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| Political anxiety compromises our ability to create a healthy life. |
Implementing practical priorities for healthy living is a personal choice most often made by individuals responding to information, specific needs, and a desire to create a healthier life.The political upheaval of the past year has impacted the health not only of individuals, but also of our society as a whole.This phenomenon has intensified since the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Has it only been one week?
Both sides of the political divide continue to denounce and dismiss those with differing opinions and perceptions of where our country is headed. We have lost our ability to have civil conversations concerning political disagreements.
I'm about to tell you why Donald Trump worries me. From that sentence alone, some of you are already calling me nasty names, rushing to unfriend me on social media, and composing responses questioning my mental status, moral integrity, and patriotism. But some of you are interested, willing to listen to a viewpoint that may be different than your own, and refuse to sink to the level of banshees screaming at one another in the night.Thank you.This gives me great hope in a time of great despair.
Knowing a little about who I am gives context to what I'm about to say. I'm a wife, mother, grandmother, Jesus follower, southern girl, writer, thinker, friend, reader, optimist, Scrabble tournament player, alto singer in the church choir, former missionary to Colombia, former high school Spanish teacher, RV traveler, Roll Tide fan, and political independent who has voted for both Republicans and Democrats.
I had huge misgivings about a Trump candidacy from the get-go. But last Friday when he put his hand on two Bibles and swore to preserve, protect, and defend the constitution of the United States of America, I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and wait and see how things unfolded. Maybe the violent rhetoric over the course of the last year was just campaign talk. Maybe the gravitas of becoming the leader of the free world would motivate him to give serious thought to the art of governing. Maybe the snarky narcissistic comments were only political theater. Maybe not.
I'm concerned because during his first week in office President Donald Trump has:
- Violated the first amendment of the United States Constitution in the Bill of Rights which prohibits making laws that prohibit the free exercise of religion, abridging freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, or interfering with the right to peaceably assemble.
- Diminished the idea of a free press.He disparages news sources as unreliable when they report facts that don't fit his agenda, has considered moving the press corps out of the White House, and allowed at least six journalists to be arrested who were covering the inauguration day riots.
- Threatened to establish a registry for all Muslims which violates the freedom of religion clause.
- Barred members of the Environmental Protection Agency from speaking publicly about their jobs when the purpose of their job is to let the public know about hazards in the environment.
- Taken down all references to climate change on the White House website. Put the U. S. Arctic Research Commission on hiatus and taken down their Facebook page. He has repeatedly called climate change a hoax and nominated climate change skeptics to his cabinet.
- Directed the National Park Service to stop tweeting after they reported the crowd size at his inauguration.The order impacted all accounts including those of individual National Parks that are used to communicate emergency information to visitors such as road conditions and impending bad weather.
- Tried to prevent a wide spectrum of scientists from communicating their findings from tax funded research to the public even though it is the scientists responsibility to report their findings to the public that funds their research,
- Signed 12 executive orders in six days that bypass Congress after complaining during the campaign that the previous administration signed too many executive orders that bypassed Congress.
- Continued to use an unsecured personal android phone and allowed his staff to use private email accounts after making email security a campaign issue.
- Demanded that anyone registered to vote in two states be charged with voter fraud. Being registered in two states is not illegal. It's voting in two states that is against the law. But if he insists, he can start with his family and staff. Chief strategist Steve Bannon, treasury pick Steven Mnuchin, press secretary Sean Spicer, daughter Tiffany, and son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner were all registered to vote in two states.
- Insisted that he only lost the popular vote because millions of undocumented workers voted even though his own attorneys say there is no evidence that this occurred.
- Appointed people to cabinet positions who are primarily noted for being in opposition to what their department is intended to oversee.
- Lied about what he has said and done when he has been captured on video saying and doing what he says he didn't say and do. His administration excuses this behavior by saying he is simply presenting "alternative facts."
- Violated the emoluments clause to the constitution by refusing to divest himself of his far flung private business interests while serving as president.
- Engaged in constant petty Twitter rants over perceived personal slights instead of focusing on the serious task of governing.
It's not looking very hopeful so far.Are there any healthy responses to all this political upheaval and angst? I have a few suggestions.
If you support President Trump, hold him, his administration, and the Republican party accountable for governing with truth, dignity, integrity, and honor.
If you do not support the current administration, speak up, take action, do what you can where you are. Contact your congressmen and representatives to express your views and comment on pending legislation.Two resources to get started:
Find out who represents you and how to contact them.
An app that makes it easy to pester your congress member
Advocate for those being marginalized by the Trump administration including immigrants, refugees, women, the free press, the uninsured, scientists, and the National Park Service.
Pray for Donald Trump.There are three years and 51 weeks left in his term. Pray that he will recognize the magnitude of his office and channel his energy and ideas to become who he needs to be to keep our democracy intact.
Don't spread false information. Check facts from multiple sources before posting anything on social media.The amount of fake news streaming through cyberspace is staggering.
Quit living in the past. Barack Obama is no longer president. Hillary Clinton didn't win. Invoking either one of them for comparison or retribution is pointless. Donald J. Trump is currently president of the United States of America. It's his watch. Whatever happens next is on his shoulders.
And ours.
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