Hallway to Nowhere

  • Trump’s Continuing Attack On the First Amendment

    Trump’s Continuing Attack On the First Amendment

    With his tweet stating that those burning the American flag should have their citizenship revoked and/or face a year’s imprisonment, Trump again went to war against the First Amendment. Let’s have a look at it, just in case anyone needs a reminder:

    Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the government for redress of their grievances.

    I have pondered the question of whether or not he actually knows what it says. If yes, then he is more machiavellian than I care to contemplate and is very deliberately setting about challenging it. If no, which is what I suspect, then he needs a refresher course in basic American civics. Despite what he may think, even the POTUS is not above the law. He is reportedly considering a registry for Muslims and during his campaign ran on the promise to ban all Muslims from entering the country; he has threatened repeatedly to open up libel laws, sue various news media, thrown journalists out of his rallies, ridiculed a disabled jounalist, and made insulting remarks about news media that published articles he found less than flattering. Since the election, he has held few press conferences, abandoned having a press corps, and instead communicates by tweets. He has shown his usual hostility to coverage that does not cater to his ego (CNN-how dare they report factually!) and  then went on further to show his contempt for the FA with his flag burning tweet.

    This is all part and parcel of a disturbing pattern. Trump does NOT LIKE anyone having the power to disagree with him or show him in any light that is less than wonderful. That would be fine, were he just a businessman. But he will be POTUS. He lashes out immediately via twitter to vent his ire. Will he be able to translate his consuming ego and its march upon the First Amendment into real action? Will the the press (and even perhaps blogs like this one) lose their voice to dissent? Much depends upon his Supreme Court appointee(s).  He doesn’t have the power as POTUS that he might wish; there ARE checks and balances. Yes, he does wield executive order, but that only carries for certain things. The next four years will be interesting. (I’m reminded of the Chinese curse-“may you live in intersting times!”

     

  • #TrumpIsNotMyPresident: He Might Be (Shudder) But I Will Fight Him And All He Represents!

    #TrumpIsNotMyPresident: He Might Be (Shudder) But I Will Fight Him And All He Represents!

    After a long period of mourning, I’m back to my blog. I had  gotten busy for a time with campaigning for Hillary and preparing for my move. Then the election and the move happened. After the elction, I’ve had a number of people give me advice. I had a friend who lives in India advise me to immigrate. Several friends, including my doctor, have asked me to be careful, saying that hate crimes are on the rise, and they fear my outspokenness could make me a target. I’ve thought about that and decided that I am NOT going to modify any of my behavior. That would mean that Trump and his ilk have indeed won the day, and I refuse to concede that they are what this country is all about. He and his white supremacist buddies might in the White House (eventually, part of the time, lol-not exclusive enough for him?), but I refuse to let fear of Trump and his homphobic, xenophobic, racist, anti-Semitic, bigoted Neo-Nazi followers change who I am, how I act, what I say, and how loudly I say it. If people like me don’t fight for people for people like me (and other minorities), who will? Trump certainly won’t. That is abundantly clear. He has YET to denounce the rise in hate crimes that has occurred since the election; his tweets are solely about himself and his grievously wounded ego. This from a man who is going to be the next POTUS. SMH. I want to devote one blog entry (at least) to my theory of what a Trump presidency will actually look like, for I’ve been contemplating this nightmarish scenario from before the election. I rather pity comedians during the next four years. Trump is so sickly, terrifyingly, and mystifyingly comical all on his own that that they will have a difficult job.

  • Stranger In A Strange Land

    I can’t believe I’m writing this. I still can’t form the words “President Trump” in my head. The country that I thought I knew-the one that embraced equality, rejected sexism and racism, and believed in welcoming those in need, regardless of their religion or ethnicity or country of origin-has turned out to be a illusion. The darker fear-driven vision that powered Trump instead proved to be more accurate…the angry largely white voters that feel their privilege and  place are diappearing won the day. Friends from abroad have been emailing me and messaging to ask if I’m okay and offer condolences. One, who lives in a country with a fiercely nationalistic right-wing leader, offered the advice that I should now begin to be as invisible as possible. I replied that I’m temped to get married while it still legal. Sigh. Go BACK in the closet at age 55? I don’t think so. Even though Trump has bragged that he is a great friend of “the gays,” he has also said in different interviews that he plans to do away with marriage equality and Mike Pence’s views on LGBTQ issues are well known. Trump does not respect WOMEN, so I highly doubt he would respect trans folk or even recognize the very existence of those who are non-binary, unlike President Obama (I miss him already, sigh). He has taken great pains to align himself firmly with the Christian right and Evangelicals, even to the point of having a religious advisory coucil composed of mostly Evangelical Christians. His advisor Roger Stone is formerly of the Breitbart website (I refuse to call it a news site b/c it offers alt-right conspiracy theories, rants, anti-LGBTQ talks, and religiously and sometimes racially bigoted nonsense). Roger Ailes left Fox “News” because of a sexual harassment scandal. Mike Pence, his VP, has claimed that evolution is just a theory and passed restrictive “religious liberty” laws in his home state. So the company he keeps does not inspire reassurance that life is going to be good for the foreseeable future of anyone like me: queer, trans, non-binary, atheist, leftist, and damnably activist. Oh, yes, and Jewish. Don’t think I don’t remember that tweet he put out…and his non-disavowal of all the alt-right white supremacist groups that have come out in support of him.  No, I’m NOT going back in the closet. I’m here to carry on the fight!

