By Anne M. Haule
Like many older Americans (those of us who still watch tv), I sat in front of my tube Sunday night and watched Leslie Stahl of 60 Minutes “interview” Trump and his clan.
Optimistic by nature, I found myself wanting to find the humanity in him – I found myself hoping he was “not that bad” in real life. I wanted him to be a normal person who just happens to have conservative principles rather than an unethical opportunist with no moral compass.
All of a sudden I realized I was trying to “normalize” Trump so I could settle down and go on with my status quo – living my happy “do-gooder” retired life.
“Normalizing” Trump is extremely dangerous. Doing so shields us from reality. If we shield ourselves, we will become lulled into a complacency that could lead to our destruction as a nation.
A friend posted the following video from YouTube on Facebook yesterday. Please watch it (for all my animal rights friends, don’t worry about the frog, he was not hurt in the demonstration).
To normalize Trump is to become like the frog in the pot of tepid water that adjusts to the increasing temperature without realizing it will ultimately destroy him.
Lest you find yourself following the temptation to normalize Trump to make yourself feel better, I suggest you join me in posting the following (woefully incomplete) list on your fridge – or make your own list to remind yourself regularly of the danger he presents. Read your list every day and vow to contribute in any way you can to the new progressive movement.
1 – Trump tacitly accepted the support of the KKK
2 – Trump assaulted numerous women
3 – Trump lied regularly
4 – Trump stiffed people who worked for him
5 – Trump paid no taxes
6 – Trump set up a charity to pay his expenses
7 – Trump is a serial litigant
8 – Trump said he would date Ivanka if she weren’t his daughter
9 – Trump’s advisors included Christie (who likely lied about Bridgegate and may be indicted/convicted), Pence (who opposes abortion and gay rights), Bannon (who is loved by white supremacists).
10 – Trump opposes freedom of the press.
Anne Haule
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Even worse Trump will become a conventional Republican and along with Paul Ryan an Mitch McConnell accomplish the Republican agenda of getting rid of social security and Medicare and “drowning government in a bathtub.”
This is exactly why we must not be swayed to “give him a chance”. In fact, he’s had plenty of chances already and they all demonstrate he’s the same as he ever was. I think it was Elizabeth Warren that noted that “personnel is policy” to a great degree, and look at the staffing picks so far: Wall Street insiders for Treasury, climate deniers for EPA and Interior, Alt-Right purveyors for Chief of Staff, … the list goes on! This is a recipe for destruction: of the environment, Main Street, civil rights, the social safety net, … you name it.
If there were anything “normal” about this election or Trump, there might be an argument for a “wait and see” attitude, but TRUMP IS NOT NORMAL!
We cannot, must not, collaborate in our own destruction!
As a New Yorker I’ve been exposed to Trump’s ego and narcissism for years. I will never consider him normal. I will never accept him as the legitimate President of my country. I will never accept his appointees. The thought of being subjected to Giuliani’s horrifying voice for four years makes me nauseous. His behavior following 9/11 showed him to be as narcisistic as Trump. All that said, I will pray for good health for Trump, because the thought of Pence becoming Prwsident is even more horrifying. We are in the midst of a national nightmare. We must all work to brink us back into the daylight.