Hallway to Nowhere

Tag: Donald Trump

  • Roy Moore Has A Great Big (Christian) Credibility Problem

    Roy Moore Has A Great Big (Christian) Credibility Problem

    Roy Moore has based his career as a politician on his self-righteous Christianity. He installed a marble statue of the 10 Commandments in his courtroom as Alabama’s Chief Justice and was removed from office when he refused to remove it. He was elected again to head the court and again removed after he directed probate judges to continue to enforce the state’s ban on same-sex marriages. He resigned and is now running for the seat vacated by Jeff Sessions. He is known for his anti-LGBTQ views, anti-Muslim and immigrant sentiments, and past ties to neo-Confederate and white nationalist groups, in addition to his loudly and oft-expressed notions about Christianity.

    He really ought to have heeded the saying about glass houses and stones. His house is shattering all about him. What remains to be seen is whether this will make any difference to his constituency: the largely evangelical Republicans in Alabama. An Alabama state official has already defended Moore from the allegations that have been made in the Washington Post stating that he engaged in what is legally sexual abuse of a minor. Around 86% of Alabama residents identify as Christians, and almost half of those say they are evangelical. According to the Pew Research Center, 70% of white evangelicals now say that a person who commits “an immoral act” can behave ethically in the public sphere (unless, of course, you are Hillary Clinton). I suppose this is part and parcel of the whole “forget everything except your personal relationship with Jesus” thing? I USED to hear  that my Christian friends  expected their politicians to live up to a certain moral standard IN ALL RESPECTS….that their personal lives should reflect their public lives.

    Now? Not so much. I hear increasingly that the ends justify the means, and if that means embracing a foul-mouthed hypocrite like DJT, then so be it. After all, god can use anyone he wants, right? But to those of us who are looking on, this smacks less of faith than of desperation at best and of venality at worst. They are throwing away their standards in pursuit of goals that will most likely never materialize. To use a reference from their own bible, DJT definitely has feet of clay! And as we are now finding out, so does Roy Moore, god’s own self-chosen one in Alabama!

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Yet Another Entry On Immigration

    I’ve been reading with interest the recent articles on Europe’s struggle’s with their influx of immigrants. Angela Merkel ‘s ratings in Germany are lower than they’ve ever been and  the Christian Democratic Union recently suffered a defeat in a state election by an anti-immigration party. Denmark, which has long prided itself on its progressive policies, is suffering a blow to its self-image, as it deals with the realty of integrating newcomers who aren’t so readily adaptable to traditional Danish culture. France, with its very secular government, issues the burkini ban, though this has been overturned in the courts. And Britain exited the EU altogether, with immigration being one of the major reasons.

    In the U.S. Presidential candidate and Republican nominee Donald Trump is known for his hard stance on immigration. He has issued calls for bans on Muslims entering the U.S., said that he would build a wall between Mexico and the U.S. to secure the border, and deport 11 millions undocumented immigrants. This has been with widespread approval among his supporters, most of whom are Caucasian. When he appeared to be softening his stance, there was an immediate backlash.

    I live in a small Appalachian town in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. It’s usually voted one of the coolest small towns in America. We recently had one of many local Fests. Since these tend to get widely publicized and b/c we have visitors coming in for plays at the Barter, there were a LOT of people on the streets. I saw a number of Muslims, and the women were fully covered, including headscarves. I went out of my way to speak to them and welcome them to our town. My conversational Arabic is somewhat rusty, but I managed. When I left, though, I wondered where they were going to eat. We have no halal restaurants. Hell, we don’t have any kosher or vegan restaurants, either! This is strictly a town for omnivores! Had my apt been in better order, I would have invited them HERE for a meal, since I’ve had to go dairy-free/gluten free so I do a lot of vegan meals. (I do have a dog but would have confined her to bedroom.) My  pots wouldn’t have been halal, though, since I have cooked meat in them in the past.

    Why is there this fear/discrimination across Europe and in the U.S. against immigrants? In Europe it is largely against Muslims; here it is against Hispanics AND Muslims. Is it because they have darker skin? Different customs? Different religion?  This should not be viewed with FEAR! We live in a global society society now. Let us learn to respect that others have different customs and know that this can enrich our society. And as to a different religion, Muslims seem much less aggressive, institutionally- speaking, than do Christians. Among my Muslims friends, not a one has ever made an effort to convert me or told me I’m going to hell. I don’t see Muslim televangelists or find Muslim persecution-movies, such as God’s Not Dead. Yes, there ARE terrorist organizations such as ISIL, but those are run by extremists. As an atheist, I don’t support any religion and think all should be practiced privately, not state-supported in any way. But I do NOT want to see anyone discriminated against merely for holding certain religious beliefs.