Trump’s Tariffs and a Whole Lot More Mess, Part 1

Trump’s Tariffs and a Whole Lot More Mess,

Part 1

 

Despicable and Disgusting:

Trump’s 100 Day Highlights

 

Editor: I want to thank my friend Cate Hessel for allowing me to join her in trashing the Orange tinged monster that has manifested his bloated ass into our government.

 

By Cate Rees-Hessel with D.S. Mitchell

 

I want to talk about Trump’s disastrous first 100 days in office. His continuing attempts to destroy our democracy weigh heavily on the shoulders of our nation. This horrific excuse for a “president” displays his racism, anti-Semitism, anti-LGBTQ, and misogyny openly. 140 Executive Orders in his first hundred days. The Trump Administration has acted not only illegally but unconstitutionally.  His actions are intended to destroy our democratic institutions, slow down our economy, gut public education, roll back protections for public health and our threatened environment, in addition to putting health care and Social Security benefits at risk for millions of senior and disabled Americans. And that’s just the start. The Trump administration is impacting the arts, universities, scientific research, and cultural organizations across the country. He and his allies are running a game of bait and switch, look here, no over there. Overwhelm us. Nothing new, just unprecedented intentional chaos and absurdity and cruel lawlessness with the intent to overwhelm the system.  As more of us flow into the streets in protest of Trump’s disgusting agenda, I feel we are moving toward Martial Law; bone-chilling imaginings. Bone-chilling fear for those who dare to speak up, but we must speak up, before we can’t. This isn’t Russia, yet.

Despicable and Disgusting Trump 100 Day Highlights

  1. Trump was handed a booming economy per all the financial gurus and within 100 days of taking office Trump has tanked the stock market, started a trade war leading to tariffs that are predicted to raise prices on consumer goods, worsening inflation, the GDP now in a tailspin and egg prices skyrocketing. Russia and China don’t have tariffs, do they?
  2. Immediately upon taking office, Trump reversed President Biden’s $35 cap on insulin for seniors.
  3. Giving Elon Musk access to Social Security, Medicaid, the VA, and other legally protected records.
  4. Allowing Elon Musk to run our country while Trump himself is out playing golf.
  5. Massive deportation of innocent people, many with legal status or U.S. citizenship, being sent to foreign prisons without due process. We aren’t being shown proof of criminal elements being deported.
  6. Insulting and berating Ukraine President Zelensky, on national television, a man who has served heroically during his nation’s crisis, with ultimate dignity and compassion. Two qualities Trump has shown he does not possess.
  7. Having a judge arrested for not complying with “The Donald’s” racist agenda.
  8. Wasting money on a military parade (for his birthday!) in his self-created poor economy. An estimated $100M, plus post-parade clean up and repairs to damaged concrete and asphalt.
  9. For planning another run in 2028, when it is unconstitutional for a president to run for a third term. A man of 82, well into his dotage is not the face of the future.
  10. Disrespectful of Pope Francis’ memory – falling asleep at his funeral, wearing a blue suit, and walking on the sacred rug meant only for clergy. Never afraid to confirm his ignorance and social stupidity.
  11. Stripping funds from PBS and NPR.
  12. Outrageous funding cuts from the African American museum.
  13. Making moves to get rid of the Department of Education.
  14. Stopping funding for medical research at labs and universities across the country while exploiting a child who has cancer.
  15. Attacking Social Security with a horde of 20-year-old hackers.
  16. Attacking SNAP. A program that is good for the giver and the recipient. Farm to Hungry Americans. Such basic support for the needy in America is vital.
  17. Moving to defund the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which protects consumers’ food supply and keeps our food safe, as well as regulating pharmaceuticals. The absurdity of this action is beyond words.
  18. Continues to sell Made in China junk and is blasphemous in signing and selling the word of God for profit. Where are the watchdogs in Congress authorized to constrain this heathen?
  19. Defunding library grants. I love my library.
  20. Trump’s ridiculous, racist insistence that the Gulf of Mexico be changed to the Gulf of America. I saw a protest sign that called it the Golf of America with an AI-generated cartoon rendering of a bloated golf club swinging Donald Trump.
  21. Appointing a complete moron to fuck up the workings of the CDC and National Institute of Health (NIH).
  22. Taking away the funding for the National Suicide Prevention line – we need that service now more than ever before.
  23. Defunding DEI programs and threatening companies and universities that continue such instruction.
  24. Slashed funding for our colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher learning.
  25. Cut veterans’ benefits.
  26. His constant attacks against the LGBTQ and trans communities.
  27. Empty cargo ships from China, thanks to outrageous tariffs, mean no work for truck drivers, retailers, or dock workers.
  28. Made sure egg prices went sky high.
  29. Signed a presidential memo directing his Attorney General to investigate ActBlue in an attempt to silence MoveOn, a progressive political organization.
  30. Trump wants to be king in a country that never had one, by choice. His recent comment, “I run the country and the world,” is frighteningly sociopathic.

