The Trumpet

I thought it proper to define the word trumpet when discussing the Republican primary’s latest unfathomable phenomenon, Donald Trump, because this illogical crackpot’s name is Dickensian like Mr. Talkinghorn in Charles Dickens’s “Bleak House”— a nefarious lawyer, whose interest was in himself even to the detriment of his clients. In Dickensian form the name describes the character of the person.

A trumpet is defined in Merriam Webster’s Dictionary as (a) a funnel-shaped instrument (as a megaphone) for collecting, directing, or intensifying sound and b (1) a stentorian (loud) voice (2) a penetrating cry (as of an elephant.) PERFECT!

Donald Trump’s person is, I think, Dickensian that is his characteristics resemble the definition of the noun trumpet whose mouth blows sounds out like the cry of an elephant (the GOP symbol) spewing nativist sludge often virulently racist against the latest immigrant group de jour, Hispanics, he calls “illegals” as if a human being – any human being – by his very existence should be characterized as such. He directs these bleating sounds to the selected audience this time southern white Alabamians he has purposefully selected to rope into casting a vote to make him the Republican primary front runner and ultimately the Republican nominee for the presidency.

Donald Trump is a trumpet, bleating out loud decibels working his audience up to a Hitlerian pitch in near orgasmic delight as he calls “illegals” mostly murderers and rapists although some, he says softening his insult, may be okay. He knows his audience and what to say to captivate them. His supporters are low information voters, uber nationalistic with often white supremacy animus who want to be led by a strong leader regurgitating patriotic myths, loyalty oaths with the omnipresent symbolic American flag by their side. The Republican primary southern voter – old and white – will not, question anything he says no matter how irrational or untrue as long as Trumpspeak is advocating the building of a huge (always huge) wall costing billions which he just knows Mexico will pay for – trust him he will reread his “Art of the Deal” to make it happen. He will keep “illegals” out by any means necessary even deporting 11 million human beings like Jews in a German boxcar despite the fact that “illegal” immigration is down to its lowest level in years and the president, to the chagrin of his supporters, in the first three years, deported record-high numbers of undocumented immigrants, removing about 1.2 million. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/01/deportation-numbers-obama_n_1314916.html.)

Beyond that Trump includes in his immigration policy eradicating the Constitution’s 14th Amendment taking away the citizenship birthright of children (otherwise so kindly known by the right wingnuts as “anchor babies”) who were born here knowing no other place in which to be. Moreover, he says it can be done easily and fast – so much the better.

What is left? Perhaps as some in his movement have said shooting “illegals” or permanently indenturing those who found work to servitude if they are undocumented. Yes, that means to slavery. Where have I heard that word before? Perhaps, he too can repeal the 13th Constitutional Amendment of 1865 outlawing it. What happened to “compassionate conservatism?” It never really existed because to be “conservative” today means that the word compassionate is an oxymoron to it. It does not exist in its lexicon.

Nativist poison is not new to this nation. See Martin Scorsese’s film “Gangs of New York” to explain it. It has been known throughout human history and it has taken many forms. Perhaps, it has something to do with our tribal nature and a nation’s historical attitudes over time. Mostly, in this nation, it has taken the form of “no Irish need apply,” “no Jews or dogs allowed in the pool,” the Jim Crow south, the uprooting of the first Americans – the Indians –, the monstrosity of the African slave trade relegating persons of color to three fifths of a human being status and all the violence and segregation that goes with it. Now, the Hispanics are in the cross-hairs of the American Right of the Republican Party and Trump is taking full advantage of it.

In modern times right wingnut extremists in this nation have usually been relegated to the periphery of the Republican Party after the loss of Goldwater in 1964 when “extremism in the face of liberty is no vice” lost and the incorporation of the new south into the 1968 Nixonian initiative of Republicans capturing a heretofore all Democratic south appealing to the “silent majority” began. In the more recent 20th and 21st centuries the American conservative blather of the John Birch Society, White Citizens Councils, former KKK members, those who would weaken the Voting Rights Act and many other extremist hate groups have found a home in this Republican Party they never had before. Recently when Mr. Trump was asked about two white teenagers in Boston beating up and urinating on a homeless man because after all Donald Trump has a point. Trump’s response was his supporters are “passionate.” I’m glad they are passionate and so are we organizing to crush the Republican essence of malevolence and hate.

An addendum: Trump’s vision for Middle East policy is mind boggling. He will go back into Iraq (necessitating troops on the ground) and steal all the oil fields from them. I’m sure those who are in that neck of the woods would welcome our boots on the ground again and Mr. Trump, just how much would that cost the American taxpayer in more blood and treasure? He does not say. I thought we just played that tune with Bush and got Obama elected to stop it.

Today, we are in a democratic existential struggle with the forces of darkness, myth and hate of the Republican Party against the progressive forces of science and inclusion of the Democratic Party which sees the moral arc of the universe moving toward justice and not away from it. Who will win this struggle? I do not know but I do know it is up to you to stop the Republican Party’s descent into madness.
 
 The Bible conservatives and Trump love so much says many times:

Deuteronomy 10: 19 You shall love the stranger, for you were once strangers in the land of Egypt.

Leviticus 19:34 The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

Luke 10:27 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.

Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

And finally Rabbi Hillel when asked to summarize the essence of Judaism said: “Do NOT do unto others that which you would not do unto yourself. All the rest,” he said, “is commentary.”

To that I say Amen!

ORGANIZE NOW TO ELECT DEMOCRATS AND DEFEAT THE REPUBLICAN MORAL REFUSE IN OUR NATION!