One thing I’ve gotten in the habit of doing first thing in the morning, besides kicking empty beer cans under the bed, is taking a Dramamine pill before I turn on a morning news program and see Donald Trump’s orange face plastered across the screen and hear what embarrassment he’s perpetrated on the United States. He’s already destroying the White House, our history, our democracy, our international reputation, our economy, our help to those dying of hunger here and abroad, our education system, our freedom of the press…, I could go on. But I’m sure all of you who aren’t in the upper 1% are feeling the impact of higher prices on most everything including Disney World caused by Trump’s Terrible Tariffs. Tariffs on foreign countries have never resulted in anything other than the higher cost of goods for us and our foreign suppliers. They’ll sell their goods elsewhere. Canada isn’t worried. It can buy what it needs someplace else, maybe Russia or China. Even with Trump’s tariffs, no American manufacturers are rebuilding or expanding operations to fill the gaps because at any moment Trump will cut the tariffs and leave American manufacturers holding the construction cost bag (while I’m holding my airsickness bag. I have an adequate supply by the TV.).
Donny isn’t worried either. According to his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, he’s focused on his oversized, overpriced ballroom, and taking revenge on people who didn’t play nice with him in the past. He’s just too busy texting and tweeting to spend more than an hour (true!) with Congress, working out a way for both sides to come together to end the shutdown. Do any of you readers out there, other than MAGAs, think he really cares about federal workers or air traffic controllers not getting paid? If there are any of you who think Trump cares about anything other than feeding his own bloated ego or body, your dose of reality is about to hit like a bottle of catsup on the Oval Office wall.
There is a bit of good news on the ICE front. Border czar Tom Homan has complained that Chicago is making it too difficult for his storm troopers to snatch supposedly undocumented, murdering, drug-trafficking immigrants away from their families. He says they’re too well educated in places to hide or in other ways get out of the gunsights of ICE with their “Know Your Rights” program. Poor Tommy.
At least institutes of higher learning are finally fighting back against Trump by not signing his contracts promising them federal funds if they do sign. It shows what people can do if they stick together and fight un-American policies and behaviors. We went through this stuff in the 1960s (I’ve only lost a couple of those years to a foggy haze): Protests against the Vietnam War, a lying president and military elites, increasing American casualties. Our actions finally ended the war. Maybe if we stick together against the current Dictator-in-Chief, we can end his administration.
Now it’s time for some exciting news. With Veterans Day approaching, Yellow Bird Books owner Karen Nicholas will host a presentation of two books by military authors, one of which happens to be me. Author Bill Christensen’s memoir, “My Story: Experiences of a LRRP/Ranger in Vietnam 1968-1969,” relates the harrowing events of his daily life during that period. My book, “The Militarized Zone: What Did You Do in the Army, Grandpa?,” is based on my own harrowing experiences in bars and clubs, mostly in Korea, while working in G1 at Eighth Army Headquarters in Seoul. The novel can best be described as MAS*H meets Good Morning, Vietnam.
Please come to Yellow Bird Books, 34 S. Stolp Ave., Aurora, Saturday, Nov. 8 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and meet Karen and the authors and hear readings from their books. Bill Christensen, sadly, passed away shortly after his book was published. His daughter, Sara Knigge, will do his reading. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
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