George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States, passed away this morning at the age of 94.  He was the last living President born during what Tom Brokaw called “The Greatest Generation” (those born between 1910 and 1924).  My father and this president were members of the same generation and both served our country in WWII.  I was raised by this generation and long for its values to return.

This generation was hard-working, humble and self-sacrificing.  They had concern for others, found honor in service and put country before self.  They worked and lived for the greater good.

In contrast, the generations that followed have become self-centered, self-promoting, self-serving, greedy and selfish putting materialism before the greater good.  Our society can not survive this focus on “self.”  Society will cease to exist without concern for the greater good.

The greatest generation experienced two world wars and the great depression.  Working together to overcome those trying times, made America great.  But now we are divided into the haves and the have-nots.  What will it take for us to work together again?  Can we return to the kinder and gentler nation that Bush 41 yearned for?

Trump tried to use the fear of the immigrant caravan to sway midterm voters, but it failed as the Democrats won the majority in the house.  I think most voters fear demagoguery over immigration.  Demagogues try to undermine democratic elections to steal the rights of the people and in this last election the majority of people voted for democracy over demagoguery.  Some may not know what demagoguery really looks like, but know that it feels wrong.

Luckily, Robert Reich has compiled five tactics that have been used throughout history to undermine democratic elections.  They are as follows.

1. Campaign on fear and division, making scapegoats of minorities and immigrants.
2. Make elections into a referendum on themselves, placing their regimes above democratic ideals.
3. Encourage voter suppression.  Create obstacles that make it harder to vote.
4. Threaten to jail political opponents.  Use threats of imprisonment to discourage their opposition during the campaign.
5. Dispute election results, citing election fraud without evidence.  Interfere with vote tallies to ensure their loyalists are elected.

Trump’s campaign started with “Mexicans are murders and rapists” and continued with rants of “look her up” and declarations of a “rigged system,”  while, at the same time, some Republican sycophants gerrymander districts, removed minorities from voter rosters and closed numerous polling stations to reduce Democratic votes.  And, Trump saw the midterms as a measures of his own popularity or unpopularity.  Trump didn’t just use some of these tactics, he used them ALL.

The only protection from an American demagogue is a strong system of checks and balances.  The three branches of the government are CO-EQUAL (that’s right, Mr. Trump, CO-EQUAL).  Now that the legislative branch is more balanced, it will stand up to the undemocratic actions of Trump and as evidenced this week, the Judicial branch is ruling in favor of upholding the Constitution when Trump fails to keep his oath of office.

Hopefully our system of checks and balances can get our democracy through this time of trials as it is threatened by a homegrown tyrant.  Many overlook these tactics and somehow see them as a strength, but our democracy is not sustained by the whims of a single person.  We must clearly see these tactics for what they are (tools of a demagogue) and protect our rights, as we are a democracy of government by the people for the people, all the people.

A hopeful moment in politics…  I hope it continues!

The Arizona United States Senate race between candidates Martha McSally (R) and Krysten Sinema (D) has given me hope that tribalism may not be our only future.   McSally’s congratulatory concession video demonstrated how to lose with honor and respect.  This video can be viewed at realclearpolitics.com and it is titled Republican McSally Concedes Arizona Senate Race to Democratic Winner Kyrsten Sinema.

Krysten Sinema spoke of finding common ground in her victory speech and gave a tribute to Republican Senator John McCain.  This video can be viewed at cnn.com and is titled Sinema gives tribute to McCain in victory speech.

These candidates provided an outstanding example of how to run a civilized campaign and what to do when the results come in.  Decency trumped party.  Decency and respect need not be sacrificed.  There can be decency in differences.

Can we recover from the devolution of our ideal that”… all are created equal?”  I witnessed a social evolution in my life time in which we began to live up to this ideal by granting civil rights to all.  This occurred because we evolved as a people and righted a wrong.  Now I see this progress waining as racism is used to demean and attack fellow Americans.

