How can you stop the rain from falling down? I have heard so many sad stories in recent weeks that I find myself heartbroken and depressed. Here are just a few of those sad stories.
My friend has three children. One of them announced that he wants to change his sex—become trans, if you will. His family, his school, and his church have all been supportive. All was going okay until Donald Trump came back to town with his many “anti-trans” cronies. Now his mom and dad notice that their child is increasingly anxious. My friend told me that he and his wife decided to remove all knives from the kitchen. It’s heartbreaking.
Another friend is a professor who taught classes centered around racial injustice throughout her career. She wrote textbooks. Two weeks ago, one of her textbooks was removed from the shelves of the Naval Academy. You could say in essence it was her life’s work.
My neighbor’s daughter got her Ph.D. at Columbia where she focused on healthcare. She worked at the Agency for International Development, helping people in underdeveloped countries deal with healthcare issues. Along with almost 10,000 other employees from AID, she lost her job. She has two small children. And, like many of her colleagues, she now spends her days job hunting.
Another friend’s daughter finished her Ph.D. about two years ago and finally got her dream research job at the National Institute of Health. Her funding has been cut. Each day she waits to hear if her job has been too.
I could go on with several more pages of sad stories, but I’ll stop right here.
Think about it. These people are not greedy. They are not evil. They are not seeking retribution. They want to be recognized for who they are. They were doing important work to improve the lives of others.
What makes hearing these sad stories even more difficult is to see the flagrant excess all around us.
Trump’s desire for a $400 million “flying Palace.”
The planning for a ridiculous $45 million military parade. (Gentle readers let me remind you what happened when George Bush had a military parade in 1991 to celebrate the end of the Gulf War. Let’s just say DC streets were not prepared to handle 67-ton tanks and 30-ton Bradley fighting vehicles. Both caused significant damage to the roads. I understand this time metal plates may be installed on the roads which will cost a princely sum, yet another complete waste of taxpayer dollars.)
Endless trips to golf courses involving security and motorcades.
Crazy Trump meme-coin White House dinners for the 220 highest purchasers of these collectors’ items.
The Trump brothers’ trip to Dubai to announce a new Trump hotel.
Jared Kushner searching Albania for a new “Gold Coast” location.
So, what I see now are seriously diligent hardworking people suffering. And unserious people smugly flaunting ostentatious wealth.
With inflation and rising prices looming once these tariffs take full effect, perhaps some kind of reckoning will take place. Let’s just say it can’t be soon enough.
Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of the federal human capital practice of an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, music, and nature.
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