Outraged
AJ Robinson

This past week was Thanksgiving, which is not only a time for families, it’s also, as the name implies, a time when we pause and reflect on what is worthy of our gratitude. The Orange, in a telephone call US troops, said he was thankful for how much good he did for America.

I was reminded of Dan.

This year, my thoughts first turned to my dear brother-in-law Dan. Jo Ann, my wife, and I were packing food to go to the house of friends, Brian and MJ, for dinner, but we needed boxes to load the turkey, ham and other items. I went to the garage, where I found some old collapsible crates and felt a pang to my heart. The crates had belonged to Dan.

I immediately thought of Dan, gone now these eight months. Jo Ann said how she’d thought of him, too. Normally, she always made a point of inviting him to spend the holidays with us. We still miss him and always will.

Dan was passionate for a great many causes, most especially social justice. This made me think of what we should care about this day, when families come together; that is, the families torn apart. That’s what Dan would have cared for, most.

We don’t hear or read as much of it anymore, but our country continues to keep children in cages. Yes, I know the media no longer reports on the plight of these children. I know we moved on to bigger, if not better issues, but it’s still happening.

I know it’s hard to stay focused on something so outrageous; it drains the life force out of us. Trump commits one horrendous act after another, on practically a daily basis. It’s almost impossible to keep up with his lies.

Yet, the treatment of these children stands out as a truly terrible low for our nation. Trump has reduced these children and their families to something much less than human. Hitler did the same with Jews; Stalin with his perceived enemies.

I would even go so far as to call caging children worse than the internment camps of World War II and Native Americans herded onto reservations. As terrible as those events were, at least families were intact, children had their parents to care for and comfort them. Not now, not this time.

Is caging children the Trumpian nadir?

It seems not. What saddens me, most, is that caging children is not the lowest Trump can go. Recently, I saw an act of cruelty to women and children that I thought impossible, for the country I love, to commit, ever. Refugees fleeing violence and death, in their home country, subjected to rubber bullets and tear gas at our southern border.

I feel tremendous shame over this act. What hurts even more is to hear people defend it. Now, hearing the Great Orange spew his usual lies and fecal matter is bad enough; I had no idea there was a child strength form of tear gas.

Nothing prepared me for the shock of others excusing and even praising this horrific act. What cuts deepest, into my soul, is the knowledge this isn’t over. In fact, I’m certain conditions and circumstances on the southern border, of the USA, will grow worse.

The Great Orange says he’s just following the law, as did Obama. This is a lie. The crime these children commit, if they commit any crime, is a misdemeanor. Typically, they would receive a time served sentence and asylum hearing arranged.

Trump claims those charged with this type of misdemeanor don’t attend their hearing. This is another lie. The attendance rate is well over ninety percent.

That Trump lies, as a Persian rug, is no longer a surprise. It’s routine for his;, his modus operandi. This is so sad.

Dan would be outraged.

What do I have to be thankful this year? Honestly, I have nothing for which to give thanks. Having friends, family, my health and so forth are nothing compared to watching the nation I love descend into depravity. Again, I think of Dan. He would be so outraged and he would fight for those people. I hope I measure up to his expectations.