MY PRESIDENCY!

I ran for President this year, and I'm pretty damn sure I won.

I'm pretty sure this election was rigged.  In many cases, the state or county registrars left my name off your ballot.

So, my name was filled in on every ballot of every person I knew, and the people they knew, and so on, and son on.

Yet I'm not being recognized as the rightful President-elect.

Not one voting machine reported any of the votes I know were made for me.

I have filed at least 7-10 lawsuits in the court of public opinion and nothing is being done.

They appear to be too busy trying to make a case for this other guy that was your last President.

And seeing how this election was clearly fixed so that I would never get into the White House, I want you all to do what any patriotic, American should and would do: Tell Joe what's-his-name and Kamala Harris to abdicate the office and acknowledge these fake results so that my rightful title of President-elect can be bestowed upon me.

I don't expect your congratulations just yet, though a few simple moments of recognition would go a lot farther for you in my new administration.  For example:

Those that make a phone call to me congratulating on me on my Presidency will receive a thank-you card with my picture on it and a chance to listen to me in person list all the things I will be doing as your President.

Those who take the time to send me an actual letter will receive a Starbucks coffee card, on which you can load up money and buy coffee for free (once your money is on it) and have my ear for thirty seconds of uninterrupted kvetching.

Those who send donations to help fight off this criminality will receive a picture and an itemized list of things on my agenda as your new President, and a pin you can wear with a ribbon (you'll need to buy the ribbon, but the safety pin is on this administration).

Keep in mind, the only way to feel safe in America is for our elections to be protected.  And thus, you must stand up and fight for your rightful President. Me!

If you do not, you will find that you will be ignored at every level, like I have been, and will notice that nothing you want done will get done, like Friday's off, or the return of the twenty-five cents scoop of ice cream at Thrifty.  

Important things like mandatory masks that allow you give raspberries to people you don't like will never be created.  That tongue slit was my idea I'll have you know, and is a major part of my platform this year.  On day one, January 20, even before I'm inaugurated, I'll sign an executive order making it so.

Remember, the status and security of this country lies with your actions the next 30 days or so.  Electoral College, Smemectoral College....this college has zero graduates the past ten years -- so much for turning out educated voters.  Ignoramauses.

Stand up for what is right -- your President-elect and duly elected Vice President:  Me and me!

Thank you for your patriotism and your love of this country.

Meanwhile, I'm headed back to Rite Aid - I'm a little annoyed they took down their Thrifty sign in a an effort to disguise their treachery with the ice cream. 

This will not stand!

Yours truly.

President-elect Jonathan Phillips

WORDS

It’s a Democratic Hoax.

All Republicans care about is money.

Jewish communities need to follow the rule.

Immigrants are criminals.

Jim Comey and the Democratically supported coup.

It is a difficult time, for all of us.  For me, a father of two beautiful, smart and funny children, it is a mixed bag.  I regret they are having to go through months of their childhoods indoors.  At the same time, I get a chance to commute less and spend a lot more quality time with them, getting to see how they are in ‘school’, how they transition to things, and see some of the struggles they go through first-hand.  I’ve noticed since home schooling began our house is a lot calmer.  There is no hurrying out the door to get to school, no rush to swim lessons, and fewer time crunches.

I’ve also noticed my youngest son going through a control struggle, wherein if he doesn’t get what he wants, he uses very bold language and threats (if you don’t give me candy, I’ll never sit with you at dinner again or play with you again).  This usually ends with my wife and I smiling, still telling him no and watching him storm off to his room.  Five minutes later he’ll return with another round of intimidation tactics whereby he’ll promise we’ll never get to kiss or hug him again.  This too will result in him eventually storming off to his room, which will prompt me to remind him that we don’t slam doors in our house.  Within half an hour, the whole thing has passed, he nearly always apologizes, we hug him and normal family life returns.  It reminds me that we can’t nor should always take the words of five year-olds so seriously, nor should we allow them to make so many choices because things for them happen on a whim.

