Just checking. To my Trumpistas friends and family: Are you still ok with this?

I actually have friends – good friends at that – who I respect greatly for their values and decency AND voted for Trump. While I disagree with their vote – and certainly do not understand it – they are still my friends. Gee, some are even family members!

Some have distanced themselves from me. They simply do not appreciate my continuing soap box. They don’t understand why I am still so fixated on the election and the consequences of a Trump presidency.

While it is unlikely any of them will be reading this post, nonetheless I’d like to ask them: “You ok?”

I mean, it seems relatively obvious to the most casual of observers that what we are getting – while it may be what the Trumpistas asked for – is turning out to be quite ‘out there’.

  • I get that parts of the Federal Government are broken and need fixing.
  • I get that some of our international relations are due for rethinking.
  • I get that in some instances regulations have gone too far.
  • I get that many are not realizing real benefits from the sluggish economic recovery.
  • I get that Obamacare is a bureaucratic mess.
  • I get that big business and the military industries are in what some would call ‘disproportionate control’ of our world.
  • I get that political correctness has run amuck.
  • I get that some social agendas are the antithesis of some faith group’s core beliefs.

I get all of that – and much more.

Still, amigo, are you ok with the President Elect’s Cabinet picks and policy posturing? It is one thing to want to fix what is broken; re-examine certain policies; and, float some fresh ideas. It is another to destroy decades of progress by committed professional and yes, good bureaucrats; pursue critical policy shifts through Tweets; and, come up with ideas that are simply not thought through to their logical conclusions – or not be concerned about the real impact of even floating the idea.

These things have consequences. And, they have ‘real life’ impact on our world, how we live in our neighborhoods, how we function as a society.

Are you ok with teaching our children that the world was created 6000 years ago? At least three Cabinet appointees – and the VP-elect – all have this ‘pseudo-science’ belief and certainly would want it taught in schools.

Are you ok with keeping the minimum wage where it is? (It has not been increased since 2009; it stands at $7.25.) The Department of Labor Secretary nominee certainly thinks so.

Are you ok with chumming up to Russia? The Secretary of State nominee certainly thinks so. Indeed, he has been honored by Putin. (Explain to me how it is ok do business with Russia and not Cuba. But, I digress.)

Are you ok with landlords being able to deny housing to someone based on race? The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development nominee has stated that the day is passed when we need anti-discrimination housing laws. He sees no needs for these laws and regulations.

Are you ok with a Federal department demanding employees reveal their political inclinations? The Secretary of the Environment Protection Agency nominee has already indicated he will be asking this very question of employees. (Some call this a ‘witch hunt’. It is.)

Are you ok with a President whose style has been demonstrated to be ‘insult first; ask questions later’? Forget all the groups he insulted during the campaign. As President-elect this pattern of behavior has continued. Most recently he has insulted the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) by questioning their integrity via a Tweet… Via a Tweet!

It is one thing to have apprehensions about the CIA, engage in dialogue regarding their operations and findings, inquire and seek more information on which they based their decisions. It is quite another to disrespectfully question their integrity… Via a Tweet!

To my dear Trumpistas friends and family: Just checking. Are you still ok with this?!?

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