Tom Harker
President Trump’s certified lies have already exceeded one hundred, and on a regular basis he blurts out nonsense that, although delivered with an authoritative air of certainty, reveals how little he actually knows about any issue (see his comments on the House and Senate health care “reform’ proposals). He never takes responsibility for problems, but always blames someone else: Obama, Clinton, Comey, the Press. As for accomplishments, everything he’s done – or claims to have done – is always the greatest, the best ever, an historical first – believe me. Fake President.
We often hear that this is a “Christian Country” founded on “Christian principles.” Principles like slavery and women as chattel? Religion teaches, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Who would want to be a slave? Who would want to live under the pain of Jim Crow? In this country, those in control have seldom treated others as they would have themselves treated: Japanese American internment, mistreatment of Jews, Asians, Irish and Italians, for example.
Finally, millions of “Christians” fawn over a President who makes a mockery of the principles these “Christians” claim to revere. Fake religion.
Although we pompously brag about our wonderful Democracy, we don’t really respect it. The Founders made sure that most Americans couldn’t vote: women, slaves, Native Americans, and white men without property. John Jay declared that the nation should be run by the people who own it. Freed Black men technically got the right to vote before women did in 1920, but as is well known Jim Crow poll shenanigans kept them from voting into the 60’s, and to some extent, now.
Court rulings such as “Citizens United” have moved “one person, one vote” closer to “one dollar, one vote.” Gerrymandering gives more power to one group’s vote than another, and numerous states have begun inventing new voting rules that suppress groups of voters whose views the legislators oppose. Fake Democracy.
We put our hand over our heart and pledge that there is “Justice for all.” We sing the anthem celebrating “the land of the Free and the home of the Brave.” Yeah, right.
Any honest person with his eyes and ears open knows that Justice is not dispensed equally. It has been shown over and over again that minorities and the poor frequently do not receive the same “justice” as wealthy and influential white people.
As for Freedom, too many Americans believe in freedom for themselves, but not for all. People who resent “government intrusion” into their own lives don’t hesitate to restrict the freedom of women to control their own bodies, of gays to marry and adopt, of Muslims to build their mosques. They even go so far as to claim that restricting their ability to harm others’ freedoms restricts THEIR freedom. It doesn’t seem to matter that they are free to not have an abortion, not to adopt a gay lifestyle, not to attend a mosque. They think they are being persecuted unless they can persecute others.
And Bravery. We brave souls are always afraid of something; it helps the politicians control us. When I was a boy, we were afraid of the Communists – there was one under every bush. We also had “Law and Order” aimed at those scary poor people of color – who could tell how THEY would act next? At some point we hyperventilated about our “failing schools” and the evil teachers’ unions. Now we have terrorism and Mexicans and North Korea to help keep us worried and pliable.
America: Home of the brave? Land of the Free? Justice for all? Seems like there are a lot of Fake Americans who just give lip service to these ideals.
Seems like there are a lot of Fake things in our Shining City on a Hill.
This article originally appeared on The Pickaway News Journal
