Before Trump’s America

Before Trump’s America
And After Trump’s America

I want you to know that I am writing this essay believing that this is an axial moment in time. In the past quarter of century of my writing, I have felt this way several times over the years. Time will tell whether I am able to convert my feelings and dreams into reality. We live in a critically important time that begs us to realize it and then resolve the matter. These times often aren’t easy times. However, their critical importance pushes the creativity and change to the fore.

This is an essay about Before Trump, BT, and After Trump, AT. BT, America tried to be the beacon on the hill while other countries may not have had set such a goal. I’ll be the first to point out and have often written about times when our beacon flickered. Those moments had to do with a long list of negative -isms like racism, sexism, homophobia, arrogance, etc. Nevertheless, people stood up, which turned the tide. However, that was a time BT.

Then the narcissistic demigod walked onto the stage…Donald J. Trump. Macbeth painted the picture well of Donald the Dumb even though he spoke autobiographically about himself.

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

“A poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage…”

Soon the strutting and tweeting of our present-day Macbeth will end. The American version will fade into the history books as the worst president in our history. Trump makes being president look like Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, and Richard Nixon were choir boys. Finally, when our 21st century Macbeth exits the stage, then what happens in the time After Trump, AT?

This isn’t fake news…. I googled the stats, and they are all dead on.

We're seventh in literacy, 27th in math, 22nd in science, 49th in life expectancy, 178th in infant mortality, third in median household income, number 4 in labor force, and number 4 in exports. We lead the world in only three categories: number of incarcerated citizens per capita, number of adults who believe angels are real, and defense spending, where we spend more than the next 26 countries combined, twenty-five of whom are allies … We sure used to be the greatest nation. We used to stand up for what was right. We fought for moral reasons. We passed laws, struck down laws for moral reasons. We waged wars on poverty, not poor people. We sacrificed, we cared about our neighbors. We put our money where our mouths were. And we never beat our chest. We built great big things, made ungodly technological advances, explored the universe, cured diseases, and we cultivated the world's greatest artists and the world's greatest economy. We reached for the stars, acted like men. We aspired to intelligence, we didn't belittle it, it didn't make us feel inferior. We didn't identify ourselves by who we voted for in our last election. And we didn't ... we didn't scare so easy. We were able to be all these things, and to do all these things, because we were informed. By great men, men who were revered. First step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one.

Source: USNews

I’m 76 years old. Social Security has their Life Expectancy Calculator in which they will predict how many more years that you will live. Before I tell you their analysis of my life expectancy, I want to share with you this reality. I have done the dance with death twice in the last decade. I know what facing death means.

Now, Social Security estimates that I have 11.1 years left and will go belly up when I am 87.2 years old. I personally dis that prediction. George Burns and I were both born on January 20th. He lasted a couple of months past his 100th birthday. I want to live longer in my 100th year than Burns. To be honest, I don’t want to put any money on a bet that I achieve that goal, which I have had for all my adult life.

What kind of America will I see in my remaining years? More to the point, will America return to being what it was BT? As Jeff Daniels in the video stated, “First step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one.” I’m concerned about my family: my kids and my grandchildren here in America and Myanmar. If America’s beacon on the hill is to be restored, we need to be honest about the America that Trump wanted. America can be great again…not with Trump’s bs. America shouldn’t be a land only for whites. It shouldn’t be a place for xenophobic people. It shouldn’t be a nation where women are objects. It shouldn’t be a place where the rich steal from the others so that the rich become wealthier.