What To Do?

I have to concede that, at one time, Hate came easy to me.  I didn't have a lot to hate about—though the little I had, I pulled out of the freezer several times a day, when I was just about 20—until I broke up with the person I was going with back then.  (Quite honestly, my frustration with my life might have had something to do with it; but I never actually hated that person.  That's something to look out for.  An unhappy relationship could get one spewing hate at completely unrelated things.  That's so pathetic; I only realized what was going on once we broke up, and I stopped being hateful!  I was incredibly embarrassed.)

Right now, honestly, I could hate the new administration if I tried.  I could hate the frigid weather we're having in Pennsylvania if I tried, and the scorching weather over in California.  I could hate the ignorant things some of the most immature members of the Trump administration simply toss out, just for no good reason at all; perhaps to enhance their coolness.  But it gives me more satisfaction to hold back, grit my teeth, and give Trump and his team a chance to Make America Great, if not 'again', perhaps for the first time. 

Well, I want to pause what I was saying!  Imagine my surprise to read on the Internet, that the president attended a prayer meeting at the Washington Cathedral, and Bishop Marion Edgar Budde said these words:

“Let me make one final plea, Mr. President. Millions have put their trust in you, and as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. 

"There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives. The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meatpacking plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals; they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, gurdwara, and temples.

"I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away; and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land. May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being, to speak the truth to one another in love, and walk humbly with each other and our God, for the good of all people, in this nation, and the world. Amen.” 

When asked about her words in an interview following the sermon, Bishop Budde said that she was moved to address the president directly because she was concerned about “the level of license to be really quite cruel” that some people feel [able to use] now, and due to "the fear that I have seen and experienced among our people -- people that I know and love, both within the immigrant community and within the LGBTQ community, and how terrified so many are.” She reflected that, "I was trying to say, ‘The country has been entrusted to you.' And one of the qualities of a leader is mercy, right? Mercy. And to be mindful of the people who are scared.”

This Bishop has expressed so well what I should have tried to say!

Kay

P.S.  [Added later]:

Tea Party and maga citizens seem unable to draw lessons from the current president's actions.  He has withdrawn the security details from several of his former secretaries of state (?) like Mike Pompeo, who are still in danger of threats from Iraq.  Trump supporters are probably under the impression that Trump would never be harsh with them, though he's harsh with so many others.  Sad.