America… Doesn’t Feel Like the Land of the Free

I honestly don’t know where to start. If it weren’t for my faith and trust in God, I would feel utterly helpless in the face of what American government looks like right now. I was supposed to blog about my latest tablescape and how I am keeping with the minimalist theme I took on for the Christmas holidays. But I feel it a bit inappropriate to write about such things, without at least acknowledging our current affairs, when nearly 800,000 people are not getting paid, and the person in the highest office in the land is bragging about feeding National College Football players burgers and fries while having a political temper tantrum because he can’t get everyone on board to erect a physical monument to his racist ideals and beliefs. Whew. I know. That was a lot. Deep breath. This is really all it’s about, and it’s sad that zero compassion played a part in this decision. It really does seem that he just doesn’t care. He and his Senate peeps are still receiving their salaries, which is mind-boggling. If TSA has to work and not get paid, then the same should be so for Congress. Aren’t they government employees also? And back to the burgers and fries being served on a table with candelabras at the white house…

If I’d spent an entire year, training and preparing for the the victory of the #1 spot on the roster in college football, and for my efforts I got invited to the white house; got dressed up and was ushered into the State Dining Room, where I found I’d be served junk food… AT THE WHITE HOUSE, I think I’d be a little salty, and immediately want to inquire what the problem was with the white house hospitality director. Apparently, due to the unnecessary shutdown, there was no one on staff to plan a suitable meal for these guys. I’m just sayin’.

Just… wow. It infuriates me when I think of the “why” behind this shutdown. It’s been widely reported that the Democrats are the hold-ups to a resolution with their refusal to conform to the demands of an egotistical tantrum. The 45th President of the United States believes drugs, rapists, murderers and terrorists are all coming through the South Border, regardless of what the hard data has shown time and time again, and he wants a wall, barrier, fence, or whatever you want to call it, to keep “them” out. What he purports is simply not true, and sadly is a clear indicator of a racist belief system. Sure there are some people with evil intentions of all races in this world. But drugs are not coming in from the Border. Drugs for decades have been brought in by people who don’t look like those this President is demonizing. Some of you may be old enough to remember the whole “War on Drugs” in politics several decades ago. This was a time when drugs were strategically bought and distributed in Black neighborhoods to decimate their families and communities, and to ultimately criminalize them. President Nixon at the time worked with the CIA and several members of Congress to concoct the infamous and ongoing “War on Drugs.” I’m barely touching the surface here because there was so much intricacy that has since come to light. It will make your head spin. You can read about it HERE if your curiosity gets the best of you.

Back to the border, as a reminder, the statement that terrorists are entering through our unsecured borders is false. You can read about it HERE. With the exception of a couple, all terrorist attacks have been domestic, carried out by home-grown folks; white Americans. None of them were people of color who came into this country illegally. Instead of enforcing and doubling down on gun licensing restrictions, this current President, as one of his first orders of business, relaxed them, even allowing mentally ill persons access to automatic weapons. The rhetoric of a “border crisis” is not real. It doesn’t exist. There is no crisis! Yet the President of the United States of America and the Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell are seemingly bound together by such a white supremacist paranoia, that they are willing to risk disastrous and possibly catastrophic outcomes to hundreds of thousands of Americans. Their agenda is about keeping “them” out and “us” in. That’s what it boils down to. An out-dated fear of people who don’t look like them, and preservation of stereotypes and their perceived supremacy. Here are just some of the consequences of this stunning, history-making, reckless, debacle…

Hundreds of thousands of workers are furloughed, and the same are in jobs they still have to report to. I can’t imagine what it’s like to work all week and get a $0.00 dollar paycheck.

Trash is piling up in our National Parks because they’re no longer funding the groundskeepers, with many of them finally closed until further notice.

TSA workers are among tens of thousands of federal employees who are in jobs they can’t sit out on. It’s been reported that some are calling in sick to make up for the lack of pay.

Air Traffic Controllers have to work with no pay to prevent the airline industry from coming to a grinding hault.

And can we talk about our food?

The USDA and FDA are still conducting meat and poultry inspections, thank goodness, however, the work that’s normally done to prevent food-borne illnesses is not. Yikes! So we’re all at greater risk of food poisoning. Me thinks I shall go on a fast… maybe. Here’s more… Americans who currently receive food stamps will only receive them through February if the shutdown continues. Marriage licenses were suspended but have since resumed due to emergency legislation that was passed but are backlogged. Funding for several Native American resources, including the Indian Health Service has been cut off. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which approves new labels, is closed. The Smithsonian museums, the National Zoo and all major tourist attractions will remain closed until after the shutdown ends. Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York directed the state government there to provide funding to keep the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island open, otherwise, they too would be closed. The water at the White House is even in jeopardy of being turned off, since the government can’t pay it’s bill due to the shutdown. Thank goodness Social Security, Disability and Medicare checks will not be affected. This is just a small portion of the affects of the shutdown. There are so many areas of basic, human, livelihood that we, I, never think about on a daily basis, that are suddenly upended by the nonsensical display of power. Holding nearly a million Americans hostage to serve his ego. Who is the terrorist here? Is this their version of making America Great Again? I never understood that phrase and here’s what I wrote about it when I first heard about it HERE.

I have no idea how this will end, but as hard as it may be, I continue to pray for this President, this Senate, that by some small miracle they come to their senses and end this, before we find ourselves back in 2008 with another recession, only worse. I never thought It feels like a Benjamin Buttons moment as I hear phrases and references to race that I heard when I was much younger. Once upon a time I joked that race relations were reversing so that we’d be on the back of the bus in 5 years. But watching what is happening now, the possibility of that coming to reality again crosses my mind seriously, not as a joke. You’d think we’d come so far in race relations with the election, twice, of a Black President, but it is more apparent than ever, that spotlight in history simply removed the bandaids that masked how many human beings really feel about other human beings in this country. This President and this administration has encouraged and emboldened them to the point where they are now free to express their hatred with a co-sign. Pray for this President. Pray for the Senate Majority Leader. Pray for Congress. And pray for the United States of America.