Tipping Point: America’s Nervous Breakdown

If it’s any consolation, no matter who you are, red or blue…black or white…yellow or brown, this has been a LOUSY year for EVERYBODY.  If nothing else, we have that in common.  …yaay…

Right after the election, at least half the country was sort of happy.  The country finally got a man who was not in the Democrats’ nor the GOP’s pocket and he was a Washington outsider.  That’s good for something!

But then, day by day, week by week, those most happy with the election began wilting a bit.  You promised us a WALL!  You promised!   You promised us an end to Obamacare.  You promised!!!  You promised you were going to whip the the Washington crowd and the White House crowd into line.  The promises came hot and heavy.  Whether you love or hate our 45th president of the United States, it’s history that none of these promises have been kept.  We have moved on…

And let’s get this out of the way as quickly as possible:  Mostly through tweets directly from the president, statements came flying out, often at three or four in the morning,  “I am the best president in history…possibly second to Lincoln or Roosevelt.  My words are the best words.  My speeches the best speeches.  Only I can solve the problem in the Middle East…I’ve been on the cover of Time more than anyone else,” and so on and so on.  Supporters of #45 were forced to sigh and change the subject.  When caught red-handed, a new term was created:  ALTERNATIVE FACTS which sounds better than LIES.

And things got worse.  For me, a biggie was the video tape of #45 bragging that now, in a position of power, he can get away with groping any woman he wants.  Well……not any woman.  If anyone groped Pamela, he’d have a bloody nose, and…the Secret Service would probably drag me away for it.  I ask you for one micro-second, can you imagine any of our 44 other presidents making such a statement?  I can’t.

 

GOP:  In the last few months, the GOP which grudgingly supported #45 during the campaign, began coming unglued.

Depending on what moment in time you choose, you would have been able to bet the farm that these loyal and high level members of the GOP would have supported their president:  Senator Mitch McConnell, Senator John McCain, Senator Ryan, the Speaker of the House, Senator Orin Hatch.  These gentlemen are the bedrock of the Republican Party.

The long list of GOP senators, congressmen and stalwart high-level Republicans  who have drawn a line in the sand, now extends into the 100s.  Why?  Take a moment and ask yourself why Mitch McConnell, one of the most staunch GOP senators in history, would turn away?  Or, either of our former GOP Bush presidents, or Mitt Romney or…the list goes on and on and on.  This essay is based on recorded, immutable facts about the Republican Party.  Put bluntly:  They ain’t happy.

TIPPING POINT:  In the past two weeks, however, something much, much more dire has developed.  No one could have seen it coming, not Mitch McConnell or Paul Ryan, or even Steve Bannon.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff:  Last week, during an impromptu speech that went out to the entire world, the President of the United states stated:  “North Korea will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.”  

This is something you might say over a couple of beers down at the local watering hole. Threatening nuclear war by someone capable of launching one is the most serious threat on planet Earth.

If you know any of the specifics about thermonuclear warheads, it doesn’t take ten or twenty to completely mess up the atmosphere.  Fifty or sixty and we have a possible end to humanity.  America has thousands.  The JCS was not amused.  Japan, both Koreas, China, all of Europe, all of the rest of the planet was not in the least bit amused.  With the difference in cultures, countries cannot afford to act like TV cowboys.

Strangely, even THIS was not the TIPPING POINT though it set Americans up for the next news cycle the following week.  Members of White Supremacist Organizations, KKK and Nazi Organizations, armed with rifles and dressed like policemen and military men, descended upon and took over Charlottesville, Virginia in a way that confused even the state police.   Violence broke out and soon the residents of Charlottesville began fighting back.   People were killed, including one woman who was an innocent bystander…all because the KKK and the Neo-Nazi groups didn’t like the prospect of a statue being taken down.

The tipping point occurred when President Donald Trump came out, saying that the blame was the same for everyone.  Quick question:   If you’re in your own home watching TV and a carload of armed Neo-Nazis pulled in your driveway threatening you and your family, are you in the wrong to protect your home…your family?

A sidebar, but one of the more bizarre moments in presidential history, was this:  During President Trump’s speech about terrorism and the murder of an innocent woman, he managed to put in a plug for his winery, which he said “is the biggest in America.”  Well, it isn’t the biggest…but the huge question is, “Is someone in their right mind plugging their personal winery during an attack on an American town??????????”

