In a widely viewed clip from the HBO series, “Newsroom,” Will McAvoy, played by Jeff Daniels, is on a panel taking questions from a large audience of college students, one of whom asks the three panel guests why they think America is the greatest country in the world.
The liberal immediately responds, “diversity and opportunity.” The conservative says, “freedom and freedom, so let’s keep it that way.”
McAvoy says nothing. Finally the panel host says, “Will, why is…” when he is interrupted by McAvoy who blurts out, “It’s not the greatest country in the world. That’s my answer.” The host responds, “You’re saying” but is again interrupted by McAvoy who emphatically says, “yes.”
In the next three minutes McAvoy explains his answer and silences the room in the process. Why? Because he told the truth.
If I were asked that question I would give the same answer Will McAvoy gave because it’s true. We’re not the greatest country in the world, for many reasons, but none more important than this one.
We have a President who initiated an immigration policy that has inflicted unimaginable pain and suffering on immigrant babies and children. Thousands of them, in fact. Thousands!
In a shockingly callous immoral act, Donald Trump ordered babies and children to be taken from their mother’s arms and sent to other places, other cities, other states. Their parents were jailed and/or sent back to their native country.
Reunification is becoming less and less possible, as a statement in court documents filed on February 1 of this year made clear:
“The Trump administration did not dispute a recent Office of Inspector General report that concluded there may have been thousands more children torn from parents under the administration’s family separation policy. The government also argued that it would take too long to figure out where those children currently are because it had no tracking system.”
There are no words that can fully capture the malevolence of what Trump did, made even worse by the fact that he denies it happened.
Yet, and here’s the clincher, this man came before the nation Tuesday night and dared to talk about the state of the union, Republicans adding insult to injury by standing to cheer the things he was saying.
The appearance of normalcy his State of the Union address represented says all we need to know about the moral crisis America is in.
Donald Trump and his administration committed crimes against humanity for which I hope all of them will be charged by the International Criminal Court in The Hague once he is out of office, yet people listened to him Tuesday evening as if he possessed the moral credibility to say anything to the nation.
How can every American not know that what Trump did to those children – children, I remind you – stripped him of any moral credibility for the rest of his presidency, and the rest of his life.
He should be forever remembered as the President of the United States who abused, punished, and permanently damaged babies and children.
Incredibly this man is still President, with some 37% of the American public still supporting him. Here is what that means.
– Thirty-seven percent of Americans do not believe hurting children rises to the level of moral outrage sufficient to cause them to stop supporting the man who committed the crime.
– Some of them believe making those children suffer was justified in trying to stop immigrants from coming here.
– Others of them believe that even if abusing children is a bad thing, Trump is still doing other things they like that justifies their support.
These scenarios are not made up, they are what people are actually saying about where they stand. It all makes me feel like my head is going to explode.
Adding to the moral debacle we face as a country because of Trump is the fact that his actions fit a historical pattern for past nations and civilizations that have declined.
One example some people don’t like to talk about, but could not be a more appropriate analogy is what Hitler did before he sent Jews to their deaths in concentration camps.
He ordered Jews to be “branded and forcibly deported into small, cramped quarters, often segregated from the rest of the city with walls or barbed wire.”
The first city ghetto was in Lodz, Poland, where over 155,000 Jews were imprisoned behind barriers and barbed wire. Soon there were hundreds of similar “ghettos” throughout Europe.
Donald Trump’s internment camps for babies and children ripped from the arms of their mothers and put in wired cages is America’s version of the same thing, violating a basic moral principle by which any decent person or nation lives – treat other children the way you would want your own children to be treated.
Does anyone with a moral conscience believe Donald Trump did that?
How, then, in the name of common decency, not to mention in the name of God, can anyone support him? Do we no longer have any capacity for moral outrage as Americans?
Of course, some people will say, “Wait a minute. I don’t like Trump, but I do respect the office he holds.”
Really? How is showing respect for Trump because of the office he holds not the moral equivalent of being complicit in supporting the moral depravity that is destroying the very office you claim to respect?
Here is what I think the evidence makes unambiguously clear. Donald Trump is not only a moral blight on America’s soul. He is a cancer that is killing everything good and right about us.
As long as we show him any respect, tolerate his lies and his behavior for one more minute, and treat his presidency as if it is normal, we have no one to blame but ourselves for the continued pain and suffering he is causing.
linnposts.com 
May I repost on FB? Agree wholeheartedly.
Yes, please do. That’s what I am hoping people will do. Thanks, Wilbur.
Sorry Willie. I carelessly ended my comment with the name of my friend “Wilbur,” but it was intended to say yes to your request. Wilbur will probably make his own comment later. He usually does.
