U.S. Presidential Elections – Snippets of a Traveling Mind

“The three hardest tasks in the world are neither physical feats nor intellectual achievements, but moral acts: to return love for hate, to include the excluded, and to say, “I was wrong.” (Sydney J. Harris)

There seems to be a noticeable “buzz” these days around the country about a confusing malaise of values promoted by our current Presidential office. Why does POTUS continue to “spin” lies and conspiracy theories to attack many of his political adversaries in this country? What negative impact on our nation’s moral fiber results from his vicious Twitter attacks daily? Why does our U.S. Senate “cow down” to him in fear as he commits mafia-style extortion for self-serving, political gain against the country of Ukraine? How does our President’s denial of global warming and consequent decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Change agreement damage our longstanding alliance with friendly allies? What negative message does he send about U.S. National Security when he “goes after” his own “intelligence” experts ( ie. Christopher Wray) and patriotic military heroes (ie. John McCain) while praising heinous dictators ( ie. Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong – Un)?

In watching the current impeachment trial of Donald Trump, I’ve been engaged by prosecutor presentations outlining the powerful “Separations of Powers/“Checks and Balances ” provisions of the U.S. Constitution. Our President shall not be above the law. Congress can remove our chief executive from office whose moral behavior goes flagrantly astray. Court processes can interpret disputes fairly in cases of improper Presidential conduct prior to or during an election. Our democracy clearly can work when handled correctly.

Therefore, I welcome 2020 as the year that America stands up to this reality TV show of hateful tweets, “this for that” bribes, senseless lies, and revengeful “meltdowns”. For by doing so through either trial conviction or election rejection, we reset the standards of our nation’s moral compass in the right direction.

Catharsis – the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions.

“…a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage? and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.” (Shakespeare quote from Macbeth)

The tightening grip of impeachment drama unfolds in our country now and will most certainly dominate the news in 2020. As this year closes, I thus find myself desperately needing an emotional break from this continuing political crisis. Very simply, I am tired of the seemingly endless lies and deceptions that underlie the purely partisan support for this President. I am also weary of “leftist” vs. “rightist extremism that rules the media airwaves to drive negativity into my inner soul. I thus painfully yearn as the New Year begins for a President who can offer “all” of us sensible lessons about how to resolve our differences and unite for the sake of Constitution and country. Who might you choose under these urgent circumstances?

Reflecting about ways to find emotional closure to end the year on a high note, I look back to a heated political rally I attended with my wife in downtown Fort Lauderdale one week before Christmas. For it felt truly liberating then to join in mass unification with Democrats and even a scattering of Republicans who took the time on this busy weekday to peacefully vent their frustrations about the Trump Presidency. Raising my protest sign stating “Support Country Not Party” along the busy adjoining street of the rally site, I acknowledged “ thumbs ups” from friendly drivers/passengers by greeting them with a friendly wave. Accordingly, in restraining any overt signs of retaliation for those vehicle occupants who “flipped me off” in obvious disdain, I would gesture positivity back to them with a friendly smile.

In protesting at this rally, I had thus exercised with others our legal right to speak, write, and assemble freely. I now invite you to join me as I attempt to release some of my negative cathartic energy with regard to the crisis ridden Trump Presidency in the following protest photographs.