Whatever happened to the United States?

It seems in recent years our countrymen have been inclined to call our great country something other than what it is, or at least used to be. The United States of America is the name of our country. Our country is a collection of states inside the American continent. America is a nice short name but is not accurate.

There is nothing wrong with calling ourselves America. We are Americans after all. We live in the American Continent. However, so do Canadians, Mexicans, Argentinians, and Cubans for that matter. It seems kind of presumptuous of us, or any country’s citizens to claim the entire continent.

I just remember our leaders ending speeches with “God bless these United States of America” instead of “God bless America” Perhaps it’s my memory. Didn’t John Wayne in a soliloquy at the end some WWII epic declare the promise of the United States of America? In modern times, we had George W. Bush close with his unmistakable Texan “God bless Amerika”. President Obama quickly closes with “God Bless America” like a linguistic fist bump to the country. Donald Trump expelled “God Bless America” like we’ve just been licked on the face by St Bernard. President Joe Biden asks for blessings for our troops. A worthy ask but somehow none of these have the weight of “God bless the United States of America.” There should be a dramatic pause before, and after, before the speaker surrenders the podium.

The United States won World War II and developed the modern world order. If we want the glory and respect of the old days, we should go back to that identifier.

Perhaps it’s subconscious. Maybe we don’t use the words United States, because we are feeling less united. Even the initials U.S., US, invites unity. We should use it more often. That is in fact the elephant in the room. We are not united any more.

It seems we are being divided more and more every year. Black v. white, gay v. straight, religious v. agnostic, urban v. rural, and red v. blue are just a few of the ways we are splitting ourselves from each other. The conservative v. liberal is the most pronounced divide. This trend has been studied and talked about for years, and was born before the 60s, during the FDR era, and perhaps before that.

It almost seems like nearly half of us don’t like, or don’t trust the other half very much. We don’t think they are doing their fair share; they are trying to take the country away from us, making it harder to be who we want to be, removing our entitlement, our “God given right as Americans” is under threat.

People listen to dog whistle radio stations, watch TV infotainment and disinfotainment, where the news is presented in perspective of the audience. Facts are not facts unless my favorite talking head says so and he can twist the reality to match my/his opinion and reinforce the fear and victimhood I am entitled to. The divisions have gotten so, that people are physically moving to places where they live among like-minded people. We have “safe” states, blue and red, safe districts, urban and rural.

Franken Delano Roosevelt said many years ago, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” Perhaps he is just as right now as he was in the depths of the depression, maybe more. The fear we are instilling in ourselves is more insidious. There is not one big monster or force to be afraid of, there are a thousand things, some small, some large, all of them are abstract and hard to find a definite solution. Answers are a matter of opinion, and no one can agree on what to do. And my opinion matters as much as yours even if it has been discredited years ago in a previous argument because the world is different, things are more extreme, and we are afraid. We can’t even agree on the outcome of our choices and our elections. Well… Buck-up kiddos, if we don’t get our poop in a group things are going to get much worse.

A big part of the problem is that we have divided ourselves between religious and non-religious / not Christian. Years ago, most of us were white Christians. That is not the case any longer and that is the deepest divide. While it may be advantageous for Christians to believe the United States was founded to be a Christian nation, certainly founded by people with Christian upbringing, it is not true that the founders intended the nation to be ruled by Christion theology. Simply because if you allow that, who’s version of “Christian” do you use? Whose prayers do you allow in schools? Thus, the founders made a point of allowing room for other faiths and for no faith. They understood that the United States would attract people from all over the world. It was already happening in 1776, people of Jewish, Muslim, and other faiths were arriving in this country and there needed to be and still needs to be room for them.

The constitution and rule of man-made law is to be the religion of the state. Many people believe it secondary to religion, and that’s okay. The founders just wanted a clear line between state law and religious practices enforced by choice. The difference between law and sin.

With so many important issues that our nation and our human civilization must deal with on a global scale, disease, climate, and containment of dictatorial regimes. We need to develop more unity, more togetherness, more ability to accept each other as we are, as God made us, and not as we wished people to be. In the infamous words of Ben Franklin, "We must all hang together, or most assuredly we will all hang separately" is as true now than it has ever been.