This bit of political infamy was met with a different kind of fury, one from essentially all of the GOP, the Democratic Party, the coalition CEOs from the largest corporations in America.  The CEOs have quit the Trump coalition and written condemnations of their own.

At least one thing seems to remain true about all the citizens of America:  They don’t want hate groups, terrorist groups, Nazi groups attempting to take over our country.  Mr. Trump, never one to back-up and regroup, hangs tough with his new friends, David Duke at the top of the list.

And as of 1:00 pm, August 18th, Steve Bannon, President Trump’s innermost adviser, has been fired.  The reason:  Last night Mr. Bannon accurately stated that we cannot just “Nuke” North Korea, where 10-20 million innocents in Seoul, South Korea, will become incinerated in the first two minutes.  

We were raised to be Americans.  But what does it mean?   As a little kid in about the third grade, we memorized the Pledge of Allegiance.  The words were new and powerful and the integrity came through loud and clear.

A few years later, we learned the first words of the Declaration of Independence.  They supported the Pledge of Allegiance…and went into a bit more depth.

A few years after that, we memorized the poem that greeted people wanting to come to a wonderful new land of Freedom for all.  The words were poetic, pure, and filled us with the wonder of what was and is America.
In grade school and high school, the term Melting Pot was used with extreme pride.  America isn’t just Irish Catholics.  It isn’t just Polish or German or English or Japanese people.  America is an amalgam of people wanting to live in freedom with a chance to be happy if they worked hard enough.

For the record, America was never just white.  Anyone who has studied even most basic of American history knows that.    America was actually, not white, but red first.  We clever colonists conned the Indians out of…well…everything.  And then everyone began coming over.  It worked then.  It works now.  And like everything else, on this tiny planet, countries morph.  They change.  They get better.

The Tipping Point threatens to take us back possibly a hundred years, maybe more.  America is first and foremost a country guaranteeing the rights of individuals…regardless of color, gender, politics, money.  That is what America is all about.  And the President of the United States is supposed to be our leader, spiritually and morally with the survival of our country is number one job.

AMERICA IS ALREADY GREAT AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN.  Let it continue to be great in the concept carefully drawn by our forefathers

Henry

P.S.  I’d like to thank my son Cameron, a professional cartoonist with innumerable American magazines, for bringing the cartoon at the beginning of the article to life.  For the record, Cam needed no cajoling for his excellent execution.

P.P.S.  Yes, I am highly aware that this is a highly-charged, potentially third-rail topic.  The things which truly make America great are the freedoms which this country has provided us.  I have served my country to the best of my ability and will always say what I believe.  We must all be able to do this or we cease to be American.  It’s your right to disagree.  But it’s your duty to tell the truth.

 

 

 

 

24 Responses to "Tipping Point: America’s Nervous Breakdown"

  1. Deborah Bellini says:

    Thank you Henry. These things need saying and I for one agree that this country has always been great and think it hasn’t, well, I’m not going there. I believe in our country and I will defend the most basic of rights until my death.

    • Henry,
      I freely admit that your deeplypenetrating message brings tears to my eyes. Why? because your words I believe, ring so true for so many of us. We understand with your clarity your message is one that is powerful. My strong reaction is that your message needs to be sent to every one of our legislators, especially the recalcitrant Republicans as required reading. It is again, in my view a clarion call for all of us to recall our history, and to see that we pick up where we left off before this abomination of a president captured the white house.

      • Henry Harvey says:

        That means a lot, coming from you, Bill. I’m doing everything I can. You have power to contribute to this as well. Every single person counts! Good hearing from you!
        Henry

  2. Henry Harvey says:

    Well put, Deb.
    There comes a point when things get serious enough that you have to concern yourself with the very preservation of what is America. I think we’re there now.
    Henry

  3. Henry Harvey says:

    Once again, you hit a home run.
    Thanks for your voice.
    Pam Farrior

  4. Henry Harvey says:

    It’s one voice among thousands, and each of our voices count right now. Thanks for sending that very patriotic picture of what you see out your back window!
    Henry

  5. Henry Harvey says:

    Not only yes but YES YES YES! Thank you for taking the soul wrenching, unbelievable comments and behavior of our current President and condensing them down so that everyone can read it and understand the devastating effects he has had on not only the people of the United States but the world. Most of us are trying to move on as usualwith our lives but if we slow down and really look, we realise how deeply these events have shaken us to our core.
    Lorelle

  6. Henry Harvey says:

    There are times when things get so serious that you have to soberly look at what has to be done to protect the precious things our country has always represented. That’s under attack now. Our very morality, our appreciation for what is true and what is false…the most basic things have to be protected now.
    Always good to communicate with you, Lorelle.