Don’t blame me, I voted for Kamala and Tim. But I’ll move over if you want to join the protests against this outrageous administration. We all must resist, resist, resist. We all must protest, protest, protest.  We all must join every march, sign every petition, vote in every election to come, and stand firm in our fervent prayers for impeachment. We are better than this, America…at least we proclaim to be.

Thoughts on 4/5/2025-HANDS OFF !! Protest

Thoughts On 4/5/2025:

HANDS OFF!! Protest

 

Thoughts on 4/5/2025:

HANDS OFF !! Protest

 

By D. S. Mitchell

Making Signs

The alarm woke me at 4 a.m. I was up and out of bed in a flash. I was excited. The protest was scheduled to start at 11:30 and I still had signs to make.  “RESIST MAGA,” “HANDS OFF!! EVERYTHING,” “Radio Free America, 2025” and “Musk to Mars”. The “Musk to Mars” sign was quite distinctive;  big, bold letters on a field of white. It was definitely my favorite. All four signs only took me a couple of hours with poster board and project markers, but I thought they made a big statement.

A Lawless Operation

Despite all my frenzied activity I was still mad as hell. The Hands Off !! protest was my first protest march since 1968. A lot has happened since those days. I’m now grey-haired, and older than the Ten Commandments, but I’m pissed off. I’m so pissed off I’d even called a couple of friends and we agreed to do the protest together. Strength in numbers. The Trump Administration is running a lawless operation out of the White House and I wanted to let those a-holes know that me and a majority of Americans want it stopped. I  could spend the next 1,000 words ranting against the Musk/Trump policies, but I won’t. Instead I want to tell you about my Hands Off!! protest experience.

Deep Red

First of all, let me make it clear. I live in deep red, Trump country. More specifically, Grants Pass, Josephine County, Oregon. Josephine County hasn’t voted Democratic since 1930 something.; that’s nearly a 100 years, it’s that red.  However, over the last month, as the darkness of Trump’s agenda has emerged, I have seen fewer Trump yard signs, some of which have been in the ground since 2020. Furthermore, there is a significant drop in the pickup trucks with the giant American flags and mammoth Trump banners parading up and down the main street of our little town.. That boiling pot of MAGA outrage seems is cooling, while the Dems and the Independents are blue with rage.

Fingers Crossed

There were about 500 people at Oregon Senator(D) Jeff Merkley’s Town Hall a couple weeks ago. I hoped the Hands Off !! protest would draw at least as many. I had my fingers crossed. While I worried about attendance, I also fretted about parking. With one of my gang in a wheelchair and me using a walker; ease of parking was a priority. With that in mind, we headed out about 10 o’clock and easily found parking across the street from the courthouse.  I high-fived my comrades and with help unloaded first the rollator and next the wheelchair and headed to the front of the Josephine County Court House on 6th street.

Drum Roll, Please

I was surprised to see such a large crowd an hour and a half before the scheduled event. It looked like people were fired up. I could hear the sound of a cow bell, a chorus of drum beats, and a megaphone shouting encouraging chants. People were flowing in from all directions, waving signs. The diversity was striking. The grievances many. There was a sizeable group of boomers, many like us using walkers and wheelchairs. I was happy to see a large turnout of all age groups. Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z; everybody was there.  There was also a sizeable group of young folks flying the flag of many colors.