We need all the ideas available to solve some of these problems. Political discourse is a national brainstorming session. Everything should be allowed. Anyone who diminishes another citizen’s idea is truly the one who is not being patriotic.

We all know each other through family, work, church and civic organizations. We get along with people we know, even if they have a different political perspective. We must try to extend that goodwill to people we don’t know personally; try to empathize with what they think and acknowledge their fears and concerns.

Discussing politics and each other’s ideas after we know what and why they exist is necessary for a healthy republic to exist. But be open minded and express your ideas. Do not be afraid; just practice the philosophy of Teddy Roosevelt, “Your right to swing your arms begin at the end of my nose.” Let your opinion be known but don’t insult people who disagree. I have to admit this is hard to do and I fail regularly.

Let me borrow from President Obama’s farewell speech “So regardless of the station we occupy; we all have to try harder; we all have to start with the premise that each of our fellow citizens loves this country just as much as we do; that they value hard work and family just like we do; that their children are just as curious and hopeful and worthy of love as our own.”

Perhaps if we were to start describing ourselves as united as in the United States of America, perhaps then we’d remember that we are part of something bigger, that we have and are building this country with all our divisions, flaws and disagreements we belong together. Maybe saying it would help bringing us together in some way.

My sincerest wish is that God, Allah, Yahweh, Buddha, the stars, or the Force bless the United States of America.

Dear President Biden,

It has become perfectly clear that the Supreme Court of the United States has become occupied by corporate interests who are not working for the betterment of the country. Recent decisions indicate that the court is run by the most conservative justices who are consistently ruling in favor of the wealthy and the powerful subjugating minorities, women, and the underprivileged.

The time has come to appoint four new justices to the Supreme Court. There would be popular support for more justices. It is in your power and that of the Senate to add justices to the court.

The corporate conservative movement has mobilized a minority of citizens to successfully paralyze congress. Now that they have complete control of the court they can effectively legislate from the bench as conservative kings.

I think the court should have 21 justices with 3 sub courts adding another level of appeal or two before a decision reaches the full court. I understand there are plenty of cases that need to be decided by SCOTUS but only a politically chosen few are ever elevated to this level. There also should be a maximum age or a term limit that guarantees every President at least 1 appointment per term.

Most importantly there needs to be an enforced code of ethics for justices on the bench. Justices and their families should not be politically active outside of voting. They must recuse themselves whenever there is a case where they or their families have an interest financially, personally, or professionally.

I honestly think the reason that polling of citizens saying “The country is on the wrong path” is mostly because things are not improving soon enough, not enough is being done to combat climate change, poverty, income inequality, and gun violence. SCOTUS is unjustly hindering your and Congresses ability to make the improvements the people are demanding.

Joe, Please add more justices to the court. That is the first step in reforming this out of control Supreme Court.

 

Sincerely
Gary DeVaan

 Why we are so angry.

Now that we have suffered another indignity thrust upon us by willful conservative ignorants. Ignorants in the media, ignorants in the government, ignorants in religion, ignorants in corporate America, and unfortunately, ignorants of willingly deceived American citizens.

These different groups have brought about the near failing of the United States constitution on January 6, 2021. But that is just the latest insult to our nation.

President Ronald Reagan removed the Fairness Doctrine enforced by the FCC giving media corporations the ability to focus their messages on partisan goals enforcing one side of every argument and politicizing every aspect of American life, where you live, how you worship, what music you listen to, where you get your coffee, and of course weather you wear a mask to protect yourself and others in your orbit during a pandemic. Be selfish, you are owed more, others are taking from you, being the ongoing message for 50 years.

A single corporation can now own most media outlets in any market, newspaper, tv, and radio stations. They are killing off local coverage and shrinking newsrooms to the detriment of an educated electorate. Too many markets only have conservative media funneling the party line into the brains of an undereducated populace that reactively buys guns and angers whenever they do not win an election. Ironically blaming the media. Not their preferred outlet, the other’s outlet, mainstream media.

The ministers and bishops in these towns reinforce the grievances advertised in the media by doubling down on the victimization of their faith, their race, and their political opinion. If God is on our side, we have to win it all. No compromise is acceptable, no vacillation is redeemable. Always push for conservative ideas, no matter if they have lost in the court of public opinion, no matter if they are right or wrong, no matter if the facts do not support them. The election was stolen from our candidate even if it was corroborated by recount and the courts. We are victims, always victims.

