Threats are everywhere nowadays.

Threats seem to be everywhere nowadays, so I want to talk about threats in the political world, and some of their immediate and more lasting consequences.

DJT's rhetoric, reflected both in his campaign rallies and his social media posts, seems to be becoming darker by the day, the closer we get to November 5th, 2024. I don't think that is an accident. I believe much of it is a planned strategic response.

DJT has always been an attention seeker, hasn't he? He used to act out in class, and was finally sent off to military school by his father. Maybe Daddy wanted to avoid all that conflict? Maybe it was too scary for Mommy? Maybe Daddy wanted to help DJT evolve into a more likable and less volatile person? Less of a rule breaker and attention seeker? Sadly, I don't think any of this has worked. We're seeing aggression on the campaign trail and in social media posts, just as we saw, almost daily, during DJT's time in the White House. I call it threats.

Victims of these threats range from individuals--their names are too numerous to mention here. So let's just use broader more inclusive terms, shall we? Forgive me if I leave anyone out. We have threatening rhetoric, sometimes accompanied by policies and actions. In 2017, we began with threats and policy actions against Muslims, then moved to threats and actions against immigrants, then on to characterizing journalists and the media as purveyors of fake news, and always, always characterizing those who dared to disagree with DJT and those who decided to leave his orbit as disloyal. Have you thought about the number of people who came and went in the four years of DJT's time as President? Numerous Cabinet officials and advisors. It was a revolving door. The idea being, "don't let the door hit you on the way out," because you gotta make room for the next person exiting. Some of these officials were told, in advance, they were being fired. Some were fired publicly. Some just resigned for their own personal reasons. And who can blame them? Nearly every day, for four years, there was something in the news about acrimony in the White House. It really is a wonder, to me, how anyone could do their job. I often thought it must be like working in a war zone, with the commanding general being as volatile as a weapon ready to fire at them at will, with no warning. I view all this as a threat, ongoing and real. DJT's conduct, in my view, was a threat to the very ability of the executive branch of government to function. More broadly, it was a threat to democracy.

Following the November, 2020 election, and DJT's loss to Joe Biden, the saga continued. Some staff and advisors and even family and GOP insiders told DJT he had lost, but he persisted with the delusion he had won, privately and publicly. He went on to condemn the election results, in the media, at every opportunity. Who was minding the store? It seemed to me that DJT was spending his time conducting the business of election denying and not conducting the business of the country. I wonder how many McDonalds burgers he consumed during that period? Hey, that's only because I like their burgers too, you understand. And that's probably about the only thing DJT and I have in common, although I rarely eat McDonald's burgers these days. But, I digress.

During this time, there was little effort on DJT's part to assist with the transition from his lame duck administration to the incoming Biden administration. Right off, that put President Elect Biden and his transition team at a major disadvantage. Perhaps that was DJT's plan all along? Deny, deflect, avoid and denounce. And, when all that didn't work, we had January 6, 2021, and the attack on the US Capitol, with DJT's speech to his followers, and his urging them to march on up to the Capitol. All that threatened our government, our democracy and certainly, the peaceful transfer of power. Property was destroyed. People were injured, people were killed, and it took DJT hours before agreeing to put out a statement asking his cult of followers to cease their violence. People who look back, generations from now, will be doing what I did on that day as the events unfolded. At first, I was in complete disbelief that DJT would allow this complete degradation. But I learned a lot about the man on that day. I've never thought he had much leadership character. But on January 6, 2021, I learned he had none. None at all. I also learned, he had no empathy. He didn't care about the insurrectionist threats to law enforcement at the Capitol. He didn't care about threats and potential loss of life to the Vice President. He didn't care about the danger to members of Congress or their staff hiding in offices with the lights off and office doors barricaded, hoping they wouldn't be discovered and killed. Can you imagine the fear they felt? And DJT was at the White House watching TV. All the while, Congressional people were calling him, begging him to end the assault. He did nothing for hours. What kind of character and leadership is that? It's depraved. It's totally lacking. This President of the United States--yes, he was supposed to be acting as such that day--this so-called world leader did nothing except in courage his cult of followers to overturn the election and possibly overthrow the government, just so he could stay in power. And he's still walking around free. He's running for President so he can do the same things again--only this time with more experience under his belt, and a better understanding of how the power of the President can be used and abused. And let me say, I don't believe any of his plans are for the good of the American people, the country or the world. DJT has always been about DJT.