Some people are blaming minorities and immigrants for their economic decline, but this blame is misplaced.  Our economic system has been manipulated to favor stockholders and to strip stakeholders of their fair share.   Stakeholders are the workers that give their lives to benefit the company while stockholders just invest money.  Investment is risky, but workers only have one life to give and should be rewarded with a livable wage.  The investment class would like you to believe that we have a “free market” economy and that the invisible hand of the market has caused wages to stagnate or go down, but that is not true.  The economy is legislated and regulated to favor big donors.

Legislators are to blame along with those who do not exercise their right to vote, not minorities and immigrants.  So thanks to those who voted.  And, I want to encourage the hundred million eligible voters who don’t vote to do so!  Stakeholders far out number stockholders!  If we vote together, we can create a fair economy that provides opportunities for all.

Last week I looked at the scientific and psychological reasons for the differences between Trump supporters and Trump detractors.  This research provided no ideas for finding common ground nor greater understanding for overcoming our differences.  I am left with the mystery of why some people love the flavor of cilantro and some think it tastes like an un-food such as soap.  Research suggests that these totally opposite reactions are due to chemical differences in our DNA.  I am one of the 4-14% of people who taste soap when they eat cilantro and I know that no matter how many people tell me how good it tastes or how emphatically they insist, I am not going to like the taste of cilantro.  So is liking or disliking Trump in our DNA?  I don’t know.

My distaste for Trump begins with the constant, documented, lies (over 3,000 since taking office).  It continues with his lack of knowledge of history, the Constitution and the principles of democracy; his lack of respect for the office of the presidency, norms, process and procedures; his lack of respect for women, minorities and people with disabilities; his lack of empathy; his rampant self-centeredness; his disrespect for American allies; and his kowtowing to ruthless autocrats who kill their opponents.  It ends in the fear of his impulsivity and his Twitter feed.  This is like being strapped in to the back seat of the car with a four-year at the wheel.

His focus is not on serving the people, but only on preserving his power.  And it seems that he is willing to do anything to keep it.  He admitted that even though he doesn’t really believe that the press is the enemy of the people, he says it just to jin up his base.  What is really scary is that he can not see the potential deadly consequences of his words. He denies any responsibility for the white nationalists who sent pipe bombs to his liberal critics and the slaughtering of 11 Jewish worshippers as they were gathered in their sanctuary.  He cannot see that his senseless rhetoric is emboldening demented racists.  My distaste for cilantro hurts no one, but  a lack of distaste for the actions or lack actions of this president can hurt us all and permanently destroy our democracy.

What is obvious and contemptible to me as a human being, is sometimes not obvious and contemptible to others.  When these “others” are people who I respect on many levels, I am truly baffled by our very different ways of thinking.  I was pretty much unaware of these differences until Donald Trump announced his candidacy, until I experienced a campaign like non-other and, ultimately, the unlikely 2016 election results.

In the search for answers I came across an article on vox.com (which is slightly left of neutral and provides fair interpretations of the news).  The article is 7 Psychological Concepts that Explain the Trump Era of Politics by Brian Resnick 5/6/2017