Corporate America never lets an opportunity go to waste. They fund lobbying groups and conservative candidates, looking for the short-term gain, tax cuts, special exemptions, grants and contracts that had special sweeteners from favored recipients of PAC and campaign committees. Every year, every congress, every election strengthening the corporate grip on federal and state governments. Always taking and taking from the public coffers money and privilege leaving less and less for average American people who work and are unprivileged.

The elected conservative ignorants always needing those campaign contributions, grabbing for power and control using their position to impeach a duly elected President because he lied to his wife and in turn the American people about an embarrassing breach of personal conduct that had no impact on his ability to perform his duties and was NOT a high crime or misdemeanor.

A few years later they insisted to remedy a contested election in Florida with appointment of a corporate President by a majority of conservative judges in the supreme court instead of a recount, even though he lost the national popular vote by a substantial margin.

The corporate President then failed to protect our country from the worst terrorist attack on our country and proceeded to use that attack to convince the American people to attack a different country with oil resources for the corporate elite. Iraq, while ruled by a brutal dictator, had nothing to do with the terrorist attack. A made-up war for financial gain where approximately 200,000 Iraqis, and 4,424 American service members lost their lives and nearly 32,000 Americans were injured. All so corporate accountants can report improved numbers to their CEOs. If not that reason, why?

That same failed president, always a fan of deregulation of the financial markets allowed a fantastic bubble in real estate markets to cause the greatest recession in American history. Putting millions of American citizens out of work and out of their homes. Between the wars and the financial bailout Bush increased the federal debit by 101%. So much for fiscal responsibility.

The next President trying to help the American people proposed stimulus and health care to assist the middle and working class, but those efforts got no support from the elected ignorants. One corporate ignorant begrudged the people because I suspect he thought he was a victim of government largess, apparently his 7-digit income was at risk if the taxpayers helped the homeless. This rallied other victims of welfare. Clearly, they would be hurt by the unwashed being fed and housed. How could a black man have so much power, he must be from somewhere else. Throughout the eight years of President Obama’s administration the elected ignorants refused to cooperate in any way. They blocked needed judges including a judge for the supreme court just so they could “win”. They blocked every important relief for the American people and complained every day about a socialist president.

With the backing of a foreign government a new and more dangerous ignorant corporate president was elected. Again, without a majority of votes. This president would not hide his resentment of those he deemed less than, insulting and degrading whoever got in his way. The willingly deceived ate it up. He told it the way it is. With his limited vocabulary of curse words and an 8-year-old reading level, his small hands signed executive order after executive order tearing apart any and all of the progress of his predecessor. His only legislative achievements were huge tax cuts for the wealthy (the only requirement of the corporate ignorants) and his appointment to the courts every federalist society judge that was available to fill the gaping holes in the judiciary left by the majority leader.

Colluding with foreign government worked so well last time he thought he’d try again. With the cooperation of his congressional ignorants this failed president survived an impeachment with only one vote from his party voting for conviction. “If this is not an impeachable offence what is?” said the house manager. Perhaps the saddest day in American history up to this point. An entire political party was willing to allow a corrupt and unqualified traitor to remain in office for political expediency.

The antics of this ignorant president became so widespread, that never a day went by without another norm being misused. Appointments not made, actions not taken, the government was being thinned with every executive order and every utterance of “some people say”. He was brainwashed during his “executive time” watching the ignorants on conservative media and acting on those false facts and misunderstood ideas during his four-hour workday when he wasn’t playing golf.

He used his office for every profit-making venture he could. Still in control of his hotel business, he overcharged his security detail and forced every interaction with his administration to happen at his hotels and properties. Stealing from his allies, his party, the government, and the American people.

When the next election came, he knew he would lose. He floated not having an election or postponing it. He continued to say, “the election is rigged” and he did his best to make that true. When the election resulted in his loss, he contested the election with no proof or examples of corruption. The American people clearly rejected him and all the recounts and court cases proved him a liar again and again.

The willingly deceived ignorants were not deterred. They rallied for him with weapons and combat gear in costumes and emblazoned flags and MAGA hats they stormed to the capitol to stop a constitutionally mandated action by the elected representatives of this nation. They broke windows, doors, art, desks, beat-up police, and literally defecated on the heart of democracy, the soul of the country. Just because their feelings were hurt by not winning a fair election.  They “feel” like they did not get a fair shake. Are they ready to take this government by force before the inauguration?

