accord; and going after states that want more earth beneficial carbon emissions than what the WH wants has made the climate change crisis worse. It may take decades to get over the damage inflicted the past three years and truth is we may never recover.

As to the mid-east we are closer to war with Iran today than we were not only three years ago but just a week ago even. The decisions to pull out of the Iran nuclear pact, kill Soleimani,and harsh economic pressures have been disastrous for the goal of peaceful coexistence,

As to the virus - worse case scenarios if not enough steps were taken for mitigation and containment were shared with the administration almost two months ago if not longer. It took till  today though for the President to accept the reality of the situation. Apparently the results of a study out of England that the coronavirus response team got a few days ago had an impact.If our own CDC worse case projections made last month had made a similar impression we would be in a much better spot now to get the virus under control.

Like the other two mentioned the President was not the initial cause of the crisis but it is also true under his watch all three have gotten much worse. I like to think a person of better integrity, authenticity, emphatic capability, and courage would have done a better job. Character counts. Lack of such from the leader of our country puts US citizens and people of the world living now and not yet born at greater risk to harm than need be.

01/20/2017

Hi everybody.  Well here we are 5 days into the new administration. Have some thoughts to share.

Can you imagine inserting the word "Trump" for each time God is referred to in Joan Osborne's hymn "One of us"?  It seems on reflection to be more likely to find Yahweh sitting in the nearby bus seat than Donald doesn't it? One can hope though that he does find his way home. The sooner the better am sure some of you are thinking but this post today is not about wishes. It is though about musings as pertains to our feelings towards the 45th.

How the election happened turned out the way it did take your pick - Russia, private server, celebrity infatuation, dislike of politicians, Obamacare, alternative facts, whoppers as truth, Syria, immigration, 2nd amendment, television, James, Bill, Ivanka, and Lee. These factors and many more weighed in no doubt. There is another factor which makes me somewhat uncomfortable. That is whether one loves, hates, or is indifferent, there is some of Donald Trump in most of us. There are definitely actions and stuff he has done that hey admit have thought of. I mean it would be nice if could find a loophole which enabled not to have to pay taxes for the next 30 years, or could say you're fired every week on tv and get paid millions.  

I think that was part of his appeal. He got away with doing stuff that we could not. DJ himself said he could go shoot someone in times square and his supporters would still vote for him. Another appeal factor is that lots of us would not mind being him. Three super models, great kids, three mansions; it could be easy to believe he was handpicked by the three in one. 

There are many haters as well. Could some of that dislike come from recognition conscious or not that Trumpism exists in each of us? Perhaps the peevishness, petulance, prejudicial behavior we buried in the 7th grade was awoken by 45's advent? Or maybe such was never asleep, and his actions remind of our own unholiness? Of course there are numerous other reasons to be upset by what has transpired of late. Cabinet nominees who make one sick and can do great damage to much about this great nation that is good, tweets that exacerbate dangerous situations around the globe, groundwok to speed up climate change. That list goes on as well.

No reprieve for those on the sideline. He is in you too. By many reports the Prez was pretty much indifferent to anything that was not connected to Trumpism for the first 68 years of his life. Granted, though that covers a lot, family, businesses, tv show and so on. When think about it there is plenty I am indifferent to as well. In fact one can make the case that unless we are giving all but our subsistence income and most of our time then we are indifferent too when it comes to making the world a better place. It's in the bible right?

So there you have it. Like it, hate it, don't care about it no matter. We share traits, behaviors, and DNA with 45. Is there hope for the next 4 or 8 years that the POTUS will improve our lot? That the world will be a better place? Is there hope for ourselves? I like to think so. We all have parts of all the goodness of people in us too. So does Mr. Trump. May such shine through.

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update: Now is six days with 45 and one day since yesterday. Am very much bothered with what has occurred this first week in office on all fronts. Still hoping for the best, but going to stay involved.

another update: It is looking as if the dour predictions from environmental groups (disclaimer have been a SC member since 1976) as to the damage that could be done if the reds won the election have come true. So am making a public pledge to take one not so big step to lessen my carbon footprint in 2017. For several years now have been taking the bus whenever feasible but given 45's going one step further. I pledge to not use a private vehicle for any trips that am going to nearby Kaneohe or anywhere else on the island by myself. Will get to where have to go by bus or foot. Exceptions to this are if picking up or dropping someone off, and taking the car in for maintenance and repairs.

Granted this action will not make much of an impact but it will help me feel that am committing at least to doing something. January is almost over and cannot recall going outside the boundaries of the pledge but more than likely did so one or two times. Will make good from now till 2018? that is doubtful but going to try.

update: 03/31/17
Have upped contributions to the Sierra Club and am hopeful they and other organizations and millions of citizens will be successful in thwarting the administration's environmental policies. The same goes for just about everything else the white house is trying to accomplish. 

As many of you know I was the administrator of Hawai`i's state program for the blind known as Ho`opono for many years. At the time took that job although had many years of experience with the VR agency was unfamiliar with the field of blind rehabilitation. Can you imagine if upon taking office my daughter and husband were given senior adviser status? And that I appointed people who did not believe in the blind vendor, rehabilitation training or older blind programs to be in charge of such? The result for the agency would have been what? Catastrophic would be one correct answer. Another one would be elimination.

That is what is going on today in Washington. The difference is obviously that the stakes are a billion times higher. As much as would like to forget and not be concerned by the current situation and just escape into TV or the island I cannot. There is hope. Millions are committed to the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. May they be preserved.