A Contrast in Presidents

 James Bratt posts today in the 12Blog summarizing why I felt so depressed and despondent last night.  Seeing several former presidents and one president-elect at Jimmy Carter's funeral brought home my concerns for the upcoming administration--the one for which  Trump bragged, "January 20 can't come soon enough."  

"The contrast this week has been striking. The solemn ceremonies and tearful farewells for ex-President Jimmy Carter over against the threats, bombast, and bloviations from President-elect Donald Trump.

Dig a little deeper and the disparities multiply. Carter as a lad once lifted a penny from the collection plate at church; his father so scolded him that he never stole anything again. Donald Trump watched his father run scams with federal housing funds, and Donald’s own sons worked with him to bilk charities founded in their name. Carter celebrated the end of Jim Crow in Georgia; Trump wished he could replicate it in New York. Carter was faithfully married to one woman for 77 years; Trump has worked through three wives besides the untold pick-ups from his Manhattan clubbing days, a civil conviction for sexual assault, and felony convictions for covering up payoffs to a porn star.

Carter served eight years in the U.S. Navy. Trump ducked behind his bone spurs. At the Naval Academy Carter was taught that honesty is an officer’s highest virtue and observed the lesson to a fault. Trump has lied like no president in history. Carter was born-again twice and ever professed Jesus Christ as savior and guide. Trump has followed—well, who’s the father of lies?"

One final note--The Judge in Trump's NYC trial in which the jury found him guilty of 34 counts presided over his sentencing today.  As expected, he will serve no jail time or penalties but the verdict is not denied.  He will become the first US President to serve with the designation of "felon" and he cannot pardon himself because it is a state charge.  Even though the Supreme Court with three judges he appointed gave him immunity in federal charges, they allowed this proceeding to go on with Roberts and Barrett ruling with the three "liberal" judges.  

I was happy with a great Orange Bowl game in which Notre Dame won over Penn State by kicking a last minute field goal-27 to 24.  It distracted me from the sad contrast in the news of the day.  

A New Year

 

Yesterday I took all the entries in this blog for 2024 and sent them to pixxi books.com to be printed up as a book.  I was dismayed to learn that Blog2Print was no longer in service.  Their parent company sent me to another site but I couldn't make that work beyond the downloading process.  So I tried pixxi books and I am encouraged by their email response today telling me that my book is in the print queue and they will let me know when it is shipped.  

2025 has begun with a tragedy when a person the authorities are calling a domestic terrorist took his rental truck and drove into a crowd celebrating the new year on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.  At least 15 people are dead and many more injured.  The driver was shot and killed by police.

This meant that the Sugar Bowl in which Notre Dame is meeting Georgia was postponed from January 1 to today, January 2.  I will write more about that later this evening.  Jim has asked if I am going to help him stay calm and I reminded him that ND has had such a good year up to this point.  Their record is 12 wins with only on memorable loss to Northern Illinois early in the season.  

--------------Hooray for the Irish!  It was a 23-10 win over Georgia and now we get to watch them again in the Orange Bowl when they play Penn State next Thursday, January 9.

I feel anxious about a new year hoping that we can stay healthy and enjoy each other's company.  I wonder if we will stay in our apartment or make the big move to senior living.  I wonder if the Trump era will create the chaos he threatens with deportation of illegal aliens and the revenge he says he will take on those who have opposed him in government and in the press. Will he really be able to replace thousands of civil service employees with his loyalists?  Will this affect some in our family and some friends? Are there enough good and principled people to stop him? 

January 4 from Heather Coxe Richardson's Letters from an American:

Yesterday, Biden awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal, given to those “who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens,” to twenty Americans including former Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY), who served on the January 6 committee. Today, Trump attacked Cheney and others who investigated the events of January 6, 2021, as “dishonest Thugs.”

Cheney responded: “Donald, this is not the Soviet Union. You can’t change the truth and you cannot silence us. Remember all your lies about the voting machines, the election workers, your countless allegations of fraud that never happened? Many of your lawyers have been sanctioned, disciplined or disbarred, the courts ruled against you, and dozens of your own White House, administration, and campaign aides testified against you. Remember how you sent a mob to our Capitol and then watched the violence on television and refused for hours to instruct the mob to leave? Remember how your former Vice President prevented you from overturning our Republic? We remember. And now, as you take office again, the American people need to reject your latest malicious falsehoods and stand as the guardrails of our Constitutional Republic—to protect the America we love from you.”

I am posting this excerpt because I don't want to forget the concerns we have for our country right now and I hope that the good can prevail.  The judge in Trump's New York trial is going to sentence him on January 10.  He will not dismiss the case saying that the jury system must not be discounted.  However, he probably will not sentence him to prison--how can a President serve from prison?  But Trump will go down in history as the first felon to serve as President.  The civil suits against him stand but I don't think he has paid off any off his penalties yet.