Okay! Let's move on to what I see as his current threatening rhetoric. Are you exhausted yet? I am, just writing this. So, please take a break for your own mental health. We need to prepare ourselves for the current onslaught of threats, because the GOP wouldn't throw DJT out of their party. They've been courting him as cult leader for the last nine years or more. There's not much of a step between embracing him as cult leader and embracing him as dictator, is there? Isn't that precisely what cult leaders do? They dictate. They control. They also do away with their detractors. ... I'm getting ahead of myself again.

I don't know that I have all the threats, lies and disparagements I'm going to set forth here in chronological order, because there are just too many of them to keep straight. But here we go. Deep breath!!!

Today, DJT's rhetoric follows the same patterns as it has since he announced his run for President the first time. The main themes remain the same, only the names have changed. Makes it fairly easy, doesn't it? DJT only has to repeat, adnausium, certain sentences, at his cult rallies and on social media. Makes for great sound bytes and propaganda. Truthfulness? It is mostly missing in action, i think. It also means he can ramble on and hide his, what I consider to be, cognitive decline. That's something he keeps saying about President Biden, and caries it over to Kamala Harris--calling her stupid, retarded and unfit. Well, DJT and I do agree on one thing, the use of the word unfit, only I apply it to him, not Vice President Harris. I read transcripts of what DJT says, and I worry about his ability to perceive reality, and whether he has the cognition to parse information in a way that will allow him to serve, responsibly, in a leadership role. That lack or lapse is a threat to US prominence on the world stage. How can someone who is an election denier be trusted to perceive reality and to act in the best interests of the United States and global betterment? DJT is entrenched in continual conspiracy promotion--from blaming Democrats for every problem imaginable, still saying Democrats cheated and really lost the 2020 election, still wanting to have Hillary Clinton arrested, still saying that President Obama is not a US citizen, saying that he, DJT, did more for the economy than any other President, claiming that immigration confusion and inaction is due to inaction by Democrats, even though he demanded that GOP members of congress kill the bipartisan immigration bill, so he could use immigration as a political issue, instead of resolving many of the related problems.

More recently, DJT has said that FEMA is not doing its job providing hurricane relief, even though the Governors, even Republican Governors and state and local officials, have reiterated, over and over, that the Biden administration is giving them what they need. Yet, the DJT lies continue. So I ask myself, how could I ever trust him to tell the truth, not only to the people of this country, but to world leaders? I can't, now, and couldn't in the future. it isn't just about this campaign, these lies go all the way back to his first term as President.

Now, let's move on to another reality. DJT has been convicted of 34 felonies, and his sentencing has been delayed. He also has other trials unresolved. He is a convicted criminal, and may be convicted for more crimes. He's been impeach twice. Is there no bad conduct that will disqualify him, in the minds of voters, for service as President of the United States? Can you imagine the outcry there would be if a Democrat was found guilty on 34 felony counts and had other trials pending? A Democrat wouldn't even be nominated by their own party. Yet, the GOP has embraced DJT with wide open arms and admiration as cult leader. Some Republicans have spoken out against DJT. That's admirable. But, I think because of the threat reasonable  people perceive DJT to be to democracy and the rule of law, every single Republican official at the local, state, and federal level should disavow his candidacy. It should never have come to be in the first place, but all of us can still do this by turning out and voting for Vice President Harris.

Almost done! Just one more thing. As you know from reading past blog posts, I am a person with disabilities. DJT has said he has no use for me and those of us with disabilities. He has said he's a "protector" of women. Yet, he appointed three United States Supreme Court Justices who voted to take away the right of a woman to make her own reproductive healthcare choices, something that has had Constitutional protection since January 22, 1973. DJT's  appointment of three ultra-right SCOTIS Justices didn't just happen by happenstance. It was orchestrated as part of DJT's and GOP right-wing ideology. And he and the GOP are not done yet. There are other issues on the table such as banning abortion nationwide. I think gay marriage, LGBTQ rights, the rights of legal immigrants and people with disabilities are also at risk. DJT and extremists on the right are just getting started. So, what that says to me is that our democracy and very freedom is at risk. Freedom should never be taken for granted. People have paid a high price for our freedom. They have died for our freedom. They have paid  too high a price to see DJT and his surrogates take it away, and overrun this country with lawless behavior and total disregard for the rule of law and the United States Constitution and the rights guaranteed therein. If you're still in doubt and plan to vote for DJT, I ask you to read the United States Constitution. If you can't make yourself do that, please read the amendments to the Constitution and think about what life would be like without them and what freedoms you and your loved ones would lose without it. Because, make no mistake, DJT and right-wing extremists want to throw the Constitution out and install their ideology which includes racism and white supremacy, and Christian nationalism. Please, let's not allow this to happen. Please vote. Please say no to DJT and yes to democracy.