Too Many Problems

There were as many concerns as there were people. Women’s rights, Democracy, due process, Trump’s Imperial presidency, DOGE, corruption, the reckless gutting of essential government services like Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, Veterans benefits. complaints. Despite the anger and outrage all the participants I encountered were respectful and even smiling and good natured, happy to be with a group of supporters and proud to be speaking out.

Democracy in Action

Peaceful protest is Democracy in action. We as citizens of this great democracy are expected to dissent when we see injustice. It is our duty as thinking, caring human beings to speak out. Right now, our country’s government is working against the many for the benefit of the few.  The Trump administration is a disaster for the average working person. It is critical that the citizens of this country express their shared outrage over the direction Trump and his cronies are pushing the country. And people are speaking up. They are making signs, putting on their sneakers, and hitting the pavement. I hope the White House is listening. We want no kings here.

The Few Against the Many

The crowd stretched about three blocks up and down NW 6th Street. From my vantage point, it was hard to estimate the size of the crowd. With that said, I would guess that there were at least 1,200 Americans on the street making their voices heard. This was a very well-organized and well-attended event. Organizers repeatedly stressed that the 4/5/2025 Hands Off protests would be peaceful and non-violent. Respect and tolerance was the organizing message, and the crowd did not disappoint.  At no time did I see any confrontations or disputes of any kind between the 3 Trump supporters and the 1200 gathered in opposition to him.

There is nothing more inspiring than taking action against injustice. Resist MAGA.

Truth

Truth

Truth

Editor: Another new writer joins the calamitypolitics.com family. Welcome, John Curran. In this piece John asks the same question that many are asking, is the lie going to win out over truth?

By John Curran

What I know is the truth. Now, Heavy D, saying something like that, if you’ve lived, and,  if you really think about it, is quite a statement. It’s like bragging on yourself or something. There are many ways to look at it, to consider a statement like that. Well, I do know it damn it, this blessing and this curse, and, I have known it all my life. Many times during that period I have had to shortchange that knowledge, play the game as were, the fake game, just to get on down the road. Yeah man we all know what that statement entails, just to get on down the road. We play it all the time-this charade, it’s number 1, the new monopoly. And the trick, the way I see it, is to never lose sight of what it actually is, it being often in fact so far from any Truth that it is a joke, an inside sort of job, that a lot of folks get lost in and never come out. One gets too deep, too comfy. It, so to speak, works. It’s when it doesn’t work that is when you can see a lot more clearly just what it really is, the real Hurly Burly and if ya like it Baby, like it really really is, then this becomes the funniest joke of all, the recognition, the admission of what really is Truth. It’s hard to look at. Truth hurts. So get on with that lie. It can be very effective. It can paint a picture that is so horrible that it could, metaphorically speaking of course, incite actual mob violence. Or, does that seem too strange, to be real; too strange to give credence to? Beware, I kid you not. So, the Truth, when it’s all ya got to save your ass, ya finally realize, this is one damn thing we just cannot lose.

OPINION: “All Evil is Done in the Name of Good”

OPINION: 

“All Evil is Done in the Name of Good”

It's good to have a lawless president

Editor: First, I’d like to welcome a new writer to the Calamity fold. Welcome, Vajra Ma. I thought this might be a good time to remind readers if you have something to say about life, politics, healthcare, UFO’s, conspiracy theories, or anything else for that matter, just send it to my direct email: ditchawk@aol.com and I swear I will at least read it.  Please print SUBMISSION in capital letters on the reference line. If you want to get paid the standard $20, you must have a PayPal account for Calamity to pay you.  Additionally, I am the editor. I edit and reserve that right with all submissions Once a submission reaches my in box I decide on changes when and where I think they ARE needed. Thanks, happy submitting.