The ignorants ignore the most important issues and thrust our attention to menial and passing issues. Natural disasters are gods will. Shootings in schools are the price for freedom. Homelessness and destitution are caused by lack of moral character.  Other peoples suffering is not their concern. “What’s in it for me?” They Say.

What’s in it for them is a functioning society where standards are respected, where everyone has the right to challenge those standards, but no one has the right to violently overthrow these standards.  A society where we use science and good intentions to help all of us through a pandemic, natural disasters, climate change, and global actors that truly threaten our way of life.

A society where everyone has an opportunity to achieve. Where everyone enjoys life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. 

This another letter to all of the GOP Senators. I encourage anyone to use this letter or parts of it to write your own letters. It only takes a half hour to post 50-60 letters. Please do it.
Here's a link to contact pages. https://1drv.ms/x/s!AvPRx9mTeH-Eo_4mIKXoNonaWswA_w?e=RxaBr8

Dear Senator

I don’t understand what Mitch McConnell does to control you and the 52 other republican Senators.

Every bit of logic, morality and common sense demands that new information is required to conduct a reasonable facsimile of a trial.

We know that in private you agree that Donald J Trump is not qualified to be President, but in public and more importantly by your votes, you condone him every day.

It is obvious to more than 60% of Americans that Trump is corrupt, distasteful, and only has his own interests in mind when he does anything. It is likely that Trump is a Russian asset, or in the very least is allowing Putin and the Russian federation to take advantage of the corruption that he allows in our government. We all know that Trump is dismantling our rule of law, presidents, and common decency in our country. We see him using our treasury as his own slush fund by visiting his properties every week and promoting and forcing government employees to patronize his properties.

Donald J Trump is a clear and present danger to our country and out way of life. He must be removed and prevented from being President in the future.

And yet you vote for him at every opportunity. Is it money? Are you as corrupt as Mitch McConnell and Donald J Trump? Is there some piece of information that is not allowed in public that forces your hand?

Please for the sake of the country, the constitution, the Senate, the Republican party, your family, and your reputation. Please vote for witnesses and then conviction.

This is my letter to all of the GOP Senators today. I encourage anyone to use this letter or parts of it to write your own letters. Here's a link to contact pages. https://1drv.ms/x/s!AvPRx9mTeH-Eo_4mIKXoNonaWswA_w?e=RxaBr8

Dear Senator

Tomorrow the President will ask for a vote to dismiss all charges against him in the impeachment trial. Please do NOT vote to dismiss. While you may or may not believe in the validity of the trial, I do. My family and friends who live in your state do too. There are many parts of the events last summer and fall that need to be explored.

The defense will claim that the articles of impeachment are not broken laws and therefore not high crimes and misdemeanors. However, the fact that the GAO found that the OMB violated the law by withholding aid to Ukraine fulfills the broken law false requirement demanded by the defense.

Donald J. Trump was very likely involved with the Russians in 2016 and is again in 2020 trying to validate Putin’s disinformation that the Ukrainians hacked the DNC when all of the U.S. intelligence agencies know it was the Russians under Putin’s orders.

Donald J. Trump likes to act like a mafia boss, but he is really the Maynard G. Krebs of the 21^st century. Wasting taxpayer money on his vacations and more “executive time” than my retired grandparents.

As a mafia boss, he is regularly in violation of the emolument’s clause wasting our taxpayer money and putting it in his own pocket. Trump is the most corrupt, incompetent, and lazy President this country has ever had, and it’s time to remove him from office.

For the sake of the country, the constitution, for your party, and your reelection, Please vote for a thorough investigation of the facts and then to convict and remove this corrupt and traitorous president from the white house.

OK Boomer

As an ageing baby boomer, I love this retort. It means that despite our failures, and many there are, we have successfully educated our grandchildren to think critically and not to accept a given answer as gospel. We should thank our children I suppose. All those participation awards have empowered our youngest to speak up & talk back and that is fantastic.

