It has been a while since I’ve let off some steam in a blog post. Rest assured, new horrifying, ridiculous, embarrassing, catastrophic, heartless, and childish things are still coming out every day from the White House. I lose my ability to react to it each day though. Humans are extraordinarily adaptable, which is why we survive, but also why we fail to act sometimes.
The image above is me wearing a Trump devil mask from a latino festival near our home in Hillsboro. I think the festival was specifically Mexican-indigenous-American culture that Pedro and I and the twins attended last summer. I am astonished at how many people of colour are big Trump fans, so I was delighted to find this carved wooden mask for sale, among others.
What prompted me to write today are a few news items that I saw this morning, that I equate to the recklessly poor management of our country at a National level. It has trickled down to local people at different speeds and in different ways. I still believe the biggest negative repercussions are yet to be revealed. We remind ourselves that our psychopath-in-chief has only held power since January 20. In six months, he has managed to do damage the whole world is grappling with, like the recent decision to incinerate $10 million worth of contraceptives (not abortion aid, just prevention methods) already waiting to be shipped to countries in need, because the Trump administration has decided the USA should not help others anymore. They refused assistance from the UN, and insist that everything must be destroyed.
Three stories below are all the same topic: Trump’s idiocracy is attempting to blackmail organizations into compliance when he should have zero input on what they do. County government, a massive healthcare system, and sports teams.
The first article states that the county I live in, Washington County, Oregon, has officially approved a resolution in compliance with the Trump Administration so that they can get promised federal funds. The federal government said that it was going to withhold $135 million due to references to “diversity,” “equity,” and “inclusion” in a 2020 resolution. The good news is that the original plan to scrap that 2020 resolution were battled down by local citizens. Instead a new resolution was drafted to try and say the same thing only to remove references to any inclusive strategies for miniorities. In an article in The Oregonian, a local Commissioner said that she agreed with community complaints that the federal governments actions were capricious and cruel, but she voted for the change because her duty is to provide for her community.
What an impossible position to be in right now, I think. To be a county that can’t afford to mount a lawsuit, being yanked around by the federal government. I despair at this strategy by Trump, which seems to be working across the country: withholding desperately needed federal funds in order to make schools, hospitals, governments, and businesses comply. Pedro’s employer was compelled to change the wording in their medical research goals, in order to remove references to minorities or any kind of diversity or inclusion. Their hope is that this will let them qualify for future federal funding. No one even asked them to do it, but they are trying to save their company and peoples’ jobs.
Because everyone in the US is learning right now: to be specifically helpful to groups traditionally oppressed is now bad. The strong must stomp the weak. We are being forced to obey. And for survival, the strong comply. Can I blame them?
Also in The Oregonian, it was announced that one of our region’s largest healthcare providers, Kaiser Permanente, is going to suspend its gender-affirming surgeries for anyone younger than 19 beginning next month. They said it is to comply with pressure from the Trump Administration. Just so you know, actual surgery before age 19 is not very common, even in a super liberal and supportive environment like Portland, Oregon. So the fact that the Trump Administration is even making an issue out of it is fearmongering, in my opinion. Pedro’s son had a surgical procedure, and I will say as a witness to the boy before and after that and hormone replacement therapy, the positive change in his entire personality over the course of about one year was so easy to see it was almost magical. It is important to help folks BEFORE puberty, and this boy definitely thrived as a result.
While enacting this change won’t be drastic for most of my community, I see that a gigantic healthcare system (read: wealthy) is ready to capitulate to soothe the delicate widdle feewings of scared conservatives who pull the strings in the White House. The arguments in favor of denying gender affirming care are almost always based in feelings or perceived morality, and not in facts.
And the third story is not local, but hits me in the chest. The New York Times reported that Trump has demanded that the Washington Commanders and the Cleveland Guardians must restore the racist team names and logos they discarded years ago. On his social website, Trump actually said, “Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen.” That claim is just as likely as if Black Americans are asking that white people wear dreadlocks and walk around in blackface.
My cousin asked me once, earnestly hoping to understand my position, why American Indians don’t like it when sports teams are named after them. My best explanation in a way that many can relate to is branding.