OPINION: 

“All Evil is Done in the Name of Good”

By Vajra Ma

The question: – What is your reaction to writer, teacher, New Thought pioneer, Emma Curtis Hopkins’ statement that “all evil is done in the name of good,” and compare this to Ernest Holmes’ observation that, “We shall have to learn that evil is neither person, place, or thing of itself, but is an experience which we are allowed to have – because of our divine individuality.

It’s Good

It is good that the United States has a president who will make America great again.

It is good that the current US president has revived the slogan “America First” otherwise this inspiring slogan of the 1940s movement, headed by Minnesota Senator Ernest Lundeen, to support Hitler in WWII might have fallen into the depths of obscurity.

It is good that the U.S. has a president who repeatedly tells us he will make America great again, and by the way, don’t ever forget, “he is the only one who can fix it.”

The Hand of God?

It is good to have a man of great leadership and character in the White House. MAGA followers believe God chose him, a man:
Who has been convicted of rape.
Who has been accused of sexual assault by two dozen women.
Who brags about grabbing women by the pussy.
Who had sex with a porn star while his wife was home with their new baby.

Surely, it will be such a man that can make America great again.

Big Lie Histrionics

It is good this man declares the 2020 election was stolen, even though:

…he lost 60 court cases trying to prove it.

…he was convicted of 34 felony counts of his election fraud (euphemistically called the ‘hush money’ case).

…Fox News paid the slandered Dominion Voting Machines $787.5 million in settlement for defamation AND  acknowledgement that FOX had knowingly broadcast false statements about Dominion. (In other words Fox News lied and the election was not stolen.)

…in the Jan 6 Congressional Hearings our strong man’s campaign manager and White House lawyer (and several other Republican supporters) testified that the election was not rigged and that they told Trump so and he was even caught on tape admitting he knew he had lost; but it is good that the Big Lie continues.

Stolen Elections

It is good to say the election was stolen because he is making America great again.

“…in the Big Lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods.

“It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think there may be some other explanation. For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying.”
— Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, vol. I, ch. X.

Noble Tweets

“He who saves his country violates no law.” This is another noble truth and it is good the U.S. president recently tweeted it. Otherwise this guiding principle might have disappeared into obscurity after self-proclaimed neo-Nazi Anders Breivik used it to justify his 2011 slaughter of 69 youth in Norway and injury of 41 more. Breivik himself revived this truth from obscurity after studying Hitler and Napoleon.

It is good to pardon those who responded to the 2020 stolen election by storming the Capitol on Jan 6th

-wherein 174 Capitol police officers were injured wherein four officers who responded to the attack died by suicide within seven months.
-wherein damage caused by attackers exceeded $2.7 million.
-wherein the mob built a gallows and chanted “Hang Mike Pence.”
-wherein they shat on the carpets and smeared in on the walls.
-wherein the “MAGA shaman” wearing red, white and blue face paint and animal horns prayed to God and Jesus in the Congressional chamber after the members of Congress fled for safety.

Strong Man Heroes

It is good the strong man tweeted that day:
“These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long”. Then, “Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!” [emphasis added]

Pardoning all those who were tried, convicted and imprisoned for these crimes is good because it makes America great again.

It is good to have a president who admires and openly praises dictators: Orban, Putin, and Duterte. And exchanges “love letters” with brutal North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un; but its all good.

Tracking Lies and Falsehoods

It is good that during his first term the strong man spoke 30,000 lies or misleading statements (fact-checked and published by the Washington Post) because he is making America great again.

It is good Trump recently kicked the Associated Press out of the WH pressroom because they refused to call the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. This removal of AP puts America First and helps make America great again.

It is good the president of the U.S. votes at the U.N. in alignment with Russia, China, and Iran and against Europe and Ukraine. It makes America great again.

It is good to say Ukraine started the war. It makes America great again.

It is good to make Canada into the Fifty-first State of the United States.  It makes America great again.

It is good that Greenland should belong to the United States, “We strongly support your right to determine your own future. And if you choose, we welcome you into the United States of America. We need Greenland for national security and even international security…And I think we’re gonna get it—one way or the other, we’re gonna get it.  [emphases added]  Congressional Address March 4, 2025

It’s Good to Have Trump as President

It is good that anyone reading this consider it fake news because even though these items are a matter of record, it is good to have this president.