My generation had so much hope and potential. We ended an unjust war, we fought for human rights for African Americans, homosexuals, and women. We began the environmental movement. We created culture and art that influences the world. We conquered a dictatorial communist empire and converted others to market economies. We shrunk the world with the internet and spread dignity & education around the world by championing markets, human rights and women’s rights.

Alas it wasn’t enough. In fact, you could argue that our parents are really the ones who deserve those achievements.

We allowed our materialism and greed to influence our politics with tax avoidance and more unjust wars. We dropped the ball on the environment, resting on our laurels of reducing air & water pollution. We forgot to take care of those less fortunate in our towns and cities. We looked to enrich ourselves without any concern about the infrastructure of society. We stopped championing human rights and just made the easy sell of markets. Those countries we conquered have become new versions of their former selves just with more money. After Watergate we devalued public service and that made room for people of less character to become our leaders. We allowed con men to convince us that we didn’t have any responsibility for the world we created.

We limited our life goals to “He who dies with the most toys wins.”

We lost our imagination and creativity. We could have recreated our society into a near utopia. Most of our art is formulaic & auto-tuned (ok maybe that is the kids).  We settled for the internet when we should have been exploring the solar system. We launched more satellites that look at ourselves than look at the universe.

The “OK Boomer” retort is a perfect case of what goes around comes around. I remember "Don't trust anyone over 30". Our generation HAS failed our country and the world. We went from “peace & love”, to profits & power. From “do your own thing”, to “Just say No”.

I hope the new generation is smarter and wiser than we were and don't fall into the traps we did. They appear to be. 

Practicality and career shouldn't dominate looking out for each other, the country and the world. Don’t lose your idealism, it’s more valuable than it looks at 30 or 40. You’ll always have regrets just do your best.

Go get 'em kids! I wish I was 18 years old (for so many reasons). I'll have to help from where I am.

Donald J. Trump is unfit for office.

Dear Senator, 

Donald J. Trump is unfit for office.

As a patriot and citizen, I cannot stand by and watch the destruction of our republic. After the clear effort to pressure the Ukrainian government to conspire with the Trump campaign to discredit Joe Biden, And his effort to enrich himself with the placement of the G7 conference at his property, it should be obvious to every American that this president will not stop using the power of the Presidency for his own personal gain. I hope the above facts make it obvious to you too.

My extended family consists of patriots, veterans, conservatives, and liberals who have been shocked and dismayed by the behavior of Mr. Trump. Many of my family live in your state and are too stunned to move let alone express their disapproval of this president. We all wish and work for the best for every citizen and the betterment of the nation. To not ask for the impeachment and removal of Donald Trump would be counter to that effort.

The above reasons are not the only violations of office that Mr. Trump has committed. Allowing and encouraging interference in our elections by Russia, China. Obstruction of Justice as relayed in the Muller Report. Betraying our allies in the middle east. Dismissing our allies in NATO and other treaties, decimating the State Department, Intelligence agencies, and Homeland Security by advocating their research and conclusions are false, taking the word of a known murderer and despot. Reducing the pressure on North Korea by canceling routine military training and basically ignoring the development of nuclear arms. The constant betrayal of the first amendment and a free press. The dismantling of environmental regulation and ignoring of corruption in his administration. All of this and many more makes the United States weaker at home and abroad.

The world is literally laughing at us.

Just the case that many of his appointments have not been confirmed or vetted by the Senate remains a point of weakness for our country.

I ask you with utmost importance that you support the impeachment of Donald Trump and vote to remove him from office. This cancer that has attached itself onto our nation must be extracted from our body politic.

He has thrown many of his former friends and allies under the bus. There is room for you there. When enough honorable Republicans join the likes of Comey, Tillerson & Mattis, you will have enough strength to lift this burden from our country and get on with doing the people’s business.

Please vote to remove Donald Trump from office.

It’s time to buck up.

Dear Republicans,

It’s been fun spinning-up the libtards. Trolling family on social media for “knowing better”. Enjoying elected officials panic about the environment, asylum seekers in jail, or presidential treason. But, once in a while don’t you begin to think “Woah” this might be too much?

Is now the time to re-think what’s we’re doing? Let’s face it, Donald Trump hasn’t been a very good President. The economy is on the verge of a recession. Congress hasn’t gotten much done thanks to Mitch McConnell holding up over 300 bipartisan bills passed by the house. The world is literally laughing at our President. He is ruining relations with our allies and trying to make nice with all the wrong people. He’s using the office to rake in more money than he’s ever made. He is abrasive & rude to say the least. He doesn’t play by any rules that aren’t good for him.

