Today, Nov. 4th, 2020, is tortuous as we await final election results.  To help bide the time and distract myself from early returns, I took a trip down ‘nightmare’ lane, pulling together a highlight reel of my ‘greatest’ rants over the last four years.  Enjoy!  

‘Walking the Dog” November, 2016, wherein I start to TRY to come to grips with the hell just happened

My world view has been rocked.  I spent last week in various stages of shock, grief and depression.  It is not because we have elected an amateur and thief to our highest office; it is not because my candidate lost; and it is not because a Republican won. While those statements are all true — they are not the cause of my inner turmoil and occasional despair.

I despair because this man consistently demonstrated that he is a racist and a sexist; yet we elected him anyway.   This man openly disdains and denigrates women, people of any color, Muslims, Mexicans, immigrants, the disabled, the LGBT community, and more.  His promise to ‘Make America Great Again’ is a thinly veiled slogan for white supremacy.

Rising January 2017 wherein I march in Washington DC with my sisters and brothers.

Still, We Rise.  Thank you Maya Angelou for these words:   “You can kill me with your hatefulness, but just like life… I rise”.

Today, I joined hundreds of thousands of women; along with our partners, brothers and children to collectively protest tRump’s election with a message of equality and inclusiveness. Having been denied a permit to use the mall (which was NOT being used), 500,000 women were crammed on Independence Avenue and surrounding streets. It was a veritable sea of pink pussy hats!

Small Things Matter, April 2017: wherein I am appalled by the boorishness of tRump.  I am nostalgic for the Obama’s grace and class.  Barack and Michelle always treated each other with respect and love.  In contrast, tRump rarely misses an opportunity to display his lack of common decency. Personally, I would not trust him to feed my cat.

Joy and Sorrow, (6/18): wherein we babysit our precious grand girls, and reflect on the barbaric cruelty of putting children in cages.

From our trip to the zoo, I have a picture of my two precious, Mexican-American grand-daughters peering out from behind bars–in a cage. This picture feels like a punch in the gut every time I look at it.  It is a close-to-the-heart reminder of our inhuman treatment of families who seek asylum within our borders.

Tonight, Dan, the girls and I made strawberry shortcake with strawberries we picked this afternoon.  I gave the girls a bath, there were many giggles while we wrestled them into their PJs; we brushed their hair and their teeth, we read books, and lovingly tucked them into bed.  They are with family that loves them and they are safe. Yet, my heart aches knowing that so many equally precious children are needlessly terrified and among strangers tonight.

Becoming (8/18), wherein I gush about Michelle Obama and her Book.

The release of this book among the backdrop of the continued horrors of the current White House illustrates the enormous chasm between the Obamas and our current Tweeter in Chief.  The chasm is wide and deep on multiple levels: the Obamas consistently displayed intelligence, humor, a strong work ethic, humility, class and above all – human decency.  To paraphrase Michelle herself in a recent interview with Stephen Colbert:   It is lazy and easy to lead with fear; it is much harder to lead with hope.

For the last two years, it has been hard to keep hope, and to avoid responding in kind to the ignorance, cruelty, vulgarity and nastiness regularly displayed by the current POTUS.  Yet, Michelle still believes in ‘going high’, because what is our choice?  We have to believe in something better.  She reminds us that as FLOTUS, she was able to meet many people across our country, and the vast majority of them are good and kind.

Pondering American Greatness, May 2020: wherein I try to figure out what the hell MAGA actually means

The MAGA crowd has never answered the question: When, exactly, was America great?  What is the timeframe that they are so nostalgic for? 

Any era of American history that we choose is riddled with both great accomplishments and great oppression and cruelty. America has always been a land of contradictions. Any definition of greatness depends on the lens that is used to view the era.

The MAGA lens of greatness reflects a particularly narrow and xenophobic ‘love it or leave it’ brand of patriotism.  They demonstrate a sense of entitlement to American greatness as uniquely THEIRS.  No immigrants, feminists, ‘libtards’, people of color, Native Americans, gays, lesbians, or non-Christians are welcome in their imagined era of greatness.

Above all else, the MAGA crowd misses the good ‘ole days when it would have been impossible for a black man to become President.  