Think of a brand like Nike, or Campbells Soup. What would Nike think if a few other businesses, without their permission, called themselves Nike? How about a Nike landscaping company and a Nike caffeinated water company and Nike frisbee company? The general public would realize that Nike frisbees weren’t related to the shoe company. Maybe. Probably? When Nike frisbees endorse Kim Kardashian for Secretary of State, and the political rallies are handing out free Nike frisbees, people would wonder if Nike shoes also feels this way. Would Nike put up with any of that? NO! If you don’t have control of your brand, any number of wrong impressions might happen.
Everyone wants control of their own brand, and like it or not, words that describe you can be thought of like a brand. Are you a man? A Democrat? An older person? A person who likes cats? Do you hate it sometimes when someone says “All men are–” or “All Democrats are–?” We could all quickly fill in stereotypes to finish the sentences above. The reason it doesn’t feel good is because your brand has been co-opted by someone and used in a way that isn’t accurate, and it takes away from someone getting to know YOU personally, by slapping a label on you. A sports team that uses a logo that is supposed to look like you is really insulting. It’s REALLY INSULTING.
It’s not that Indians think that baseball teams want Native mascots in order to hurt Natives, not at all! But we don’t want non-Native people controlling our brand unless we gave permission and there is an understanding between the two parties about how it is going to happen. If you can understand why Nike won’t let a Nike frisbee company exist, then you can understand why there should not be an unendorsed sports team named after American Indians.
Those are the three I wanted to complain about today.
I’m not furious. I’m exhausted. OK, yes I’m furious too, but the fighting wildcat inside me isn’t screaming in a blog post today. I’m discouraged. And so, so sad. I committed some time ago to doing my part by using my talents to fight the fascist regime taking over my country, and I can do that by pushing back in blog posts. I refuse to let it slide into my periphery. When I have the strength to speak up, you’ll hear about it from me.
Conscious Engagement 
And you have just explained why I’m so exhausted all the time lately. This has to be over sooner than later. You explain it so well. This is as bad as it gets. What really upsets me is that so many don’t see it. I just don’t get it. My heart hurts for everyone.
One by one, people who formerly didn’t see a problem with the current administration, are beginning to pay attention and notice things that aren’t right. Here and there, former MAGA people are saying, “Wait, if this is true and this is true, then he must have lied at some point.” One hesitant mind here, one troubled heart there, and they are slowly adding up. It is SO discouraging to me that the Epstein debacle is the thing that caught their attention, but I lose sight of the prize: Trump doesn’t seem infallible to them all now. Who cares what finally clued some of them in?
I have SO MUCH HOPE in future elections. The mid terms are only 18 months away. Oh gosh, that actually seems ages… after I just mentioned that we’ve only been subjected to six months of this chaos. But it’s better than 4 years. With this much chaos, I believe historical responses suggest that we will vote in the other party. It’s often the natural result. I am counting on my fellow Americans to vote for change.
Hang in there Marlene! You are an island, and it must be much, much more difficult there in rural AZ. You are not alone. ❤
I can well understand the exhaustion, Crystal XXX
Thank you, Derrick. XXOO
Go girl! Let all the steam out! But first, quickly, burn this mask in a nice cleansing ritual. It’s beyond bad karma. (Not telling you what to do, just my first reaction and what I’d do.)
Yes!! Burning the mask would feel so good. I could video the bonfire, then watch it over and over. Of course, we did not buy the mask, but it’s a nice idea. I noticed an account on TikTok the other day that made a cloth voodoo doll of Trump and abuses it in videos each day. The person takes requests from viewers. The one I saw was when someone who asked that the doll be whacked with Obama’s book “An Intimate Portrait” over and over. So there’s this photo of a smiling President Obama on a thick book, and this orange doll being squashed repeatedly. It’s strangely effective.
Ahhh! I misunderstood that you had bought it. I was quite shook. 😄
Furious and exhausted describes so many of us these days. Is it wrong to say that there is only one headline these days I am eager to wake up to? It seems one could make a whole series of grievances against this regime. I swear my head swivels every time I hear people describe diversity, equity and inclusion as somehow “bad”. To think there are people so determined to stay asleep to the horrors boggles the mind. Grateful for your thoughts here and glad to know, too, that you show by example that we can energize our resistance by standing up, speaking out and living the good life. (Also, I’m with Manja about that image. I am so sick of seeing his face).