It is a very different set of circumstances for we adults.  Adults using strong language like my son would carry with it a great set of fears for a child to hear.  Children wouldn’t be able to separate whether or not we were just having “a bad day” or were in a moment of anger.  They don’t always get sarcasm either.  I can never allow myself to forget this, because the moments I have done so always come back.  I’m ashamed to say I have had my moments of weakness in front of them, and it still affects them in some ways.  For instance, one time the wife and I had a huge dust up right before we were supposed to leave for a trip, and she said something that I was so insulted by because she assumed I had done something with a motive I never would have, that I threatened not to go.  To this day, when we speak of trips the boys ask for sure if I’m coming.

Words always have power, and they become more powerful when followed by the actual actions.  However, if words are not chosen wisely, their affect can be lost.  Naturally, like the boy who cried ‘wolf’ my five-year -old’s words aren’t to be taken as seriously now until we see what he does.  We’ve learned as parents.  Words can lose their meaning or importance.

Now look at the words and phrases that have come from some of our elected officials.  You’ve heard these types of phrases come from them and then be reiterated over and over and over by the media. They are repeated by friends and family alike, sometimes without consideration as to whether they bear any resemblance to what’s really going on.

The word coup, for instance, is a popular term today, particularly with Fox News and their ilk.  As in, the investigation into the President was an attempted coup against the government. The French word coup can mean several things, as in a strong tactical move, or a notable move, or the seize of the government by force generally --- as in coup d’état (blow of state literally).  No doubt, the words above are meant as the latter, which generally requires the force of an army behind you.  Whatever you believe of the motives of the men investigating Trump, a coup is not an appropriate term.  Investigations are common, whatever the motives of the people involved.  Coups are rare, and when they happen, there is no doubt as to what is being done.

Yet, this is the time we are living in, where words are slung around in the ethernet with no one taking responsibility for them; the same world where Sean Hannity gives his opinions with a banner in big letters that says Fox News and the smaller word “channel” underneath that, giving him the credibility of being a journalist – he is not. 

But we hear these words from the left too, grouping all people who voted for Donald Trump as red-necks, under-educated dolts and racists.  Group statements of this nature seek to push people to shame people into change but only inflame the fire of anger and hatred.  Many people (sadly in my opinion) saw Trump as their only option.

Thus, what happens?  We stop listening, expecting the vitriol and building up our defenses to it.  We stop caring as the words get tiresome and boring, and we no longer realize that these dramatic statements we are making crater our credibility for future wise things we might wish to add.

This is as much a mea culpa as it is a blame.  In my experience, this lockdown has offered us a perfect chance to review the world from a cleaner slate; a slate that exists with ALL OF US being connected and affected by one thing – a new deadly illness.

Those worrying about their economic futures certainly have good reason.  For those of us who aren’t as worried, it’s time to reach out and reassure those who are: whether it is by actual financial assistance or the offering of one’s extra home office as a living space.  This is what is necessary.

This virus has already taken the human element a step back and the planet has show signs of renewed healing in just the short six weeks’ time we’ve been staying away.  Life is suddenly being seen in the canals of Venice, Italy again.  Buildings once obscured by pollution are visible again.  We are seeing the results of what our actions can look like if we turn them positive.  This virus has given us a reason.

Put the words and anger away.  I, for one, will try, and will look to embrace those in this crisis whom I can assist.  I encourage everyone to do the same, because viruses do not discriminate – only humans do. 

I wish you health, safety and strength during this time.  And if you need a neighbor, my family and I are here.

Fear and Loathing in North Carolina

The last time I attended a rally, I was in high school.  I have always been under the impression most rallies involved sports teams.  After all, the purpose of a rally was to unite everyone behind your team, get them so excited and self-confident that their endorphins alone would convince them they could beat anyone.  Then you send them off to the slaughter against a far superior team for at least one quarter of competitive football.

That was what rallies were for.  Sports teams need rallies.  They're fun.  They get people excited.  They fill stands in stadiums. 

