As a retired teacher, professor, and educational advocate, the current circumstance called to mind a commission report issued in 1983 - "A Nation at Risk." This report, compiled by the National Commission on Excellence in Education, was released in 1983 in Washington, D.C. The shocking conclusion of the report - some 34 years ago - was that the United States, as a nation, as an economy, and as a society, had experienced a decline in the quality of our educational institutions and, as a result, the equality of the education received by our young citizens. Once the envy of the world, the quality of the American school system was eroding and was falling behind other educational systems around the globe. The Commission stated that if such a condition was not addressed - and soon - the United States would fall further and further behind and would lose ground in the global economic competition of the future. That 1983 report shocked the nation and sparked a series of educational debates and reforms that continue to this day. From increased federal student aid to the more recent "No Student Left Behind" initiatives, focus on reform and getting back on track toward excellence became a major policy focus of administrations since that time. My point is, that when a major existential threat to the future of our nation is identified, the time has come to act.
"The penalty that good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled
by evil men." PLATO
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is that good men do nothing."
EDMUND BURKE
"The world is in greater peril from those who tolerate or encourage evil than
those who actually commit it." ALBERT EINSTEIN
I write today, not to focus the mind on one specific topic, policy, proposal, or event, but to encourage good women and good men to act. 2018 is the time that - ALL OF US WHO CARE FOR AND CHERISH OUR AMERICAN DEMOCRACY - must stand up and be counted. In this coming year of great consequence, we cannot afford to stand idly by, to be silent, and "do nothing." Plato, Burke, and Einstein quoted above - from different periods in history and from different perspectives - all raise the same warning. Inaction leads directly to the
"triumph of evil."
That evil is DONALD TRUMP.
Following the 2016 shock of learning that Trump received enough Electoral votes to lay claim to the American Presidency, the RESISTANCE was born. From the WOMEN'S MARCH ON WASHINGTON on January 21, 2017 to the growth of "Indivisible" groups and chapters across the nation and the many protest marches and demonstrations that took place over the past year, the seeds of resistance have been sown. Issues like women's rights, educational opportunity, provision of health care for our citizens, saber-rattling on the world stage and diminishing America's international standing as a global leader, discrimination in immigration based on religious preferences, appointing ultra-right judges at the Supreme Court and at other federal courts, re-shaping US Tax policy to favor the ultra-rich and wealthy corporations who need tax relief least and increasing the tax burden on those who can least afford to do so - working families and the middle class.... These, and many other actions - from shrinking the national park treasures held in trust for future generations and destroying environmental protections both at home as well as globally through the abandonment of the Paris Climate Accords - and much more, make DONALD TRUMP the greatest existential threat to our nation since the dawn of the nuclear age and the Cold War.
History teaches us that to do nothing in the face of evil is not an option. Like me, many of you have already taken a stand, participated in a march, demonstrated, made phone calls, sent letters, attended meetings, and crafted e-mails. And, like me, you took some pride in the successful defense of the ACA. However, the recent passage of the Trump Tax legislation, the suspension of DACA and the failure of the Congress to act on a replacement measure, the failure to adopt the necessary "fixes" for healthcare or to extend the CHIP program for 9 million youngsters dependent on this bi-partisan program for their health security, and the growing instability of our foreign policy - both in trade practices and in military-brinkmanship, all raise perilous warning signs about the future of our communities and their people. This cannot continue.....
Perhaps worst of all is the Trump and Alt. Right assault on the truth. From the invention of "alternative facts" and "fake news", to the constant attacks on free press and free speech complete with threats of exclusion, retaliation, Congressional or Department of Justice investigations of those who do not follow the Trump "line" and/or heap praise of our "glorious leader," reliance in policy debate on actual facts, science, expert testimony and reasoned debate have been replaced by dogma, made-up "facts", and blind obedience to the pronouncements of the "leader" through ever-present tweets. And, then there is his obvious racial animus as revealed in his comments regarding the White Supremacists and Nazi sympathizers after the outrage in Charlottesville.
The core of Donald Trump is built on and littered with LIES. The constant, daily LIES that come directly from Trump's warped view of the world - from the "birther" movement, to Ted Cruz father's role in the assassination of JFK, to lying about his businesses, collusion with Russia to influence the election by his campaign, to the more recent bold-faced lie that the tax bill that he signed last week would cost him and his family "a great deal of money!" Trump claimed over and over that the bill would not benefit him at all - "believe me." Yet, the measure saved him millions on his signature in Alternative Minimum taxes that would otherwise be due AND an estimated 4 BILLION DOLLARS for his heirs through the changes made to the Inheritance Tax. He, his family and his donors are smiling all the way to the bank while average Americans wonder whether or not their health insurance will be there when they need it or if their taxes will go up in support of the cash give-away to the wealthy, or if they can count on Medicare and Social Security that Paul Ryan said would be his 2018 objective because "we can no longer afford to carry such a deficit in spending." I guess that he is ignoring the fact that his tax legislation just added yet another $1.4 TRILLION to the deficit.... and he didn't even blink!
Trump pledged to protect the environment..... LIED. He promised to never cut, Medicare, Social Security, or Medicaid.... LIED. He swore that his tax cuts would be focused on the Middle Class.... instead as much as 80% of the benefits go to the top 1% of the wealthiest in the nation..... LIES. He promised to "drain the swamp".... instead he loaded up his cabinet with Wall Street leaders from Goldman Sachs and a Treasury Secretary who made his fortune through home foreclosures during the Bush crash.... LIES. After admitting his sexual harassment and assaults he now claims that the taped voice isn't his.... MORE LIES. He has obstructed justice through numerous lies and schemes including the firing of the Director of the FBI for failure to take a loyalty oath to Trump and promising to drop the investigation into General Flynn. He said that he would withdraw from his business interests to comply with the constitutional requirement, yet he has not done so..... LIES.
The lies continue... and, now he has unleashed his minions to attack Special Counsel Robert Mueller, a life-long Republican and Bush appointee and the entire FBI because the Russia investigation is edging ever closer to the Oval Office.
The time has come to stand up and be counted. 2018 is the year that we can extinguish this administrative abomination through taking our nation back from the brink. And, we accomplish that by RESISTANCE. Organize, act, and win. Move On, Indivisible, Women's March units, Flipable and many others will be engaged in a massive effort to save America from this Trump outrage. We have come a long way since the doldrums of fall, 2016. With wins here and there across America in special elections and having elected a Democrat as US Senator from Alabama for the first time in 25 years, the mission can be accomplished. But, it cannot be done without you. Tired as you may be from the struggles of this past year, all of us need to re-commit to the 2018 effort. We CAN take back the HOUSE... and, we are within 2 votes of taking the SENATE. No, this will not be easy and the effort will need to be sustained from now through the November elections. The stakes are high indeed. Our future, the future of our children, and the very future of our country is at stake. We are indeed, A NATION AT RISK. And, as observed by thinkers throughout history, in order to defeat evil, it will take good women and good men to engage, to march, to demonstrate, to speak out, to write and e-mail, and to MARCH ON!HAPPY NEW YEAR..... See you on the picket lines.....
Bobby J
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