So many of us are aching to hear that headline. Every single day. I had someone tell me that every morning she wakes up and asks her husband, “Is he dead yet?” Which seems like a way to start off each day disappointed, but they have a laugh about it, and that is the best anyone can do – however we manage to laugh through this.
Head swiveling. I KNOW!!! What a great description of the huge emotions this evokes for me. How, how, how, how can good people look at these guidelines of “let’s stop helping people who are suffering” and be proud of that? How can they be pleased? The only way is if they are weak, and do actually feel threatened by people different than them being considered valuable. That is just embarrassing. I just finished a novel titled Those We Thought We Knew, and whew, it takes a direct look at racism (in the form of a story with engaging characters), and it is hard to take. I benefit from so much priviledge that I don’t even have to really acknowledge how much hate is out there.
And I just finished a book called Utopia for Realists. Fascinating! Check it out of you get a chance. There are so many ways forward …
Oh cool, I will!
Hmmmmm…goat horns on the T-rump? in my day putting horns on someone meant that…well considering the person…it wouls be appropriate.
Uh, yep. Exactly. He does have horns, but most people can’t see them. I just watched clips from the new episode of South Park where T-rump is in bed with Satan. It made me think of this mask!
Why does this man care what sports teams call themselves? As I understand it, the point is not that they were named after indigenous groups, but that they used the term “Indians” and “Redskins”–terms no longer appropriate. On one hand, he passes legislation to ban and withdraw funding for non-Anglo inhabitants. With the other, he claims to support them by changing back the names of teams? Incredible that anyone logical and with a heart still supports this man.
I agree absolutely about the question of how anyone logical with a heart…I ask myself so often: HOW can they not see it? It’s going to be a mystery for some time.
Since I am a registered tribal member, I feel you will be ok with me correcting the semantics of what you said about the terms. I, and my tribespeople, call ourselves Indians. The term itself is not inappropriate, but the way it is used can be. And the point IS that they were named after Indigenous groups without permission. The Florida State Seminoles have permission and collaboration with the Seminole Tribe. So in that case, more power to them! If a sports team were to call themselves the Navajos and not get permission from Navajo Nation, that would be offensive, though the name is not. I hope that makes sense.
You make such an EXCELLENT point about how Trump hurts groups on one hand, then praises them on the other. At his Inauguration in 2017 one of his first actions was to place a portrait of Andrew Jackson in the Oval Office. That destestable man was the reason the Trail of Tears took place. Indians who know this have no doubt about Trump’s feelings about us.
No wonder person after person I know refuses to read or listen to the news…refuses any mention of Trump. Perhaps this is his strategy? To create action so horrendous that we are forced to turn our backs and plug our ears to it?
I watched a great video of a pastor in Texas this morning, talking about how the strategy of the billionaires running our country is to divide and conquer. If we are caught up in blaming the people right next to us, like the trans kid at school, the immigrant moms, etc, then we won’t pay attention to the billionaires. They are the ones who are taking away health care, social security, education, and parks – not the minorities in our communities. This rings so true.
But yes, even I have shut out the news periodically, because I just can’t take it. I listen to BBC usually, to try and get an outsider’s perspective. And the stories are DAILY of how bad the damage is around the world, as a result of what Trump is doing. So I’ll tell you one thing I keep coming back to that makes me feel better: if we maintain joy and love, it is a way to fight back. He wants us to be afraid. If we laugh, and love our people, and keep getting up each day with some amount of optimism, however we find it, that is a way to resist. So get out there and find your joy! ❤
I absolutely agree, Crystal.
Thanks for speaking out Crystal. These are infuriating times. I take comfort from my assumption (based on The Goodness of Humankind, I know I know…) that all this will be reversed as soon as we get back on our feet of being a democracy for all people. Many will/are suffer/suffering in the meantime, but I have to believe it can’t last. In the mean time, let’s yell our heads off.
Nancy, I believe right along with you!! Humans are good, all over the world, in every family and in every community. Just…also impressionable and lazy. We need help being the best versions of ourselves. But that doesn’t make us bad in general.
I think things will take a long time to reverse. I’m a little more pessimistic than you. I see Trump as a symptom of a disease. When he’s gone (please dear god, let it be tomorrow…) the depraved souls who worship him will still be here. We need to somehow show them that the world is not better this way. I don’t know how to do that, or if there is a leader, waiting in the wings, who can do it.