Why?

Because it’s America First!
The election was stolen!
He is making American great again!

Back to Divine Individuality

In alignment with Ernest Holmes, American citizens are free to elect such an experience because of our “divine individuality.” Free will, as he says, is either our bondage or our freedom, depending upon what we choose to believe. Holmes also said, “Humanity has suffered enough.” Have we?

The time is coming when we (humanity) will collectively realize we have suffered enough and evil will disappear into the bloated nothingness it is. Meanwhile—as inherent and necessary part of that disappearing process—I call out the lies.

And so it is.

Let’s Get Off the Couch

Let’s Get Off the Couch

Let’s Get Off the Couch

By D. S. Mitchell 

 

One to the Solar Plexus

Trump’s 2024 election victory hit me like a Mac truck. I wasn’t just physically devastated; I was psychologically traumatized. All those rallies, all those meetings, all those phone calls, all those yard signs, all those donations; all for nothing. Quite truthfully, that first week after the election I huddled on the couch with my Teddy, a soft blankie, and a fifth of Johnnie Walker within easy reach. What now? I worried.

BS and Bluster

I didn’t have to wait long for my answer. It’s clear, Trump’s solution to high meat and egg prices is to seize Greenland, annex Canada, institute tariffs on our two biggest trading partners Mexico and Canada, send American troops to secure the Panama Canal, from what we are not sure of, and then Trump’s desire to take over Gaza from Israel. With billions in investment capital and an army of bulldozers Trump states he will turn the rubble of Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East”. Of course the displacement of the 2.14 million Palestinians is illegal and Trump himself admits that  U.S. military intervention may be required. Before the uproar over that absurdity quieted down, Trump told Ukrainians that they needed to be ready to guarantee the supply of more rare earth metals in exchange for our continued support in their fight against Putin.

Google On

Until this week, lawmakers, even Democrats, have been telling us to please just relax, Trump won’t be able to do any of these things; it’s just the old guy hyping the unpredictable and outrageous to keep us all off balance and unsure of what to do in response to his reckless disregard for our laws and our institutions. Well, Google took him seriously, and so have the oligarchs in waiting. Google announced it will change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The richest people in the country are lining up to give financial support to the Orange One. Talk about bending the knee and kissing the ring. What I’d say, we have here is bending of the knee and kissing the ass. I don’t think we have time to sit back and wait, they are moving through the government departments with a wrecking ball.

Critical Action

Get up off the couch, drop the Teddy, put the bottle of Johnnie Walker down and start calling your friends and neighbors. It’s up to us to form an effective response to Trump’s lawless approach to government. Let’s get moving, we have a democracy to save.

Black Labor is for All

“I will not allow my life’s light to be determined by the darkness that surrounds me,” Sojourner Truth

Black Labor is for All

By Wes Hessel & Cate-Rees Hessel

 

A Labor of Love, and Dedication…

The theme for this year’s Black History Month celebration speaks volumes. “African Americans and Labor” reminds us that Black men and women were kidnapped from their distant homeland and brought to the American colonies as slaves; slaves whose children and grandchildren would suffer the same fate, locked into lives of misery because of their skin color for the next 150 years. From that first load of human cargo in 1619, Black history has become our nation’s history. The Black contribution to the building of the United States has been great, but for the most part has gone unrecognized and uncompensated. As Black History Month begins let’s take a few minutes to acknowledge just a few of those contributors and their incredible contributions to our country.

United They Stand

African Americans have championed worker’s rights, right along with civil rights, for a significant part  of U.S. history. In 1925, A. Philip Randolph, a civil rights activist and labor organizer founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids, the first Black union to be recognized by the AF of L. Improvements for the American worker has been an integral part of the civil rights movement, and people of color continue to be leaders on this issue. Of course, these aren’t the only areas where African Americans stand out.