  • Stranger In A Strange Land

    I can’t believe I’m writing this. I still can’t form the words “President Trump” in my head. The country that I thought I knew-the one that embraced equality, rejected sexism and racism, and believed in welcoming those in need, regardless of their religion or ethnicity or country of origin-has turned out to be a illusion. The darker fear-driven vision that powered Trump instead proved to be more accurate…the angry largely white voters that feel their privilege and  place are diappearing won the day. Friends from abroad have been emailing me and messaging to ask if I’m okay and offer condolences. One, who lives in a country with a fiercely nationalistic right-wing leader, offered the advice that I should now begin to be as invisible as possible. I replied that I’m temped to get married while it still legal. Sigh. Go BACK in the closet at age 55? I don’t think so. Even though Trump has bragged that he is a great friend of “the gays,” he has also said in different interviews that he plans to do away with marriage equality and Mike Pence’s views on LGBTQ issues are well known. Trump does not respect WOMEN, so I highly doubt he would respect trans folk or even recognize the very existence of those who are non-binary, unlike President Obama (I miss him already, sigh). He has taken great pains to align himself firmly with the Christian right and Evangelicals, even to the point of having a religious advisory coucil composed of mostly Evangelical Christians. His advisor Roger Stone is formerly of the Breitbart website (I refuse to call it a news site b/c it offers alt-right conspiracy theories, rants, anti-LGBTQ talks, and religiously and sometimes racially bigoted nonsense). Roger Ailes left Fox “News” because of a sexual harassment scandal. Mike Pence, his VP, has claimed that evolution is just a theory and passed restrictive “religious liberty” laws in his home state. So the company he keeps does not inspire reassurance that life is going to be good for the foreseeable future of anyone like me: queer, trans, non-binary, atheist, leftist, and damnably activist. Oh, yes, and Jewish. Don’t think I don’t remember that tweet he put out…and his non-disavowal of all the alt-right white supremacist groups that have come out in support of him.  No, I’m NOT going back in the closet. I’m here to carry on the fight!

  • My Own Roe V. Wade Issue-Speaking Out

    My Own Roe V. Wade Issue-Speaking Out

    Feminism is back in the news, thank you, Donald. Trump’s announcement at the last debate that he would appoint Supreme Court justices who would repeal Roe v. Wade got me thinking back to my much younger days and my brush with that particular mindset. This occurred when I was twenty-five, not too long after grad school. At that time I was married. We were living in Louisiana. I had occasion to visit a gynecologist for treatment of endometriosis. I didn’t inquire as to his religious or political affiliation, and as it turned out, I should have. When I awoke from the procedure, his first words to me were, “Congratulations, you can still children!” His priority was NOT relieving me of my misery but preserving my child-bearing capability! I ended up going back to the gyno in my university town who  was outraged at his treatment  of me and performed a hysterectomy posthaste. (For the record, my then-husband and I had discussed the issue of children before we were married. Neither of us wanted to reproduce. End of discussion.) The first doctor I mentioned was Republican, a foe of Roe v. Wade, AND Catholic…all of which came to  influence his medical treatment of me-a secular Democratic feminist Jewish female (at the time). When I confronted him later in his office, he readily admitted that he wanted me to have children-and when I sarcastically asked who would FATHER said children, as my husband had had a vasectomy, he calmly replied, “I’m sure you could find a way!” I walked out of his office, never to return! I was furious. He cost me time, an unnecessary medical procedure, and a fair amount of expense. He had come highly recommended in that small (mainly Catholic and Christian) town. It took an out of town, indeed, an out of state, trip to actually get my hysterectomy, but my gyno where I went to grad school came through with no problem, even though I was young (25). I spent 3 days in the hospital recuperating, had an appendectomy thrown in while they were in there, and received excellent care. Have I ever regretted it? Not for a minute! I kept in touch with that particular doc for a long time just b/c he was such an awesome person. I would give him updates on how I was doing (and never fail to say thank for a pain-free life, vis a vis the hysterectomy) and he would catch me up on what he was into. We lost contact in the early 2000s. I miss him.

