What is a Terrorist? Donald Trump?

I probably got your attention really quickly there, didn't I? And I'm not out to slander or libel the President of the United States. Furthermore, while I disagree with President Trump's politics 95% of the time, he is still the President of the United States. The office alone commands my respect, if not the man holding the office.

This was something that I realized when President Obama was elected to office 10 years ago. The country was indelibly divided by the election and shouts of "Not my President!" rebounded through the internet. As an American, I find that single statement un-American and un-Patriotic. You are definitely entitled to disagree with me, however, my studies of the United States government over the years, ethics and sociology, as well as world historical studies have shown me that the President is still your President, even if you didn't vote for him. As the duly elected and sworn in President, he is the President of the country that you are a citizen of. Therefore, whether you like it or not, in this case I really, really don't, the person in charge is in fact your President.

Convoluted, but I think you get my point. We didn't have to vote for him, don't have to agree with him, but Trump is el Presidente. More's the pity.

In the last decade, I have watched as our nation has become more and more divided over politics. Awful and derogatory things have been bandied about and negative campaigning is the norm. It is incredibly sad that we have stooped so low.

So now to that wonderful post title: What is a Terrorist? Donald Trump? It certainly got your attention. I'm not saying Donald Trump is a Terrorist. I truly am not going to outright say that. But I will lay out some simple facts and then let you decide from there how you feel about it.

Let's start with a definition. (Definitions from dictionary.com) Terrorist is a noun, a.k.a. a person, place or thing, in this case a person. It is defined as a person, usually a member of a group, who uses or advocates terrorism. So we have to look at the definition of terrorism, which again is a noun, in this case a thing, intangible as it may be. It is defined as the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes.

So what is the state of our nation? So many are scared. Scared of deportation. Scared of illegal aliens and what their presence means for our jobs, our security, our safety. Scared of what foreign policy means for us within our nation's borders. Scared of what a wall between America and Mexico means, for us, for illegals, for legal immigration, or if it will curb the drug trade from Mexico and through Mexico.

All the while, President Trump continually opens his mouth to say whatever he wants to say in the moment, with no filter, no apology, and no regard for who he hurts or bullies. So what was terrorism again? The use of violence or threats to intimidate, usually for political purposes. President Trump has an agenda, all politicians do, and he consistently reminds us of the threat of other's actions. He routinely reminds us what he believes is the result of doing nothing and tells us that his way is the only way. Millions have jumped on board to his ideology out of fear and anger, without a willingness to see the other perspective.

I has gotten so bad that we are in the midst of yet another government shutdown. How long will this last? And what exactly is it regarding? How can we get them to put differences aside and pass a budget that allocates funds where they are most needed?

There is an article at ThoughtCo.com that gleans facts from the Congressional Research Service and gives a run down of governmental shutdown and information about all 21 shutdowns in U.S. history. Take a read and use the definitions I shared with you and your own perceptions of our President to make up your own mind. Think for yourself. Does our government really have our best interests at heart right now? Or are they too busy keeping us off balance in our fear to see what they are really up to? You decide.

And if you are reading this blog post during the current shutdown, pop over to this article about President George Washington's Farewell Address here: https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=false&doc=15

Take note of the internal pop-up: It reads: 

Due to the shutdown of the Federal Government, National Archives facilities are closed, websites and social media are not being updated or monitored, and activities are canceled, with some exceptions. Check Archives.gov for details.

How's that for efficiency? Non-essential personnel are let go without pay with no end in sight for as long as the President and Congress refuse to agree. Hmmm. Your disagreement causes people to go without money for food and shelter? If the shutdown goes too long, what will happen to those workers? Or for that matter, what will happen to the people who rely on the government for money due to disability or retirement? Those funds and people are non-essential to the status of national security so they are just out of luck? Think about what our President and our Congress are doing to our nation.

Like I said. You need to use what you know, learn what you don't know, and then think for yourself. Decide for yourself what you believe and what you think should, could, or would happen. Don't just repeat what you hear or read verbatim. We the People are better than that.