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He Still Speaks to Us

He Still Speaks to Us

MLK, Still Speaks to Us

By Wes Hessel & Cate-Rees Hessel

 

A True Leader

Monday, January 20th, we honor a great, charismatic leader who led a huge multitude of committed followers – and no, we are not talking about Donald Trump. The real man celebrated today is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the most visible champion of the civil rights movement.  The men who were referred to as the “Big Six” were also key in the work: James Farmer, A. Philip Randolph, Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young, and John Lewis.  But Dr. King, or MLK, as he is often referred to, was the center of the fight for freedom for all. We hear the echoes of truth in his quotable phrases and speeches.

The Bible He Actually Read – And Lived…

The basis of what Dr. King strove for is rooted in the Scriptures he preached from – the Bible.  That foundation is apparent throughout his words of wisdom, but particularly in these:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

“But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.”

“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve.  You don’t have to have a college degree to serve.  You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve.  You only need a heart full of grace.  A soul generated by love.”

And one paraphrased from his namesake, reformist Martin Luther:

“Live like Jesus died yesterday, rose this morning, and is coming back tomorrow.”

“And I say to you today my friends, let freedom ring.”

Muster The Mustard Seed

MLK pointed out everything should proceed from faith:

“Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.”

“I have decided to stick with love…hate is too great a burden to bear.”

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.”

“We must learn to live together as brothers…or perish together as fools.”

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a constant attitude.”

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’”

“Nonviolence is absolute commitment to the way of love. Love is not emotional bash; it is not empty sentimentalism. It is the active outpouring of one’s whole being into the being of another.”

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Trump’s Torturous Tribulations

Trump’s Torturous Tribulations

Trump’s Torturous Tribulations

By Cate Rees-Hessel w/ D.S.Mitchell

 

Disaster Impending

As we draw closer to the dreaded day of January 20th, Donald Trump’s second inauguration, something I thought I would never hear or say, allow me to point out more insane things he has done prior to his taking office again this month. We absolutely must resist this devastating excuse for a president

Cold Day in Hell?

But it should be noted first, even his inauguration itself demonstrates his all-consuming self-interest: the ceremony has been moved indoors because the temperature is predicted to be in the low twenties. At least two prior Presidents in the last 60 years or so were inaugurated outside in similar cold, and the last time an inauguration was moved indoors, the temp at noon was 7 above zero. Even more telling is the official statement that the most of the quarter-million tickets sold for the event when it was set for outside won’t be honored for indoor seats, but are now “commemorative”. In other words, worthless – but wait a minute, they were already. All the more reason we absolutely must continue to resist this coming travesty.

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Resolve to Resist the Trump Machine in 2025

25 Ways I Resolve to Resist in 2025

Today's word is Resist

25 Ways I Resolve to Resist in 2025

Editor: I’ve been told that a majority of voters elected Trump in 2024, but that doesn’t mean I agree with the results; and I know there are millions more just like Cate and Calamity who will continue the Resistance campaign against Trump and the big money funding until this abomination to our constitution can be brought under control.  Fuck the oligarchs. Fuck Citizen’s United. Fuck the Project 2025 agenda.

By Cate Rees-Hessel

Resolute in Resolution

This year my New Year’s resolutions involve resisting the threat to our democracy because, “when we fight, we win.” We can still wish one another a happy New Year, despite the impending doom. I will not watch the inauguration – instead I will scrub my toilet and scoop my cat’s litter box. I pray a fervent prayer for peace and a miracle to occur to prevent “The Donald” from taking office. President Biden has promised to not pardon the orange-haired monster. Will VP Harris refuse to certify the convicted felon’s election because of January 6th? I hope so; but I know she will do what she is supposed to do, perform the ceremony.

Do the Right Thing, Not Right Wing…

First, starting from within, I resolve to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as exercise more often; I never make a resolution to lose weight. I will continue to be kind hearted but set boundaries. I resolve to adopt a resilient attitude and not let malicious words hurt me. I will keep a stiff upper lip while remaining compassionate. I resolve to practice forgiveness and hope to be forgiven in return. I will concentrate on my loved ones and furbabies, not those that I barely tolerate. I will strive to be a ray of sunshine, but I shall scream when faced with adversity because a good loud yell is sometimes the answer to challenges. I intend to pray even more and trust God’s promises.

