Here we are on January 9, 2024.  Wow, have I witnessed some amazing changes in America and the world since I was born back in 19XX!  By the way, the “XX” does not represent the number 20, but I am sure that most of you already know that and accept that I simply prefer to demur – for personal reasons – on this age-related matter.

Although the “XX” does not represent the number 20 in the previously mentioned 19XX, not many of us hang around that long, I have been around for a while.  I have been around long enough to see the world make tremendous technological advances.  I have seen the world go from computers that were extremely large that could only be housed in very large rooms to computers that we can carry around with us.

I have seen times when very few people had telephones, which had to be connected to wires and therefore had to remain in one location – usually a business, home or in a telephone booth on a street corner, to times when almost every man, woman, and child has one; and they are now mobile, need no wires, and can fit into your pocket or purse.

I have witnessed a man set foot on the moon.  I have seen the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, the attempted assassination of a president; President Ronald Reagan, and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, I have even seen a Black man become president of the United States and a Black woman become vice president of the United States!

Throughout all those amazing years I never was one who, too often, made resolutions to begin the new year.  I don’t know about you, but I did not make any New Year resolutions this year either.  But before the new year began, I found myself thinking a lot about what America will be like in 2024 and whether by the end of November this year, she will still be a democracy.

I know that there are many things that I would like to work on to improve my life, my family’s life, and hopefully even have a positive impact on the lives of Americans and other people around the world.  I know that I can accomplish this even if I am successful at only one thing; helping to assure that America will remain a democracy.  If mentioning things I would like to work on to improve my life, my family’s lives and contribute to making the lives of others around the world better constitute resolutions, then I suppose I did make resolutions this year after all.

Anyway, I often find myself thinking again-and-again about things like 1) I would love to improve my life physically, mentally, and spiritually; how can I do that?  …Donald Trump and “The Big Lie;” will he be reelected and what impact will he continue to have on America?

2) What can I do to make things better for my family, help enhance their happiness and likelihood of their personal success and help make things better for my fellow Americans and others around the world?  …Donald Trump and “The Big Lie;” will he be reelected and what impact will he continue to have on America?

3) What do I need to do to move things that I have on the back burner, which seem to be right on the verge of success, to the front burner and onto the success side of the ledger?  …Donald Trump and “The Big Lie;” will he be reelected and what impact will he continue to have on America?… you get the gist of what is happening here.  Whether it is reasonable or unreasonable, Trump and the harm that he is doing to America is always on my mind.

I find myself thinking about all the Americans who have put their complete faith and trust in Trump even though he has shown them who he is.  I cannot help but to think, how can these people be so stupid!  Many, if not most, of these Americans are reasonable people whom, to the best of their ability, are fair-minded and care about the feelings and perspectives of other people.  They might despise the things that Trump has done and continues to do in his personal life but they love the policies – he has no actual polices of his own – that they envision he represents.

This combined with the divisiveness, hatred and fear he has so effectively cultivated and exploited in them, compels them to follow him and vote for him regardless of his despicable character.  In essence, these “many” or “most” Americans are just good Americans whom I oftentimes disagree with on political matters.  Under these circumstances, upon reflection, I think, perhaps I am being unfair in calling them stupid.

Although Trump is faced with multiple legal issues, he is continuing to hold onto “The Big Lie” and spout lies about the 2020 election and advance conspiracies as America moves toward the 2024 election.  He acts as if he does not have a care in the world while he defies court orders and breaks all the rules that would immediately land anyone else in jail.  He mocks the U.S. justice system and dares it to do anything about his outrageous antics.

This puts pressure on those, like Special Counsel Jack Smith, who are following the rules and no doubt adds to the stress that they are already under.  All of this is happening while with every opportunity he gets between court appearances and strategizing with his attorneys, Trump is egging his MAGA followers on by continuously feeding them the MAGA farce of making America great again by taking them back to the “good ole days.  Good ole days for who?!

The sooner these “many” or “most” Americans wake up and realize that Donald J. Trump –  this former The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America, this want-to-be dictator, this man who called military men and women who served or currently serve their country losers and suckers, this man who did not want to go visit the graves of fallen soldiers because he did not want to get wet, this man who did not want to appear in public with wounded veterans because in his mind “it made him look bad,” this man who – to this day – continues to mock the late Senator John McCain, this man who regularly denigrates women and said that you can grab them by their p***y and they let you if you are a star, this man that said that General Mark Milley should be executed, this man…and the list goes on – only cares about Donald J. Trump the better off that they and the rest of America will be.

MAGA?  America does not need MAGA; she is already great!  And as for the “good ole days,” again, I say good ole days for who?!

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line