Another Facebook gem: I Remember

[mfcorey1]

Ray Derenberger
September 19 at 11:36 AM
I listened as they called my President a Muslim.
I listened as they called him and his family a pack of monkeys.
I listened as they said he wasn't born here.
I watched as they blocked every single path to progress that they could.
I saw the pictures of him as Hitler.
I watched them shut down the government and hurt the entire nation twice.
I watched them turn their backs on every opportunity to open worthwhile dialog.
I watched them say that they would not even listen to any choice for Supreme Court no matter who the nominee was.
I listened as they openly said that they will oppose him at every turn.
I watched as they did just that.
I listened.
I watched.
I paid attention.

Now, I'm being called on to be tolerant.
To move forward.
To denounce protesters.
To "Get over it."
To accept this...

I will not.

I will do my part to make sure this great American mistake becomes the embarrassing footnote of our history that it deserves to be.
I will do this as quickly as possible every chance I get.
I will do my part to limit the damage that this man can do to my country.
I will watch his every move and point out every single mistake and misdeed in a loud and proud voice.
I will let you know in a loud voice every time this man backs away from a promise he made to them.
The people who voted for him.
The ones who sold their souls and prayed for him to win.
I will do this so that they never forget.
And they will hear me.
They will see it in my eyes when I look at them.
They will hear it in my voice when I talk to them.
They will know that I know who they are.
They will know that I know what they are.

Do not call for my tolerance. I've tolerated all I can.
Now it's their turn to tolerate ridicule.

Be aware, make no mistake about it, every single thing that goes wrong in our country from this day forward is now Trump's fault just as much as they thought it was Obama's.
I find it unreasonable for them to expect from me what they were entirely unwilling to give.

[CaptainTruth]

1. Well said indeed.

[Skittles]

2. I really hate the first line

makes it sound like being Muslim is a shameful thing

I would have said "questioned his Christian faith" or something like that

[lunatica]

14. I agree

It as if it would be the equivalent of being called something bad, like a Nazi, or a monster or murderer.

Would it be an insult if they had called him a Christian? Would the insult be implied?

[Pepsidog]

3. Beautifully said.

[Garrett78]

4. "embarrassing footnote"

I've taken long breaks from news consumption over the last few years and don't have a TV. After a recent break, I resumed watching some MSNBC programs via my laptop because of this Ukraine/impeachment situation. I was also listening to a bit of an NPR broadcast while driving home from work, and I (not for the first time mind you) was taken aback by the way in which "President Trump" is used in such a normalizing fashion ('President Trump today signed into law...', 'President Trump met with...'). Back in April, after my dad died, I was helping my mom go through some belongings, one of which was this old presidential coin collection. Now, I realize that there are already Trump coins and all sorts of other Trump memorabilia, but it still struck me as horrifying that any list (be it in the form of coins or a history book) of US presidents will always include Donald J. Trump. Students will memorize the presidents and Trump will be one of them.

To this day, after nearly 3 years, the fact that he's in the White House seems so horrifyingly surreal.

I can only hope that Trump goes down as the only president to ever be convicted and removed from office (even if he never goes to prison, as unfortunate as that would be). Because that would be the saving grace; it wouldn't undo the damage and Trumpism will live on, but I'll take some comfort in knowing that Trump is merely an "embarrassing footnote."

[volstork]

6. My dad had a coin collection like you describe.

I have often thought the very thing you articulate: this charlatan; this miserable, petty mass of unchecked id will forever be enshrined in a list that includes Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR, and JFK. That thought nauseates me. Perhaps if he is ultimately removed by impeachment and the full measure of his treason is exposed, there will be some way to expunge his stench from what should be an office of the highest servitude. I remain cautiously hopeful...

[ffr]

5. I didn't write this

But for the rethugs around me, that's pretty much what they experience from me on a weekly basis.