Resolve to Resist

I resolve to prioritize self care in the coming months because self care is not selfish, it is imperative as we face the stressful and frightening times ahead with a second term of Trump. I have not forgot his first term and the problems that are still arising four years later due to his mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic and building of the border wall, just to name a couple of his horrific faux pas. We must move forward, soldier on, difficult though it may seem. Here are my resolutions for 2025:

  1. I resolve again to never call Donald Trump, “President”.
  2. I resolve again to never call Melania Trump, “First Lady” because she is no lady.
  3. I resolve to resist at every opportunity.
  4. I resolve to wear pearls daily, and Chucks for Kamala Harris often, not just on “Inauguration Day”.
  5. I resolve to take a stand for human rights, because, “when we fight, we win”…
  6. I resolve to stand against racism.
  7. I resolve to take a stand for women’s rights.
  8. I resolve to take a stand for LGBTQ rights.
  9. I resolve to take a stand for dreamers’ rights.
  10. I resolve to take a stand for immigrants rights, because, “when we fight, we win”…
  11. I resolve to take a stand for our democracy.
  12. I resolve to take a stand against dictators.
  13. I resolve to take a strong stand against Donald Trump and JD Vance.
  14. I resolve that I will post and write against the Republican extremist regime.
  15. I resolve to join in peaceful protests against Trump and his minions, because, “when we fight, we win”…
  16. I resolve to be a light in the darkness that threatens our freedom.
  17. I resolve to put my faith in God, not in an anti-Christ like Donald Trump.
  18. I resolve to stop doing business with those supporting MAGA conservatives.
  19. I resolve to resist Elon Musk and all the others that are pulling Trump’s strings.
  20. I resolve to continue to question the election results, because, “when we fight, we win”…
  21. I resolve to also continue to question the alleged “assassination” attempts on Donald Trump in Butler PA and the golf course.
  22. I resolve to vote for Democrats to take back the house and Senate in 2026.
  23. I resolve to say, “I told you so”, to those that voted for Trump when food prices don’t go down and tariffs make prices unaffordable.
  24. I resolve to take a stand against Putin and all the dictators worldwide.
  25. My new years resolutions for 2025 must include resisting Project 2025, because, “when we fight, we win”…

Stay Strong and Positive

Let’s face the coming days ahead with optimism, building each other up, not tearing each other down. I will face the year embracing self love and trusting my heavenly Father.

I dedicate this article to a true man of God and a sincere humanitarian, President Jimmy Carter.  I had the extreme pleasure of seeing him in person twice, and the humble honor of him being the first person I ever voted for. Rest in peace to a real servant of the people…

 

Trump’s Terrible Legacy

Trump’s Terrible Legacy 

Trump’s Terrible Legacy 

By Cate Rees-Hessel

 

Not Again

As we approach Trump’s second inauguration, something I thought I would never say, allow me to point out 25 things he has done prior to his taking office again in 2025. We must resist this insanity…

