Praying for rain on America’s birthday

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Donald Trump, the five-time draft dodger, is celebrating himself with a military parade. The hijacking of America’s birthday has not only turned a traditionally apolitical event into a likely 2020 campaign speech, it is impossible not to wonder if Hillary’s name will appear as the 21st century version of the Axis of Evil.

There is a clear plan here. This wasteful celebration of American values is set to re-write those values to reflect his own. Military tanks, representatives from all branches of the military and planes flying overhead present a militaristic vision of America that only exists in Trump’s mind. Trump is well aware of the fact that he is the most unliked president in history. Telling us to ignore the polls and what we see, or even to add ten points to any poll, is just a continuation of Trump’s own vision of history, stealing a page from the dictators he loves and admires. He is providing the American people with the authoritarian vision of popularity – You will love me.

It’s almost possible to envision Trump, in his secret lab, rubbing his hands together, laughing an evil laugh. My parade will be the biggest. The world will hear me speak and they will see me as the one who changed Democracy forever. Evil plot be damned, though, as MSNBC has opted to not carry the Trump spectacle, and other networks are leaning in that direction.

Trump’s distortion of America is devaluing the America built on immigrants coming through Ellis Island, and devaluing the First Amendment. As immigrants rot in cages, Republicans will sit in the V.I.P. section to see Trump’s vision of America. That’s right, the 2020 Trump campaign confirmed that they are indeed handing out tickets to a V.I.P. section. This new America, where we kick the homeless to a place they cannot be seen, will be a dark stain on our history. I am praying for torrential rain.

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