Republicans are cowards
Their whole political World views have been based on lies
Their how premonition that they're conservative and smart with running government like a business is a lie

Their leaders are frauds and every time voters put them in charge of our Treasury, they end up looting it and bankrupting the economy.

For Pete's sake! Stop voting for republicans!!! They're great at getting elected and terrible and governing.

[lunatica]

15. They get elected because they run on Democratic values

and they sound like Democrats. Then they quickly revert to being Republicans in office.

[flying_wahini]

16. Thanks for saying it mfcorey

[Leith]

7. Very well said

I won't forget, either.

[mgardener]

8. I remember

Pictures of a noose hanging from a tree.
Watermelons
And remember this gem??
Psalm 109:8 says. It says let his days be few and let another have his office."

Impeach Trump.

[Mr.Bill]

9. When people say what's the point of impeaching Trump

if the Senate won't remove him from office, I say because I have four great grandchildren and I don't want them to learn in school that Bill Clinton was impeached and Trump was not.

[0rganism]

10. someday i may forgive them, but i must never forget them

this we must remember. it cannot become a mere footnote in our history, for it does not deserve to be so; rather, it must become the catalyst for deep reforms. we cannot simply go back to the way things were in our republic before the Trump wound. there must be change, transformational change across our society or we will surely cease to be.

[Garrett78]

12. Those who think all we need to do is get rid of Trump and that many Republicans are decent people...

...are living in an alternate reality. The amount of change that is needed is so massive that it's beyond words.

[0rganism]

13. exactly! Trump didn't get where he is on his own

and once he's gone, by whatever means, what prevents another such as he from seizing power someday? we got here by not addressing fundamental issues in our society and our species, as long as our worst natures are always percolating just under the surface of a thin veneer of civility, we are at risk and our government is likely to be compromised.

[soldierant]

18. You may not be able to forgive them.

Forgiveness is a two-way street. It requires the offender to repent and to ask forgiveness of the offended. Then the offended can offer forgiveness. But it's still not complete until the offender accepts the forgiveness (with the intention of not re-offending.) If any of that is missing, forgiveness has not happened.

[0rganism]

19. i disagree on the principle, but you could be correct in this case

to me, an apology from an offender is a request for forgiveness that i may or may not be able to fulfill.

the primary alternative to forgiveness is a grudge, a rather burdensome parasite i'd rather not tote around in most cases. apologies are an invited opportunity for the aggrieved to leave a grudge behind. i refuse to let some asshole prevent my forgiveness by not apologizing, so generally i'll forgive someone (internally, at least) if i'm ready to do so whether they want it or not.

that said, it will be very difficult to forgive the Trump wound, nor do i expect the MAGAts to offer apologies.

[soldierant]

20. You aren't stuck with a grudge if the offender does not accept your offer of forgiveness -

you offered it - you did your part.

[erronis]

11. A powerful ode. But one quibble is with blaming it on trump - it is THEIR problem.

They - the repuglicons of all stripes, from small towns to counties to states to the federal government - they all deserve the condemnation and hatred for the rest of their putrid lives.

They - the corporate enablers, the rich plutocrats, the swells like the Bushes and Rockefellers - they all deserve the blame. They may well be what fueled this hatred with their kochist tea-partiers, their libertarian spiels, their federalist societies, their stacking of the courts.

They, the politicians who have been co-opted, bought out, compromised, lost their duty, lost their moral compass. The politicians like this that still hold the shield of some Christian book to their chest altho they haven't really read and understood it.

And yes, the they that are the foreign meddlers in our society and our elections and our government. But as their puppet said "No, I'm not concerned. We do it to them also."

Do not call for my tolerance. I've tolerated all I can.
Now it's their turn to tolerate ridicule.

Be aware, make no mistake about it, every single thing that goes wrong in our country from this day forward is now Trump's fault just as much as they thought it was Obama's.
I find it unreasonable for them to expect from me what they were entirely unwilling to give.

[live love laugh]

17. Regarding being unreasonable ... Republicans are immune to reason. nt