That’s from our American ‘Pledge of Allegiance’. It was America's credo, our sacred belief. It’s still recited in many classrooms nationwide every morning before school begins, just as ‘The Star-Spangled Banner‘ is sung before football games and other sporting events in America.
However, over the years, and as our nation continues to divide itself like a cancer cell, the Pledge has controversially been eliminated, optionally by preference, from public venues due to opposition to God or other associated religious belief rights. However, and like our national anthem, basically, it’s a political issue, as are most things in America these days. We don’t like our “rights” infringed upon even at the expense of our common sense and intellectual acuity. So, we continue to divide ourselves like that cancer cell ...and we know how that goes.
Our American President, Donald Trump, has been as a private citizen, and now become, as leader of the free world, the most pervasive catalyst of this burgeoning American cancer both in the body of American politics and in the very soul, mind and spirit of America itself. And it’s spreading into the mind, body and spirit of the free world.
Trump’s short-term economic flurry of bravado, just like his short-term, short-sighted foreign policy of egotistical braggadocio, is self-serving at best for this card-carrying narcissist. Short-term (hopefully) Trump has either unwittingly or by design managed to divide America on every level and every issue playing to our worst instincts.
The Republican Party, once called the National Union Party, the party of Abraham Lincoln, brought America together when this nation was soulfully divided and at war with itself. This same Republican Party, now the party of Donald Trump, has somehow degenerated and disgraced itself into the Evil Empire within America fueling dissent, division and derision. Trump has solidly divided us by politics, religion, ethnicity, economic status, gender, morality, civility, decency, integrity, and conscience. He calls the Democrats the party of "crime" and the Republicans the party of "wealth". Trump, and now his Republican Party, have set a new benchmark for every American’s emotion and thinking. Now, every human instinct for compassion is even more susceptible to popular political and financial gain.
Stacking the Supreme Court deck is Trump’s latest contribution to the death of our free Nation. Brett Kavanaugh is questionable enough of a candidate for Supreme Court Justice to warrant a full investigation of his past shenanigans and potential crimes to his questionable honesty and seemingly bias as a professional adult and Washington DC Circuit Court judge. An accurate profile of his innermost character and demeanor for this lifelong position would seem paramount. Another candidate would seem logical amidst this controversy. Instead, President Trump pushed Kavanaugh through like an American enema, and, indignantly, the Republican Party as a body and to a man, save for one brave woman, Senator Lisa Murkowski, applauded this national televised farce with an “in-your-face, Democrats!” party line attitude. They were dancing in the end zone. There’s a penalty for that ..and it’s coming.
Watching our own geriatric ‘republican guard’ shamelessly defending Kavanaugh and proffering their impulse to have their way America, all while paying homage and kissing Trump’s ring was a lesson in modern American degenerative politics. Senators Jeff Flake, Joe Manchin and Susan Collins should be ashamed of themselves. Senators Grassley, Hatch, McConnell, and Lindsey Graham wouldn’t know the difference. Bottom line is they all gain personally, and America, ‘We the People’, lose again. Happens every time. You’d think the Democrats would take a cue from all this downgraded consistency and learn to fight back instead of whining and weakly protesting their indignation.
It’s time, no, really, it’s time to do something before it’s too late. Remember the movie ‘The Magnificent Seven’? We need them now because it feels like most Americans are like the poor Mexican farmers just trying to live their lives in peace and survive while the bad guys bully them, I think the bad guys were called the Republicanos. They tormented the farmers daily and surprised them unannounced with indignities which cost them financially while eroding their self-respect, and their willingness and ability to fight back.
We should, somehow, stop this purge. But how? Protest in the streets ...jump up and down, carry signs and clever posters (Trump loves the attention) ...vote? Will the Magnificent Seven, the Democratos, help us? It’s all questionable at best, doubtful at worst. But on it goes.
Here’s the reality ...Trump now has his man on the Supreme Court. He will need him when the presidential pardon scenarios comes around for Kushner and Don, Jr., not to mention the impeachment scenario facing Trump himself. But for now, this pressure cooker called America continues to bubble and boil. Something’s got to give. Hopefully, it will be in the form of one Mr. Robert Mueller and his Magnificent Seven.
“...One Nation Under God, Indivisible, With Liberty And Justice For All.” (Aye)
John Kushma is a communication consultant and lives in Logan, Utah.
