Disappointing Freak Show
by: Billy Collins
A bearded man,
a one-headed chicken,
a sailor with a tattoo,
and a three-legged piano.
WARNING: POLITICAL POST AHEAD
Okay, I've been trying to avoid writing overtly political posts in my blog. I simply don't want to add fuel to the ugliness of an already ugly election year. But I want to talk about the disappointing freak show that I've been witnessing most of today.
Last night, President Joe Biden debated Donald Trump on CNN. I watched the entire thing, from start to finish. Listened to each candidate's answers and non-answers. Watched and listened to Donald Trump repeat his paranoid, narcissistic lies for 90 minutes. Watched and listened to Joe Biden sometimes struggle to articulate his thoughts clearly.
But that's not the disappointing freak show to which I'm referring.
I'm referring to all of the social media and news articles discussing how President Biden needs to make the "hard decision" to step aside because he's too old/frail/mentally unsound to be President of the United States. I've read Facebook posts by friends whom I respect jumping on this bandwagon. It has been incredibly sad and disappointing to me.
So, Donald Trump has been saying and posting unhinged, incoherent messages for over nine years now. The man wouldn't recognize the truth if it gave him a lap dance. He's fueled hatred, homophobia, xenophobia, and violence. When he lost a fair election (yes, it was a fair election--sorry you red hatters), he refused to participate in the peaceful transfer of power. Instead, he whipped up a mob of rioters into a frenzy, and then he sat back and watched them storm the Capitol Building, causing the deaths of police officers and smearing shit on the walls. And let's not forget that Donald Trump is a convicted felon.
President Biden has given us over three years of peace and stability. I haven't worried about turning on the news in the morning since he took office. He's done his best to repair the devastation of the pandemic, increased jobs, fostered economic growth, and tried to pass a bipartisan border security bill (reminder--it failed because Donald Trump called Republicans and told them to vote against it). These are FACTS. (For you red hatters, a fact is "something that has actual existence.") Has his presidency been perfect? Not by any means. However, Joe Biden has spent most of his life serving the people of the United States with honor and morality.
Joe Biden did not have a good night. He was obviously nervous and under-the-weather, judging by his voice. I've had bad teaching days, but that doesn't mean I'm unfit to be a teacher. Everyone has bad days. I wouldn't want my entire teaching career judged by one class when I failed to connect with my students. One bad debate does NOT make Joe Biden unfit to be President of the United States.
The rhetoric I've witnessed today smacks of ageism. (By the way, I've heard people saying Vice President Kamala Harris isn't popular enough to be President, so let's throw sexism and racism into that mix, as well.) It's nasty and undignified and gives Donald Trump exactly what he wants and needs. (Has anyone mentioned that Ronald Reagan was suffering from early symptoms of Alzheimer's during his second term?) Personally, I can't discount over three years of good work in the Oval Office because of 90 minutes of bad TV.
Saint Marty still has hope that his Democrat friends will get their heads out of their asses
Hope
by: Martin Achatz
"Hope" isn't a thing
with feathers. Beg pardon,
Emily. "Hope" is a thing
that does his homework,
washes his dishes, folds
his laundry, makes
his bed every morning.
Well said. Thanks for articulating that so well.
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