Jan,
As you state above, “There are no words that can fully capture the malevolence of what Trump did, made even worse by the fact that he denies it happened.”
I certainly don’t have those words, nor can I add to — or disagree with — anything you have written here.
Your last sentence places the blame right where it belongs: with those who are not willing to stand-up to this despicable, unstable man until he is gone!!
Thank you for continuing to do just that…..
Bill
Thanks, Bill. I am simply trying to contribute to a movement to name this man for what he is and in the process get people to stop trying to make nice with him or his supporters.
Thanks Jan for keeping this issue foremost in our consciousness. Indeed his administration is responsible for so many reprehensible things it’s easy to let one fade away. But as you’ve suggested, a policy where children are taken from their parents should remain front and center.
Wilbur, I think this is one people can grasp easily, and I think it is so morally reprehensible that it is sufficient to disqualify him from being President, period.
I can’t wait to share this around!! You nail it!
Karen, met you in Mpls – a total fan of your ability to just SAY IT!!!
Thank you, Karen. Enjoyed meeting you all at Magers & Quinn. If you get any comments from sharing this, please send them my way.
Jan I enjoy your posts. I just don’t understand how anyone can support this president. Re his handling of children, there will be a black mark when our history is written. Remember the Japanese internment camps. John Francis
I think you are exactly right, John. I’m with you. I simply do not understand how anyone can support him. His disapproval rating should be 100%.
Hi Jan. I haven’t been communicating with you for much of the last year – a year in which we lost our dear mutual friend, Wally Emerson. I gave the closing eulogy at his Mesa, Arizona memorial service. And, I know you led the service for him in Minnesota. But I haven’t been communicating because I too am “morally outraged”. I am also “politically outraged” and “spiritually outraged”. I have been busy and focused on writing my own book. The title of the book is: “What Caused the Great Divide in America … And, What All Americans Must Do About It”. The morning after the 2016 election I was in shock, as the vast majority of Americans were. After, a few days of wandering in the dark, I decided to do something about it. I needed to understand “What Happened”, which just happens to be the title of Hilary Clinton’s book released about a year ago. Since those dark days I have purchased over 125 recent books, including yours (as you know from my comments to your blog) from authors who basically all say the same thing with just different focus areas. And, I have read every one of your blogs since inception and agree with everything you say. We are on the same page. So, thank you for helping me crystalize my thoughts. The bottom line is that “Our Democracy is Under Attack”. We have all seen some “moral outrage” surface in the last two years, the most hopeful example being the results of the 2018 mid-term elections. And, you have written eloquently about “hope” since then. I point out in my book that the Great Divide is caused by many historical factors. But, Donald Trump, (influenced by The Russians, scads of criminals in his business and political web, personal far right advisors, FOX News, wealthy donors providing black money, his base, and complicit Republicans), is now in control of not only his base, but the majority of Republicans that have joined together in their “Attack on American Democracy”. And, many “loyal Republicans” basically just have their heads in the sand. The dilemma we face is that there is another side to “moral outrage”. And, that other side is called “immoral outrage”. And, that side has seized the advantage in the last three years. So, Our Side still has a lot of work to do. Maybe the results of the Mueller investigation will provide our side with some new advantages. But, I for one am not counting on it. I too have hope, but we still are deadlocked in Congress and Trump still controls the atmosphere. I would love to be able to have an initial dialogue with you in some way to discuss what we all must do to turn our moral outrage into results. You had a few good suggestions in your last blog to this one. It looks to me that our moral outrage is only, or mostly, going to really show itself in the elections of 2020. And, because we are still running behind “immoral outrage”, we have lots to do. John Hamerski
First thing, John, is that it is so good to hear from you. I was afraid we would lose touch completely after Wally’s death. He was such as good friend to you and me and so many others. I still miss him greatly. He would have loved to be in dialogue with us about everything you have written and about your book. I want to be, for sure, so how can we do that? I will give that some thought and be back in touch. If you send me your email address we can communicate that way. Stay in touch and I will do the same.
Jan, thank you for writing from your heart about the truth too many are unwillling to look at. Too heartbreaking, so we turn away. Those of us who look with the eyes of moral outrage don’t know what we can do. You’re doing your thing. Thank you. Speaking of moral outrage, are you familiar with Marianne Williamson? She’s been my spiritual leader through her books and talks for many years, but she’s no stranger to politics and she’s articulate on the issues of our time. If you haven’t, I hope you’ll check her out. https://www.marianne2020.com/
I have read with great interest the unjustified criticisms she’s bene facing, but I have not kept up with her writings per se. Because of your recommendation I will connect to the link you sent.Thanks for the heads up, Alice.