More and more of you are saying, “I didn’t vote for that!”
As a never Trumper from the beginning, I keep wondering, what did you think you were voting for when you voted for him?
This is a serious question as he laid out exactly what he was going to do. Trump, his campaign team, and his surrogates on the trail, were pretty clear about what was about to happen. His backers on the Project 2025 team were very open with the plan; so open in fact the language of Project 2025 was made public and freely published. People at his rally’s even held up signs and erupted in cheers when he would say something that, to me, meant people were going to be hurt badly by his plan as president.
There have been no real surprises since he came into office, other than one. The only surprise has been the speed with which plans have been put in place. Roughly 40 percent of Project 2025 has already been implemented or is in progress. Because of this, all but the billionaires are feeling the pain. Well, in full factualness, there are a couple of billionaires feeling a little pain, acting in cowardice over this little bit of pain.
Sadly, all of you, and all of us, who aren’t in the billionaire club are feeling the pain, some more badly than others. But don’t worry, those who aren’t yet soon will due to executive orders, state and federal legislation, and Supreme Court decisions.
In circling back to, “I didn’t vote for that,” honestly, how can you say that?
Did you think your business wouldn’t be affected if Trump and ICE rounded up immigrants? That you would be special in that your agricultural workers wouldn’t be arrested and sent away? That you were special in that your food processing workers wouldn’t be arrested and sent away? That you were special in that your wife or husband who happens to be brown wouldn’t be rounded up and arrested? That you were special in that your favorite Mexican place to eat would be unaffected, or your child’s best friend would be safe, or that your neighbor who has helped you through some bad times would be left alone?
Did you think you were so special that when your pregnant wife needs medical treatment to save her life due to complications, she would be safe? Did you think you were so special that your Medicaid would keep flowing? Did you think you were so special that your SNAP benefits would keep flowing to feed your children? If you are a woman, did you think you were so special Trump and Republicans wouldn’t come after your voting rights? If you are a man of color, did you think you were so special that Trump and Republicans wouldn’t come after your voting rights?
I wonder too how you didn’t know that America First meant billionaires first (and only)? How did you not know that a tariff is a tax on us because companies always pass costs on to those of us buying goods? How did you not know the materials you use in your home business or small business wouldn’t be affected by the tariffs since we get so much of our supplies and materials from non-U.S. suppliers? How did you not know that when immigrant and migrant workers were targeted for deportation our food supplies would go down meaning prices would go up if the product is even still available?
I also wonder how you could vote for someone who was known to be involved with Epstein, a known human trafficker and pedophile? How could you vote for someone who is so derogatory towards women, which would mean towards your mom, your wife, and your daughter? How could you vote for someone whose lies number in the thousands? How could you vote for someone who openly talks about violence towards others? How could you vote for someone who was convicted of fraud involving his university, his charity, even his company? How could you vote for someone who is often unintelligible or talks nonsense so much of the time? How could you vote for someone who looks up to Putin, Kim Jung-un, and Orbán, all dictators who kill and torture their own people? How could you vote for someone who wants to take away laws that protect us from pollution, food poisoning, diseases, and educating children?
I honestly ask these questions to help me understand because I find it so extremely hard that anyone with common sense, a sense of decency, high morals, and/or are Christian could vote for such a person. My brain just can’t wrap itself around a vote for Trump.
Most of all though, I wonder what you are doing to make things better. Are you protesting? Are you calling your congressional state and federal officials to say stop? Are you writing letters to the press? Are you letting the White House no you didn’t vote for this? Are you standing up to ICE if they are in your neighborhood? Are you willing to vote for Democrats so they can bring back what is needed and make our lives better?
Essentially, what specific actions are you taking to make things right?
I’ve often said we all need to be involved in saving democracy in the ways which fit our lives and our comfort levels. These can be blogging, reposting on social media, calling your elected officials, letters to the editor, donating to organizations, and/or marching in the streets. Nothing is too little or too much. Here are some ways to get involved whether from the comfort of your own homes, or on the streets, over the next few weeks:
Call your U.S. Senator to demand they fight the Republican administration’s defiance of the court in following laws and the Constitution. The switchboard number is 202-224-3121. They will connect you with the correct senators. If you get their voicemail, which I do often, make sure to leave your name and address for your call to be registered as received.
Sign up for General Strike and commit to participating.
Download the app Five Calls to help let your elected officials know you are paying attention and don’t approve. Website: https://5calls.org/
Join a local group of Indivisible.
Participate in the action items of 50501: 50 Protests, 50 States, 1 Movement.
Continue to boycott companies who have bent the knee or no longer believe in equality. Don’t buy from national chains or companies, such as Target, Amazon, Tesla, Walmart and any others who are bending the knee and capitulating to authoritarianism and the billionaire class.
Write letters to your local papers expressing your disappointment and tell your stories of how the Republican administration is harming our families.
Please say thank you in some way to the universities, law firms, companies, and organizations not bending the knee and capitulating to the fascist-acting Republican Administration.
Watch for and attend the next big nationwide protest when announced.
Do something, anything, peaceful to fight back!
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 