1. Motivated reasoning – rooting for a team changes your perception of the world.  It “… is our tendency to come to conclusions we’re already favored to believe.  It is …real and persuasive, …you often don’t realize you’re doing it.  We automatically have an easier time remembering information that fits our world view.  We’ re simply quicker to recognize information that confirms what we already know, which makes us blind to facts that discount it.“
2. People who are the most well-informed about politics are often the most stubborn about it – They may “…bend what they know to fall in line with their political goals and don’t realize it, …and feel confident in their partisan conclusions because they feel well-informed.”
3. Evolution has left us with an ‘Immune System’ for uncomfortable thoughts – “Psychologist theorize…” that “..our partisan identities get mixed up with our personal identities…” and “…an attack on our strongly held beliefs is [seen as] an attack on the self.”
4. The argument that’s most convincing to you is not convincing to your ideological opponents – Looking at the healthcare debate, “Liberals make their arguments for expanding coverage in terms of equality and fairness (i.e., everyone should have a right to healthcare), while conservatives make their case grounded in self-determination (i.e., the government shouldn’t tell me how to live) and fiscal security (i.e., paying for health care will bankrupt us all).”  The author explains that “moral foundations is the idea that people have stable, gut-level morals that influence their worldview.  The liberal moral foundations include equality, fairness and protection of the vulnerable.  Conservative moral foundations favor in-group loyalty, moral purity, and respect for authority.”  “…we often don’t realize that people have moral foundations different than our own.”  “When we engage in political debate, we all tend to overrate the power of arguments we find personally convincing – and wrongly think the other side will be swayed.
5. Many people seem unashamed of their prejudiced – The author provided the following definitions for some of the elements of prejudice.  “Dehumanization – the ability to see fellow-men and women as less than human.  Social dominance orientation – favor inequality among groups in society, with some groups dominating others.”  He reported that a study found that, “…blatant dehumanization of Muslims and Mexican immigrants was strongly correlated with Trump support.”
6. Fear has a powerful influence on political opinion – “Stoking people’s racial and demographic fears helped Trump win votes. Negative, scary information is almost always more sticky and memorable than positive information.”  One study found that “…white people begin to feel less warm toward members of other races when they are reminded that minorities will eventually be the majority, while another found that this increased support among white people to support Trump.”
7. Social norms that protect against prejudice can change in the blink of an eye –  “We learn what’s socially acceptable by watching other people.  There’s evidence that social norms against prejudice change when people in power start talking and behaving badly.”  According to University of Kansas psychologist Chris Crandall,   “Trump’s rhetoric and the rise of the alt-right movement are encouraging people with prejudicial views to act upon them” …changing “people’s perceptions about what is okay and what is not okay.”  After the election of Trump, both Clinton and Trump supporters, “…were more likely to report it was acceptable to discriminate against…  marginalized groups – like the obese, Muslims, Mexican immigrants and the disabled.”  Because Trump was still elected after saying such, “…disparaging things, …during the campaign, …sent a powerful sign, …that it is okay to discriminate against others.”  Crandall said, “…it took away the suppression from the very highly prejudicial people, and those people are acting.”  The author writes that “…exposure to misbehavior simply makes it more acceptable.”

Considering all of this, how do I know what I think and feel is the truth?  I am naturally on the side of fairness, equality and protection of the vulnerable.  This worldview is not the product of a mental decision, it is just who I am.  I also believe in self-determination, fiscal responsibility, forgiveness and the rule of law, but not in in-group loyalty that excludes others, dehumanization nor social dominance.

I believe in the greatest commandment.  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the greatest and first commandment.  And a second is like it:  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets,” NRSV Matthew 22:37-40.  If I truly believe this, how can I exclude others?  Our neighbors include everyone.

Sadly, this past week has seen 14 pipe bombs mailed to top liberals by a Trump supporter and today a white nationalist killed several congregants in a synagogue in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, who declared all Jews must be killed, a devastating, horrible, tragedy.  The latter extremist was actually critical of Trump calling him a globalist even though Trump publicly stated that he was a nationalist just this week.  This perception, I believe, is correct.  How can a businessman who owns businesses throughout the world be a nationalist?  Stating that he is a nationalist is only a lie to appease his base.

I hope that we can learn from these 7 psychological concepts, have greater understanding of our differences, clearly see the truth and know that the current decline of social norms from the top is dangerous to our democracy and our well being.

My church book club and I have just finished reading America’s Original Sin:  Racism, White Privilege and the Bridge to a New America, by Jim Wallis (Braso Press 2016).  Sadly, as a result of reading this book, I have discovered that I have been mostly oblivious to the actual reality of racism and white privilege in America.  As a child during the civil rights movement, I had believed that wrongs were righted and that things were better, not perfect, just better.  I guess seeing more diversity in TV and the movies has also fooled my perception of reality.

The current political climate has somewhat shaken me out of my bubble.  The current President, the right-wing media and the events at and aftermath of Charlottesville have led me to question my worldview.  I tried to blame the blatant racism that was oozing into mainstream thought on a morally corrupt president and a few misguided extremists.  But, I can now see that this is far from the truth.

