Last week I made bold proclamations and promises as a response to the Trump debacle. I laid out my ethics of defeat. Now, I wonder, “Is the preacher practing what she preaches?”

Promise one:  Give Trump a chance

Part of giving him a chance was to reread his position on issues. I agree with many, such as reducing big government. However, my support vanished after his appointment of a white supremacist as his closest advisor (Steve Bannon). David Duke is elated. I cannot support Trump in anything with a white supremacist as his closest advisor. Furthermore, each day he annoints another right wing bigot to another crucial role (Attorney General who previously was denied approval to a Federal judgeship because of past racist comments ) my support weakens. I am so amazed the Trump blew his chance to reconcile so quickly by bringing so many bad hombres to the table.

I was also told that Trump tried to appear as a moderate on 60 Minutes. He suggested he would be more reflective about Obama Care, for one. Well, I looked up what he can and cannot do regarding my health insurance. He cannot overturn it by executive order but there are many ways he can undermine the program, such as defunding it in the next budget. On Affordable Care, Trump is a wolf in sheep’s clothing when he hints that he his “open”

By the way, Trump hates our democracy so much that he probably won’t even live in Washington full time. He plans to stay in NYC so he can run his businesses and dismantle our government in the luxury of Trump tower.

Promise two: Don’t bash Trump in my writings.

I cannot keep this promise. See above. However, I will limit how often I write negative things. Again, white supremacism changed the game.

Promise three: Seek first to understand, then be understood.

Mixed success here. I can illustrate this by my interactions with three friends.

• Friend A is a close friend in ND who just loves Trump because he will secure our borders. Friend A is also an evangelical Christian, the ones who gave Trump his get-out-of-hell-free card.  Still, post-election we found a way to discuss issues that might alienate us. We decided to just hear each other without commenting, taking turns at speaking. We successfully covered a great deal of ground that might have otherwise alienated us. We also reflected how my leaving ND was a good choice. If I had been in that conservation region during the election, it would have been disastrous. Also, the reservation that is home to the Native Americans protesting the pipeline is not far from where I lived, and I would have been at the demonstrations, for sure. My friend told me that locals there think it is okay to plow through Native American burial grounds and I would have been run out of town just for that.
• Friend B has stepped off the deep end. He appeared unaware that he election is over. He spouted the same old stuff and attacked any rational response. Name calling. Hatred. He has bought the Bannon bull in its entirety. I began to suspect that he is bipolar, and the election has tossed him to the manic side. I suggested that his responses were outside the boundaries of normal, rational behavior. I also asked him to consider getting some help, to which he said, YOU get some help (Memories of Trump’s blast: No, you’re the puppet). He continued to pound me online and did not stop the cyber bullying until I threatened to call his local police.  Sometimes seeking to understand is impossible.
• Friend C: We did not talk at all, but I could tell by his Facebook feed that he was also a Brietbart (Bannon) guy. He gloated a bit and made a jab at one of my FB posts. I was going to give it time, but then the white supremacist news broke. Instead, I quietly unfriended him. No need for more drama. He thoughtfully wrote back, acknowledging that he had offended me and wished me well. A decent ending, as I would expect from him.

Promise Four – Stay engaged in the issues I value and keep working to make life better for others. Check, check , check. Success with this one. In fact, I am feeling radicalized. Issac Newton, who I referred to here for a different point, also tells us that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The more extreme the action, the more extreme the counter action. I will do everything I can to restore decency to our culture. I refuse to just give money. I have given a commitment to do the work, at the grassroots level. Oddly, I am feeling ready to maybe take a church again, but will make my beliefs known before I commit. I learned that one the hard way!

Promise Five – Stop reading the news so much. Success! Instead, I find something beautiful and positive to read each day. No satellite radio news in the background all day. Once and a while I cheat by popping CNN or ABC into my browser and give a quick glance. It’s like cheating when you are supposed to close your when someone has a surprise.

Other Comments:

• My blog readership has dropped some since the election. I don’t look at who reads it, but casually watch the graph showing the number of readers. This drop is okay because I will sometimes be more outspoken about my beliefs and people who are offended should Anyway, I am trying to refocus and stay more focused. From the beginning, people have most liked my commentaries on daily life, which I sprinkle with humor. My main focus will be commentaries on life with emphasis on my nomadic lifestyle, my love of the outdoors, and living our faith in the world. I changed the menu options on my main menu and also changed my About page to reflect where I am at these days!
• After my offer to provide post-election pastoral care, several people reached out to vent. I am so honored and encourage others who need a kind word and listening ear to contact me at [email protected]

Words of Hope:

         From Psalm 33