I realize that my Facebook feed is a bit of an echo chamber at the moment.  I haven’t deleted anyone, but I suspect I’ve been blocked by plenty who are tired of my posts and memes and anger.  So the majority of my posts, and by extension this blog, are seen by those that agree with me and are sick with what’s going on in our country.  But that doesn’t mean I should be quiet.  Because for the first time in my life, I can’t stand down because it might not align with someone.  I can’t stay quiet because some don’t agree with me.  I just can’t. 

Mitch McConnell unwittingly gave a great phrase to the “movement” the other day.  “She was warned, she was given an explanation, and  nevertheless, she persisted.”  That certainly wasn’t his intent.  But it’s a great catchphrase.  We can put it on shirts, and change our profile pictures, and it’s an amazing exclamation in the resistance against an administration that doesn’t stand for us, an administration we don’t believe in.  And here’s the thing. It’s an awesome rallying cry.    How many women, throughout history, didn’t want to rock the boat?   Didn’t want to put their beliefs out there for fear of being too much, too over the top, too feminist, too everything?  The fact that we are, even if its in a small way, mobilizing, is amazing.  This is how shit gets changed. It doesn’t happen when we say nothing.

But we don’t want to think.  We don’t want to think too hard about what’s actually happening.  That this adminisration is slowly and quietly dismantling society as we know it.  I know.  You think I’m being extremist.  That I’m exaggerating.  Give him a chance, is the rallying cry.  Let’s see what he does. You know  what?  He lost his chance.
He lost his chance with his whole, “Grab them by the pussy,” comment.  He lost his chance when he was tweeting about Nordstrom dropping his daughter’s clothing line in the aftermath of the raid in Yemen.  He lost his chance when he continously made it about him, and his hurt feelings, and not everyone else.  When he signed orders that put men, women, and children at risk – and regardless of your thoughts on immigration, when he threw the entire country into fucking chaos, he lost his chance.

Donald Trump has made a portion – a large portion – of America believe that media, actual, vetted media, which has been around for decades, isn’t real.  There is no underestimating how dangerous this is.  When we stop believing the media, the legit media, and start believing the words of a man on a power trip, we’ve lost.  This. Is. How. It. Starts.  Do not tell me I’m overreacting.    To me, this is the biggest loss we’ve faced.  His supporters no longer believe true media sources, because he has told them not to.  Our media has never been perfect, nor is it without fault.  But find me an example where CNN has falsely reported anything – aside from what this admistration has said – before this.  Have there been mistakes?  Yes.  Is the entire source – and I’m using CNN as an example here – therefore not credible?  Because by that logic Sean Spicer is literally the SNL joke that he’s become.

Here’s a quote regarding the inauguration.
“the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period, both in person and around the globe.”
People?  This just flat out isn’t true .  It’s not a question, it’s not a media thing, it’s not a joke.  It. Isn’t. True.  It is quite literally unfathomable to me that the White House, the United States government, felt the need to issue a (completely, utterly, false) statement regarding how many people witnessed the inauguration because the President of the United States of America got his panties in a bunch when the disparity of his inauguration crowd in comparison to the previous one.

This is not okay.

His statement that his reversal of the DAPL decision “wasn’t controversial,” and “he hadn’t received one phone call about it.”
There were literally thousands of protests.

His administration’s willingness to stand behind a woman who, A) invented a massacre that didn’t happen and B) provided a mini-infomercial for Ivanka Trump’s clothing line from the White House.
That’s illegal.

His refusal to disclose his business interests and taxes after leading the charge for transparency against Obama in the completely unfounded demand for his birth certificate.
The President cannot benefit from business interests in other countries.  This is also illegal, if he has them.  If he does not, in the interest of that transparent government, there is no reason this isn’t public information.

His absolutely embarassing display at the time-honored prayer breakfast, during which he pimped out his television show.
Here’s a tip – saying “What the hell!” to a priest at a prayer breakfast anywhere is tacky.  At the White House, it’s downright shameful.

His appointment of an Education Secretary with literally zero experience, either publicly or as a civilian, with public schools, which, you know, should be a cornerstone of this country.
Betsy DeVos and her family donated money to literally every single person that voted her in.  Do not tell me she didn’t buy that job. This is not coincidence.  Also, and this may be personal opinion, but anyone who “can’t remember” if they donated 200 million fucking dollars to something probably doesn’t have a super solid grip on what parents in Chicago who are sending their kids to public schools deal with.

Speaking of Chicago, what exactly is he doing here?  Because I seem to remember this city being a big part of the whole “tough on crime” portion of his campaign.  He could fix Chicago in a week, he talked to “top people” in CPD, he would send in the Feds if the “carnage” isn’t stopped.
Spoiler alert: he hasn’t fixed Chicago, nor made any attempt to do so.  The “top people” he talked to don’t exist, according to CPD, and when our mayor responded, “Send them,” to the Feds statement, there was a deafening silence that I can still hear.  Also, side note?  Defunding our public schools and Planned Parenthood?  Probably isn’t going to help.  (But that’s another rant.)

His horribly disjointed Black History Month speech.
I can’t even.  I can’t.  Aside from the Frederick Douglass comment, which I know was the big takeaway, reading the entire transcript literally made my brain hurt.  This is the President.  If he’s unable to draft a coherent speech that properly addresses the weight of what he’s talking about, he needs to at least surround himself with people smart enough to do so.

THIS. IS. NOT. OKAY.  Say it with me.

And that isn’t to mention countless other instances – Sessions and Bannon with their blatant, obvious, and clear racist backgrounds, the national security questions he dealt with in front of his public at Mar-A-Lago, the civilians killed in his raid that was without proper intelligence, his complete dismissal of the 2 million people that marched against him the day after his inauguration, the complete and utter disregard for the terror, fear, and inconvenience the Muslims  – or anyone that happens to “look Muslim” – in this country now face.  The LGBTQ couples worried about their marriage status and the incoming legal discrimination against them. Oh, and Russia.  Everything about Russia, from the election to the dossier to Flynn – everything.  It literally could go on and on, and keep in mind that I am only touching on the most publicly known instances of discordance.

But my question (and point) is this.  I need to know why the Republican party is party over country right now.  I want an explanation as to why they’re willing to let these absolute insanities roll off.  I truly cannot fathom that this entire Senate is behind this; that there is no one that’s willing to go against the madness.  I believe it’s just going to take one.  Once one stands up and says, “Wait a second, this is a fucking crazy person,” others will follow.

Until then, we keep resisting in whatever way we can. Keep calling and keep emailing and keep showing up and most importanly – keep voting.  Pay attention to your local elections.  To your senators and your representatives.

Is it making a difference?  I certainly hope so.  It doesn’t always feel like it to me.  But staying quiet is not an option.  Not anymore.