Since election night 2016, I have been trying to figure out why people were willing to elect an obvious racist (among many other character flaws) to office.  The answer is enough people, afraid of a changing America, voted for a person that espoused their fears.  White people are afraid of no longer being a majority and giving up their privilege.  Within the next 30 years, we will be a nation of minorities.  White people will just be another minority that includes people of all hues, cultures and backgrounds, a rich diversity that can make our country great!

As a nation, we need to create opportunity and fairness for all because succumbing to our fears will be the downfall of our democracy.  We need a fair justice system, and equality in education, jobs, housing and healthcare.  We need to turn from greed and gluttonous materialism.  We need to live up to the ideals of a true democracy, of government by the people for the people, all people, not just white people.  We have a long road ahead of us and must work diligently to embrace a new America.  No one color or any one socioeconomic class can do this by themselves, we can only do this together by helping one another and creating fair opportunities for all.

As a newbie to following politics, I find it exhausting trying to discern the truth and even the reality put forth by the members of the governing body.  The quest for money and power among the political class causes both sides to spin their stories to the point of ridiculousness.  As I have taken a closer look at the political process of our country, I was surprised to find that some people, maybe most, are far less clever than I thought they would be.  Pettiness and overly obvious attempts at obfuscation are the norm.  Most seem to have lost any sense of what life is like for the average American.

If they were in touch with average Americans, they would legislate for livable wage jobs, affordable healthcare and housing, job training and education, and repairing the infrastructure, rather than tax cuts for the rich and deregulation that puts people and the environment in danger in order for the rich to get more money.

But, sadly, getting funding for reelection and enriching ones’ self is more important than making America work for everyone.  It could be so simple, but it is just exhausting.  PLEASE VOTE FOR THOSE WHO TRULY REPRESENT ALL AMERICANS.

The hope I had in democracy at work last week has been diminished.  The two women who confronted Senator Jeff Flake (R) of Arizona in the elevator were heard and Senator Flake was able to garner a FBI investigation with a one week limitation into the credible allegations of sexual assault made by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

I had hopes that the truth would be uncovered, but, apparently, the FBI was somehow limited in the scope of their investigation.  They never interviewed Ford or Kavanaugh nor 20 other people who had information to share and the investigation lasted less than half the time given.  Needless to say the investigation was anything but thorough and a great disappointment.  I didn’t want to see Kavanaugh falsely accused, but Ford’s personal sacrifice in coming forward deserved a respectable investigation by the FBI and that did not happen.  True democracy was not served.

At this time, it is likely that Kavanaugh will be confirmed for a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court despite the fact that 50% of Americans, when polled, are against the confirmation and only 33% are for it.  This proves that the United States Senate does not truly represent the people!  However, it is still critical for each of us to cast our votes!  Don’t be ignored!

On December 16, 2017, I posted a blog called “Distance.”  It looked at the distance between legislators and children who depend on the CHIP health insurance program.  The legislators are removed from the people whose lives they are affecting.  The blog suggests that legislators should be required to perform community service in the hospitals and doctors’ offices where these children are served in order to know them first hand.

Yesterday, the distance between a Senator and the victims of sexual assault was reduced to near zero when two survivors of sexual assault, Maria Gallagher and Ana Maria Archil, confronted Arizona Senator Jeff Flake in an elevator.  These women wanted Flake to know that rushing to confirm Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination as a Supreme Court Judge before fully investigating the sexual assault accusations brought forth by Dr. Ford and others, diminished the credibility of all victims of sexual assault who come forward to tell their stories.  One of these woman said to Flake “…look me in the eyes when I am talking to you.”  Guess what?  He did.

The distance was gone.  The Senator’s humanity was moved.  The vote has been postponed for a week while the FBI investigates the accusations.  This was an example of true democracy in action.  True democracy occurs when citizens are heard by legislators.     REDUCE THE DISTANCE!