Oh, yea, and he’s soliciting help from foreign leaders to trash his political opponents.

Maybe it’s time to cut him loose? Maybe REAL patriots should start writing their Senators to demand that they convict Donald Trump if/when he’s impeached. If Republican Senators commit to removing Trump we can stop worrying about what he’s going to do next and fix some things in this country. We could even talk to our liberal family members again.

It’s been fun. But now it’s time to be serious and impeach and convict Donald Trump.

Please convict Donald Trump

Dear Senator,

It has become abundantly clear that Donald J Trump must be removed from office. I am writing to encourage you, to plead with you, and to beg you to release yourself from the illogical and faulty devotion to This President.

The evidence is clear that Mr. Trump has abandoned his oath of office by using foreign resources to investigate and intimidate a United States Citizen and a political foe. By doing this he has broken a fundamental trust with the American people. The argument of Quid Pro Quo or not is irrelevant. Donald Trump is using foreign counties, possibly foreign intelligence agencies, to interfere in our elections, just as he likely did in the 2016 election. If that isn’t a high crime, nothing is.

The adherence of the Senate Republicans to this President is widely seen as a ploy to hold on to the conservative base. I understand the fear of losing this cohesive constituency. However, the oath you swore when you became a Senator was to uphold the constitution, not to uphold a constituency who you must admit, is being led by a self-interested conservative media complex that doesn’t always tell the truth.

To paraphrase Mathew 16:26 “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul” In other words, this is a steep price for winning the next election and you can’t guarantee that this strategy will win the next election.

I would venture to say that the remainder of the electorate is convinced that Trump is a very corrupt man who is damaging our country’s reputation abroad and our basic institutions at home. They will and should punish Trump’s “loyal Senators” at the ballot box next year and possibly for years to come. The only way to redeem the party is to pluck out the corruption and do the people’s business.

I believe we need two functioning parties in this country if we want to have all ideas and options available for the many problems we are facing in the years to come. These ideas need to be vetted with honesty and vigorous debate. We cannot have that if one party is or is perceived to be corrupt and constantly working for the next election verses the good of the people, and not giving the electorate the opportunity to fairly elect their leaders.

Please, I respectfully implore you to vote for a conviction of Donald Trump and heal our country.

Impeach and Convict Donald Trump and Get the People’s Business Done.

Dear Senator

I am writing you to express my disgust at the behavior of the President and the willingness of the Republican caucus's determination to protect Donald Trump. I will not repeat the plethora of laws and indignities Trump and his administration have committed. I want you to understand the facts of the investigation and be truthful to the American people on what is discovered. The results are obvious that Trump is nothing more than a two-bit mob boss and should be impeached, convicted, and removed from office so his stain can be cleaned from the fabric of these United States.

From the way that you and fellow Republicans are defending Trump I can only conclude that the GOP caucus and Senator Mitch McConnell are involved in much of the same corruption. The Republican party has lost its way and no longer has the citizens of our country as its primary concern. The GOP is now ruled by big money contributions from fossil fuel interests, health care insurance, pharmaceutical and other big contributors that only have their profits in mind when asking for you allegiance that you willingly give away for these contributions. I understand who your REAL bosses are, and they do not care about Democracy or the United States. I need you to break free from this corruption and again work for us, the citizens of this great country.

There are over 140 bills that are important business of the people and have been passed by bipartisan votes in the House and are waiting in the Senate for votes. These bills will make improvements in the lives of millions of Americans in health care, education, ballot access, government corruption, gun safety, and most importantly environment. All these bills are waiting for you to vote and pass but are being held in a black hole created by Mitch McConnell and your party.

I need you to do two things. Convict Donald Trump and remove him from office and pass the bills the American people are literally dying for. In my opinion if you are not acting to reduce corporate corruption or passing laws to improve the environment and reducing climate change you have no business in government.

I do not fill your campaign coffers, but I do pay your paycheck. Do what is right for your state and the citizens of your state. Impeach and remove Donald Trump and pass the bills before you.

Sincerely
Gary DeVaan
Hopkins, MN