I'm the worst kind of American. I'm an educator.

The other day, in the midst of a heated political debate, I was asked if I would leave the country if Trump or Cruz becomes president. It’s a reasonable question, not because I would be disgusted with America’s choice, but because my very make-up, my blood, my ideology, and my profession leave me, and my family, wide open to wound. Consider this: I am almost everything these blockheads hate: A Catholic with a Jewish last name -- a belief system that the evangelicals view as a “cult” and a last name that screams “Jew”; as socially liberal as they are made; a believer in wealth equity and universal health care; a creator of artsy things; and willing to put my life on the line for ALL equal rights. But you want to know what they probably hate most about me: I’m an educator… and worse yet, an educator with the above beliefs who also happens to be in a union... A UNION! But would I leave? “No,” I said. “It’s probably the only chance I will ever have to be a contestant on SURVIVOR.”

White States of America

Trump is becoming white America's ego, id, and reflection in the mirror after binge drinking Coors Original. 

In obsessiveness that could easily transition into full blown panic, I sort through the daily presidential polls and see that individual states support a Trump candidacy over his Republican rivals by overwhelming margins; and, when factoring in her huge advantage in the South, it is looking like Clinton will be his challenger on November 8th. Head to head, many of the state polls that are currently showing data also lean (moving towards "rest") in Trump's favor in the general election. (Nationally, Clinton has a dwindling lead well within the margin of error.) We (I mean, "I") have to stop the derogatory Trump statements (although, unlikely) and turn my ire on white America, especially of the male variety. If this happens, it's their fault, not his. 

I'm not at the point of saying, "If you want him, you can have him"; but the "you" here is so vile to me, so selfish and soulless, that they deserve the worst... and Trump is the WORST. The ramifications of a White States of America, however, will extend well beyond our walled borders -- the World doesn't deserve this outcome.

Former KKK leader, David Duke said, "Voting against Trump is treason to your heritage," and he was referring, of course, to only white Christian Americans and their European heritage. Yes, there is still a fringe ugliness in Europe, but in its majority, Europe rejects Trump and his followers' ideologies. Sure, by "heritage" Duke means (disgustingly dreadful) past, but in re to the here and now, the world is different, still very cruel, but in many places more enlightened... and in many places more embracing of humanity's plurality than America has been, is, and appears to become.

It's not about Trump anymore, it's about white America... and white America disgusts me (especially a majority of its men).

The Idiots Shall Inherit the Earth

I find this poll somewhat alarming: The degrees to which education seems to play a role in Republican voters' choices for presidential candidates.

The New York Times is questioning where Bush's voters go now that he's out of the race; and the answer may be, "Nowhere." Last year, the Pew Research Center discovered that Americans who graduated from college are likely to vote (or lean) for Democrats over Republicans by 52% to 40%; and those with post-graduate education lean towards Democrats vs. Republicans by 56% to 36%. Go back 25 years and these numbers almost reverse themselves -- Republican voters tended to be more educated; hence, this is one of the many reasons old school Republicans are starting to feel disenfranchised when looking at their choices. Education is not a mark of intelligence; so, I would like to scrap these statistics when looking for reasons why someone would vote for Trump over a vastly more qualified Kasich… but I can’t. Trump and Cruz, a.k.a., Grunt and Thumper, seem to appeal to those who are either grossly ill-informed or limited by their mistakingly righteous views of how the country should function. No, it’s not the meek (nor the wise) who shall inherit the earth, it’s the preening idiots.

Despot Cruz

This’ll be my last post for, at least, several days. Our sweet dog, Barley, one of the great loves of our lives, is dying. I have just this amount of energy to distract myself to send this plea and I’m shedding sarcasm (mostly) to write my thoughts about last night’s caucus winner in Iowa.

Ted Cruz is a dangerous man. I’ve already explored his false Christianity (and will continue to below) but it concerns me beyond my own beliefs that earnest followers of Christ can’t see through the darkness of his brimstone to witness the truth of this “human being.”

While reviewing ten of his positions, I ask you -- conservative, liberal, middler -- to imagine how he’ll govern the United States of America:

1. Ted Cruz will doggedly try to overturn the Supreme Court’s decision on same sex marriage and propose an anti-gay marriage amendment. His blindness on this human right, supposedly informed by his religiosity, veils his own probable latent feelings but also challenges those of his own open-minded and open-hearted Savior’s.

2. He voted “No” on the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act – an attitude and stance that is lost to Neanderthals. Seriously. No matter the extremes of your own belief structures, from fundamentalist to nihilist, the idea that this man, this future president, could vote against something so basic, so primary in our American belief structure, is almost beyond comprehension. Just imagine our country in the void of this credo – an American Dark Ages.

3. He believes in removing “senseless” obstructions for corporate growth. Fine. Not my belief, but I get it. Kind of. But ask yourself, is this the man to decide what “senseless” is if he has no broad-based human sensitivity?

4. He voted “No” to protecting our ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems. If God made humans the charge of his great gift, our world, what does Ted Cruz's fiendish stance mean? We are not of God? Then what does that make Ted Cruz? The answer: A destructor of God’s creation. [Add to this, as I pointed out earlier, he denies climate change. If God exists, there will be a reckoning, for She/He made the planet and all the things on it before She/He made man and woman.]

5. He supports, like most conservatives, voter ID requirements in order to avoid fraud. Fair enough. I’ve discovered that this is among even liberals’ least concerns; but what do we become when we allow a government to pick a choose who votes and how? And doesn’t this represent one of his many hypocrisies? Wouldn’t this require more government oversight? So much for “small government.”

6. He is opposed to ALL gun restrictions. Just look at his opinions and his record:

a. Against “burdensome” gun restrictions.

b. Opposed the banning of high-capacity magazines of 10 or more bullets.

c. Opposed the United Nation’s Arms Treaty.

d. Opposes limiting the Second Amendment.

Fundamentally, he supports the wayward expansion of firearms to protect what? I’ll tell you: White, conservative fundamentalists from everyone else. He’s for the arming of one aspect of America against the others (plural!).

7. He wants to raise the retirement age and eliminate Social Security. Don’t believe anything else you read about his stance on these issues. This IS the truth. Even if you are for the imploding of Social Security, are you FOR the increase in retirement age? Really? Is that just your youth and health answering?

8. He likes to compare himself to Reagan… but he ain’t nothing like Reagan. Go ahead, be a hindsight-Reagan-hater. Have at it. But Ronald was, if anything, endeavoring to unite people. Reagan was liked. People liked him even when they disagreed with everything he stood for. I liked him. I did, even if I was opposed to almost ALL of his positions. NO. ONE. LIKES. TED. CRUZ. Except for those who don’t know him, like those who vote for him.

9. He would defund amnesty for immigrants and offer no path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. [Sarcasm alert. Can’t help myself:] Clearly, very Christ-like.

10. He would defund and replace ALL federal healthcare programs leading to a privatization of ALL health insurance agendas. [AGENDAS!] As it stands, and this is a FACT, the United States has, when contextualized, the most expensive and least effective healthcare system on the planet. This is not due to Obamacare. This is due to all the Pharma Bros and Premium Predators and their unfettered greed and the still lacking oversight.

I could go on, but I probably already lost you… And that may be why a President Cruz is a possibility.

Look at him. Listen to him. This man is barely containing the unhinged personality of a despot.

I’m out, for now.