I suppose causes need rallies too.  Civil rights, gay rights, unions have rallies, although usually while striking.

In my memory banks, and I admit they are becoming more porous by the year, politicians gave speeches.  They didn't attend nor hold 'rallies.'  They fired up their base by telling them how the problems we faced could be overcome, and what they were going to do to fix it.  Sure, they spoke about their competition, but generally about why the policies in place or being suggested would fail or were failing.

The only politicians I can ever remember calling their events rallies?  Fascists. Dictators.  Hitler held massive rallies.  Mussolini.  Franco.



The intent behind rallies of this nature were not to fire up the base.  They were to convince people outside of your base of your power and that that power was warranted.  They were meant to make it clear that no other way was possible.  For people who spoke, out against the leader, the intent was to smear them as traitors or outcasts against the common good.  Chants were invoked and repeated over and over, and sometimes, in the case of Hitler, people swore their loyalty to the leader.



Last night, in North Carolina, President Donald Trump held a rally.  Yes, it was a rally.(watch low lights here)  Let's be clear that the President has been holding these 'rallies' since he came into office, despite the fact his power was all but guaranteed for four years.  If he did a solid job, he was likely to have eight years.  Yet, this leader felt the need to hold rallies during his entire term.

This was a rally, meeting every single criteria of the efforts of past rallies.  Those who disagree are labeled a disgrace.  Specific political foes, not of any threat to the President directly, were called extremists and haters of our country.  The blind mice that followed chanted in response "send her back, send her back," as all of these particular foes were minority women. 

It hearkened back to those exact times when thousands gathered to watch a regally dressed Adolf Hitler, his hair swept back and parted on the right, his toothbrush mustache trimmed, resting perfectly on his upper lip, his military outfit complemented by newly shined leather boots, declare that his country needed more room, needed to expand.  That Germany was the greatest country once and could be again, only if they had the audacity and courage to defeat the parties of hatred and arrogance, mostly led by the Jews.  The response was an overwhelming, seig hiel (which means basically, "hail victory").

In seeing the rally that was held in one of our oldest states, I can only wonder where on earth the values of the members of Greenville's community are.  It's easy for a leader to use a pulpit of access to slander whomever he or she wants.  In fact, it is the most simple form of bullying. It's the reason why the FCC created the Equal Time Rule, so that people in opposing parties get as much chance to respond as the candidate who spoke first.  When one person has a pulpit larger than all others, it doesn't take courage to shout from it.

It's a sign of insecurity, of weakness.

The leader secure and determined in his or her mission uses their pulpit not for retaliation or the stepping up of personal rhetoric, but instead to inspire, invigorate and raise up those he/she leads.  Americans, of all people, know this.



What I saw in North Carolina was the pinnacle of the most frightening version of this man so far; a man who once feared his Presidency was ending due to his own missteps and an investigation into dubious choices, now stands arrogantly dismissing the fact articles of impeachment were given ONLY 95 approval votes.  So proud he is of that victory, it doesn't dawn on him that 95 votes in the House were cast for impeachment is a reflection of a President who has completely lost over one-quarter (1/4) of the representatives in the House.  They are willing to send him packing.  That is not their misjudgment.  That is a cause-and-effect from a President, and a party, unwilling to speak up against the rhetoric of hate and divisiveness.

For his followers, it appears they are only listening for what they want to hear, while eliciting chants of support tantamount to a frightful seig heil.  And for those that will now argue all rallies have chants in them, when was the last time a political rally in America used a chant that wasn't meant to uplift something, as in "U-S-A or U-S-A", or "Four More Years" but instead fell back on chants meant to vilify a specific person or people such as "Lock Her Up"--- "Send Her Back"?  You need only look at now.

Should this particular leader turn that arrogance and rhetoric toward violence, encouraging his followers to take action (he already has talked about wanting to punch people, etc.) what would make him different than any other extremist in the Middle East?

Nothing.

We are just a few steps away.