The MAGA crowd is afraid of anyone who does not look like, sound like, love like or pray like themselves. These fears are stoked daily by their combative leader. tRump revels in stirring up division and conflict, and when there is no true conflict of interest, he creates one in order to keep his base in a continual state of rage and indignation–even if that anger ends up being directed at some poor Costco clerk who is just checking to make sure shoppers are wearing masks.

One can debate endlessly as to when America was at its peak of ‘greatness’. But one thing I am sure of: our current path is decidedly NOT leading towards ‘greatness’, no matter how rose-colored your glasses or your hat.

Other Rants

A New Reality, (11/16), wherein I continue to process my shock

Sleepless and Troubled, (1/17), wherein I lose sleep part 1

Profiles in Dishonor (2/17): wherein I ponder (for the first, but not last time) when and if Republican Senators will find their spines or balls

Thank you Mitch McConnell (2/17): wherein I quote Mitch: “ She was warned, she was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”

Cracks in the Orange Veneer, (3/17)  wherein I describe early tRump missteps, while still under the delusion that it mattered. 

Insomnia and Blind Faith (3/17), wherein I once again lose sleep, part 2

Ding, Dong the Bill is Dead (3/17), wherein I compose a song, about the ill-fated GOP health care bill

Orange is the new Crack, (3/17): wherein it is apparent that tRump is leading a cult.

The GOP Shit Sandwich: (5/17)  – Wherein the GOP fails to pass a health care bill, which was so crappy that even the GOP majority in the Senate and the House didn’t support it.

Tweeter in Chief, (5/17):  wherein I (again) bemoan the spinelessness of the GOP  

Circle Breathing (5/17):  wherein I ponder the unity of resistance

Lordy, I hope there are tapes (6/17), wherein it is apparent that the truth is no longer relevant.

Our National Shame:  (6/17): Wherein Black Men are being Murdered by Police

As the “D” Turns, (8/17):  wherein we get a chuckle over The Mooch! “I’m not a back stabber, I’m a front stabber’

Are you Outraged Yet? (8/17), wherein tRump defends White Supremacists in Charlottesville.

Regulations and rights (10/17)  wherein my uterus is more dangerous than a semi-automatic weapon

#METOO, (11/17):  wherein I ponder my own troubling experiences

Resisting The New Normal, (2/18), wherein I itemize some of the ways that tRump is not normal.

When Bullies are in Charge (2/18), wherein I ponder the impacts of revering bullies

The Debt of Privilege (3/18), wherein I ponder being white

The Sound of Silence (3/18), wherein we learn the power of silence from a teenager as she mourns her slain friends

Children of the Corn (4/18): wherein I tell a story about greedy kids and tell a joke to describe the extreme disparities of our economic system

Making American Great, (5/18):  wherein, I reflect on slavery and racism

Cost of Democracy (6/18), wherein I reflect on the corruption of big money in politics

An Open Letter to American Women (7/18), wherein I bemoan the fact that 52% of us voted for tRump, undeterred by his pussy-grabbing ways.

Putin’s Poodle (7/18), wherein I gleefully, and childlessly explore various uncomplimentary nicknames for tRump.

Truth or Consequences (7/18), wherein I ponder the lack of consequences for tRump’s continued lies and foolishness.

The Crumbling Presidency (8/18), wherein I point out the growing number of legal problems of this Administration

#MeToo v GOP (9/18):  wherein I hope that our Senate will not confirm a sexual predator cry-baby to the Supreme Court.

A Sad Day (10/18):  wherein I realize that sexual predator cry-babies can get confirmed to the Supreme Court.

Winning! (11/18):  wherein I reflect on the most excellent outcomes of the 2018 mid-terms.

Meanwhile (6/19), wherein I reflect on miscellaneous current shenanigans

Sharpiegate (8/19), wherein I reflect on tRump’s drawing and weather forecasting skills

A Dream Deferred, (11/19) wherein I painfully conclude the Dems need to nominate another old white guy

Dictator for Life, (1/20), wherein I ponder the degree to which we are descending into fascism

The Witch Hunt, (1/20): wherein I gush over Lindy West’s new book of that name.

Finally, talking about race (5/20), wherein I ponder the importance of having hard discussions after the murder of George Floyd.  

Evolving (8/20): wherein I again ponder white privilege

Sun V. Wind (9/20): wherein I ponder the effectiveness of strong-arm tactics

RIP RPG (9/20): Wherein my heart breaks

My dad is 93 (10/20): wherein I come to terms with my father’s racist views