  1. The pandemic – need I say more. So many deaths while the Donald told us COVID-19 was nothing to be afraid of; he then tried to take credit for the life saving vaccines that President Biden put into play to save lives and end the pandemic. So very many businesses closed permanently and are still shutting down. Many retailers and restaurants reduced their hours as our economy completely shut down, and the resulting skyrocketing costs are still with us now. Trump’s minions refused to comply with President Biden mask mandate or believe in science despite Dr. Fauci’s warnings.
  2. The Donald is trying to take credit for all of President Biden’s accomplishments, like the much needed infrastructure bill and the $35 insulin cap for seniors…
  3. Trump is a convicted felon who can’t vote, so how can he be in public office, especially the Oval Office? He is a rapist. What a horrific message we are sending our young ladies. The adulterer that talks about amazing sex with wives of friends is who the right wing fundamentalists are worshiping. Have no other gods before Him is what the Bible teaches us, yet they place the orange haired monster that held a Bible upside down on a pedestal.
  4. Our country is a world wide laughing stock, and history is about to repeat itself.
  5. Donnie boy is delusional, making remarks about being better looking and smarter than our beautiful and intelligent Vice President, the woman who by my thinking, should have won the 2024 election.
  6. Trump promises to be a dictator from day one, threatening to over throw our democracy, telling his brainwashed followers they will never need to vote again. He is old and in apparently poor health, so who does he think will run the country when he is gone? JD Vance is inexperienced and heavily disliked by both parties. Vance referred to “The Donald” as a Hitler prior to becoming his running mate. Mike Pence his first running mate refused to run with him again.
  7. January 6th – need I elaborate? The blood-curdling violence that shook our nature to the very core. Where were the fundamentalists? Why didn’t they pray for peace?
  8. Hitler faked assassination attempts during his reign of terror, and I honestly believe so did the Donald in Butler, PA, this past summer, and later at the golf course. There are many suspicious things regarding these shootings. There was innocent loss of life at that rally…
  9. Mass deportation awaits us. I am very glad to see sheriff’s departments refusing to comply with Trump’s racist hatred, especially since it would likely be an unfunded mandate…
  10. He made fun of a disabled journalist, mocking the man for having been born with a disability.
  11. He threatens to remove Social Security, leaving seniors and those on disability with no means of support. He wants to cut federal nutrition programs, and is now telling his followers that reducing the cost of groceries will be very difficult.
  12. Tax cuts for billionaires, while our money that was paid into social security, he wants to stop hard working retirees from receiving money we earned.
  13. His anti-Semitism is so very apparent, wishing he had generals just like Hitler had.
  14. His wife, our first naked “first lady”, and a complete embarrassment to our country.
  15. Elon Musk, enough said.
  16. Selling tacky tennis shoes, Trumpy Bears, and vodka, late night television junk, unbefitting a public official, yet alone the president.
  17. He has the audacity to autograph Bibles, as if the Word of God actually needs an endorsement from a convicted criminal. This is clearly blasphemous, egocentric behavior.
  18. Trump feels he is above the law, and had the complete nerve to say that black folks will now understand him because he is a convicted felon. This despicable racist comment stands against common decency and we need to fight back.
  19. “Windmills cause cancer,” again enough said.
  20. When asked this so called Christian what Easter is about he said to spend time with family. The actual gospels, had he ever read it, not just turned it over outside of church he never attended, clearly explains that Easter is the core of the Christian faith, the resurrection of Jesus. Sure, we can spend Easter with family, but that’s not the actual reason for the Easter celebration. Any member of any Christian denomination should understand this to be Christianity 101…
  21. Trophy hunting, penned animals; yet again enough said.
  22. He is incapable of opening the door to a garbage truck. How can he run the nation?
  23. His cabinet choices make no sense – pandering at its worst.
  24. He brags about the destruction of reproductive freedom, while a woman having a natural occurring miscarriage are now likely to bleed to death in hospital parking lots instead of receiving standard life saving care.
  25. Project 2025, a very frightening proposition of right wing idiocy that can literally destroy our freedom.

Putin’s Puppet

Please, President Biden, invoke the Fourteenth Amendment now to stop “Donnie boy” from destroying America. Merrick Garland please do your best to put him in prison, where he certainly belongs before it’s too late. We don’t want Trump’s terrible legacy which can lead to the ruination of our nation as we know it, further damaging the country we hold dear. The evil one who called our hard working military “suckers” and “losers” will once again have access to our nuclear codes – Putin’s puppet can cause an all out nuclear war.

The Anti-Christ and McDonald’s

God help us, please save our nation from this false prophet who is an anti-Christ and the biggest danger to our democracy in history. Trump is not just a few fries short of a happy meal, he is missing the cheeseburger. He is not capable of running our country anywhere but into the ground. Resist – we are not going back. Ruth Bader Ginsburg has passed the torch down to us – it’s time to stand up for what’s right and “The Donald” is just not right about anything. When we fight we win. Let’s follow Michele Obama’s sound advice and “Do something”. I pray for peace, and hope for a miracle, because the Donald just won’t do…