  • Relocation

    Relocation

    Come Thanksgiving I will be moving. I will leave my quirky cool little town for the red state of Oklahoma. As I’ve been informing folks about this, I’ve been surprised by the reactions I’ve been getting. People are really going to miss me! One of the transit drivers has been going out of his way to ensure that he picks me more often just so he can see me before I depart. (Our transit system is a little odd.) Other passengers have said that they wished I weren’t going. This past weekend I told my landlord. He knocked on my door last night and wanted to talk. He said that, while not wanting to overstep boundaries, he and his wife had talked about my situation and were concerned. They proposed that I go to Oklahoma for a month to see if I liked it. If it worked, then stay, no worries. BUT they would keep my apartment for me for a month or two, and should it not work out, I would have a place to come back to that was home. I am very touched by this. He and his family have become part of my extended family while I’ve lived here. I joke that that they give Christians a good name. His kids are absolutely amazing, and I’m looking forward to seeing them progress into adulthood. My colleagues at the library are also sad to see me go and say that the shelves are never going to look good again, lol. Probably true, b/c I was the one who stayed on everyone about shelving and “dammit, this is the correct way to do it!” But being chronically ill by oneself is not easy, and I want to see what it is like actually having someone else for companionship, so I’m going to brave the tornadoes and Republicans and give this a go. Miss P will have another whippet for company and plenty of room to run. I’ll have my best friend and someone for whom to cook. She’s promised to take me to the library as often as necessary. When she’s not working, we’ll get out and about. I’ll do things around the house and help take care of the animals. No yard-work, though. I don’t cut grass, muck stalls, or toss hay. Not my purview. My urban limits can only stretch so far.

  • Surrender, New York By Caleb Carr-A Review

    Surrender, New York By Caleb Carr-A Review

    If you haven’t read anything by Caleb Carr, now is the time to start! Surrender, New York is a superb literary thriller that features Dr. Trajan Jones, a criminal psychologist in the upstate town of Surrender. He is the foremost authority on Dr. Lazlo Kreitzler (hero of Carr’s book The Alienist, also excellent)  and follows in his unconventional footsteps throughout the winding paths of this novel. If you follow shows that like CSI or Bones, then you will definitely want to read this, as much for the protagonist’s trenchant views on forensic science, as for the plot. The plot is intricate, involving throwaway children, politicians, and the wealthy in New York City. But this is no simple matter, and Carr has a very deft way of surprising you. I’m a long-time mystery reader, and and I didn’t see the plot development in this one. I was impressed, I must say. Highly recommended! ( The book has also lead me to do some research on the troubling topic of runaway parents. I had no idea this was such a burgeoning problem. Smh.)

  • Surrender, New York By Caleb Carr-A Review

    Surrender, New York By Caleb Carr-A Review

    If you haven’t read anything by Caleb Carr, now is the time to start! Surrender, New York is a superb literary thriller that features Dr. Trajan Jones, a criminal psychologist in the upstate town of Surrender. He is the foremost authority on Dr. Lazlo Kreitzler (hero of Carr’s book The Alienist, also excellent)  and follows in his unconventional footsteps throughout the winding paths of this novel. If you follow shows that like CSI or Bones, then you will definitely want to read this, as much for the protagonist’s trenchant views on forensic science, as for the plot. The plot is intricate, involving throwaway children, politicians, and the wealthy in New York City. But this is no simple matter, and Carr has a very deft way of surprising you. I’m a long-time mystery reader, and and I didn’t see the plot development in this one. I was impressed, I must say. Highly recommended! ( The book has also lead me to do some research on the troubling topic of runaway parents. I had no idea this was such a burgeoning problem. Smh.)

  • The Making Of Donald Trump By David Cay Johnston-A Review

    The Making Of Donald Trump By David Cay Johnston-A Review

    David Cay Johnston, a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, documents Donald Trump’s rise to prominence, giving an account of his business dealings that indicates Trump regularly engages in shady and disreputable business practices, not to mention business associates. This probably comes as no surprise to most, save to those of Trump’s supporters, who will no doubt decry the book as slanderous, but Cay has been following Mr. Trump for many years and can back up every claim that he makes with cold hard proof. Unfortunately, as we saw in the past debate, that does not stop Trump from lying about anything. He is fully capable of denying that he said something, when he can be presented with evidence that he did. Or his memory, which as we all know, is “the greatest in the world”, will fail-again and again and again. The book is a sad testament to a businessman who schemed his way to the Republican nomination by nickel and diming and cheating, when he had every chance to actually do it right. He CHOSE to act the way he did, because that is his vaunted temperament, revenge being one of his prime motivating factors. (That, and over-weening narcissism.) A good biography  of Donald Trump that will help you understand his journey to power. Put it, however reluctantly, on your list.

  • The Making Of Donald Trump By David Cay Johnston-A Review

    The Making Of Donald Trump By David Cay Johnston-A Review

    David Cay Johnston, a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, documents Donald Trump’s rise to prominence, giving an account of his business dealings that indicates Trump regularly engages in shady and disreputable business practices, not to mention business associates. This probably comes as no surprise to most, save to those of Trump’s supporters, who will no doubt decry the book as slanderous, but Cay has been following Mr. Trump for many years and can back up every claim that he makes with cold hard proof. Unfortunately, as we saw in the past debate, that does not stop Trump from lying about anything. He is fully capable of denying that he said something, when he can be presented with evidence that he did. Or his memory, which as we all know, is “the greatest in the world”, will fail-again and again and again. The book is a sad testament to a businessman who schemed his way to the Republican nomination by nickel and diming and cheating, when he had every chance to actually do it right. He CHOSE to act the way he did, because that is his vaunted temperament, revenge being one of his prime motivating factors. (That, and over-weening narcissism.) A good biography  of Donald Trump that will help you understand his journey to power. Put it, however reluctantly, on your list.