What have we done?

by Terry A. AmRhein

There once was a nation that promised a better future for all people whether they were black, white or brown.  Whether they were European, Hispanic, Jewish, Moslem or Oriental, all people were welcome.  That country died last election day.

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"  

These solemn words, engraved on a plaque at the gateway to America, have now melted away.

I fear that America has reached the apex of its existence for the remainder of my life.  I will never live to see America reach this zenith again.  And we still have such a long, long way to go.

Gone is health care for all, after only 6 years.    

Gone is environmental protection, “drill baby drill”, “burn baby burn”.  My grandchildren, and yours, will grow up on an earth full of toxins.  Companies cannot sell products on an earth that is poisoned, yet they continue to bellow out toxins.

Gone is any hope of higher wages of the working middle class (although many of these same people effectively committed suicide by electing Trump, but they don’t realize it yet.)

Gone is a woman’s right to chose her own path for her pregnancy.  

Gone is help for America’s poor and handicap.

Gone is any hope of limiting gun violence with reasonable gun regulations.

Gone is any hope of limiting campaign spending by the mega-rich and corporations, to allow the people to have a voice and not just the rich.

Gone are agreements on international trade.  Now watch the prices of overseas products go up.

And the rich will get even richer and own even a greater share of America and the corporations will blossom with roll back of regulations. 

What about the rights of the gay and transgender communities, all that they have gain is now in jeopardy.

Our founding fathers were fearful about the capability of the ordinary citizens to intelligently elect their president.  Their fear has now been justified.  And for those who elected Trump, you, along with all of the rest of us, are about to endure the pain and sorrow he will bring.  And the people in other nations will laugh at the comedy of the U. S., if they don’t break down and cry along with half the rest of us.

Terry AmRhein, Author of "Democracy on the Edge", selected as the best political book in 2016 by Pacific Book review.