  7. Henry Harvey says:

    Hi Henry

    I was wondering what took you so long to speak out. Well done and thanks for telling it like it is
    Dov

  8. Henry Harvey says:

    Hi Dov!

    Not sure when you started reading the essays. I’ve written about Trump on and off since he threw his hat in the ring. Believe me, it would be easy and very tempting to put all else aside and just write about him. But, I have other things to say as well. Thank you so much for your input!!!
    Henry

  9. Henry Harvey says:

    Nice article. Definitely a LOUSY year for us all. Will things get worse before they get better?
    Melissa Harvey

  10. Henry Harvey says:

    Yes, I think that’s pretty much a given. Sometimes, things have to hit rock bottom before they can get back onto the correct track.

    Henry

  11. Henry Harvey says:

    Love this!!!
    Rachel Steadman.

  12. Henry Harvey says:

    Thanks Rachel. That means a lot. We’ve been hunkered down preparing for some FB Fire and Fury. The thing that some factions don’t realize is that I think 99.9% of Americans want to have a functioning country that they can be proud of. It doesn’t have to be this way………………………………………….
    Henry

  13. Pamela H says:

    Amen. This country is in very bad mental shape. We have a racist president with the attention span of a nine year old, with an obsession for tweeting, has no compassion, and wants all the attention he can get. He seems to be showing signs of dementia…especially with his violent
    outbursts. It blows my mind that there are still people saying, “Let’s give him a chance.” Wake the hell up.
    This is not what America was founded on. Implement article 25 now!
    Pamela H

  14. Henry Harvey says:

    As much as I share and understand your frustration, that old system of checks and balances was installed to protect everyone over the long haul. If it were easy to just implement an Article 25, I can guarantee you it would be abused…by both sides. Due Process takes time. It’s not fun or exciting, but it’s better for the long haul. But as far as “Let’s give him a chance” goes, that ship sailed many months ago. The truth is one individual can do tremendous damage in an extremely short time.
    Henry

  15. Henry Harvey says:

    I have had a wonderful year, no complaints from me.
    Rick Acrivos

  16. Henry Harvey says:

    You are my big fuzzy contrarian! If you’re having trouble watching the sun crash into the moon, you can always come up here on the ship. It’s a bit closer to the action!
    Henry

  17. Henry Harvey says:

    “Factions” … some people have a deeply ingrained “us against them” competitiveness inherent in their nature, and no boundaries to what they will do or say. It’s utterly counter productive to peaceful functioning. We must remember that most people are simpler, sweeter and kinder
    Anne

  18. Henry Harvey says:

    Brava, Anne! Along that same line, I think if most people would look just a little closer to what they see as anger, they might see fear or confusion. These are scary times for everyone, but I have confidence that when push comes to shove, 95% of people are better than you’d think.
    Henry

  19. Henry Harvey says:

    10-4 good buddy! I get most of my news right here as “the others,” just don’t cut it. It feels like the fuse has been lit.
    Bruce Huff

  20. Henry Harvey says:

    Got the concept. Thanks for writing.
    Henry

  21. Henry Harvey says:

    Wow. I’m breathless after reading your synopsis of Trump. We are all living this painful shame of seeing no greater unworthy person to sit in the White House. The tipping points you referred to are only the beginning: more to follow. I wonder if his margin of victory in three states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania total less than 70,000 votes. I wonder if many of them wish they could do over their vote. This is America’s saddest moment. Remember the Daily News front page picture of a bald eagle with its head lowered in
    shame? I concur with all your points, which are honed to perfection.
    Bob Moravick

  22. Henry Harvey says:

    Thanks Bob! Remember those days at F&M where we’d try to make a 3-pg paper into a five-pager by screwin’ around with the fonts, the margins, the spacing? Maybe all those term papers actually did some good after all…..
    Henry

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