I’m not really into politics nor do I follow every news story or tweet, but my grotesque obsession over Donald Trump continues. He’s one part horror show, one part freak show, one part agent of change. I can’t decide if I hate or love the man or for that matter have much of an opinion of his presidency.
There are some things I think are just awful about Trump. He seems to have a very poor understanding of economics, international relationships, climate change and science. It’s fine to have an opinion and be a conservative, but you should have a basic understanding of the concrete facts your dealing with as our nation’s chief executive. Sometimes liberals insist on policy outcomes not based on the facts but their own values without considering values and priorities of other Americans — but they sometimes are more grounded in reality rather then rhetoric.
And I think Trump is just wrong on immigration. Immigrants are the fabric of our community, and while illegal immigration is problematic, we should find solutions to integrate immigrants already here, and go after employers who break immigrant law. Immigrants rarely take American’s jobs, because most of the lowest skilled jobs aren’t that attractive to Americans. If we want more jobs, we should have taxpayer-support of public colleges and training, so people can get the skills needed to succeed in our economy. We shouldn’t discourage international trade, we should encourage fair trade.
At the same time, I like the idea that Donald Trump is pushing a smaller government – I think the government at all levels had gotten too involved in too many people’s lives, pushing the trendy social causes of the day, spending too much time and money to save puppies and cute children. Government has core responsibilities, but we should empower private citizens rather then state to mediate conflicts. We don’t need more laws, we just need simpler, more enforceable laws, and fewer of them. Government needs to spend less time trying to stop the next so-called tragedy, and focus on making people’s lives better today.
To that matter, I am not that horrified by his budget proposal, as much as I’m amused by it, even if it spends too much on military defense and the police state. We need an honest discussion of government programs, and those that are absolutely necessary, Congress should reinstate. Sometimes it’s better to start at ground zero, and build back up. Maybe they shouldn’t keep doing things the same way in government, because that’s the way they’ve always done it.
To be sure, I’m not thrilled by Donald Trump. I thought Barack Obama had a better grasp of the facts, and delivered a healthcare program, while not perfect, helped out a lot of people. But as they say, there is always more to do. Mr. Trump has three years left to prove himself, and ultimately governing is not defined by who has the best rhetoric, but who gets the best results. People need to learn that things need to change, so we can make life better for people.
I often think Memorial Day is one of the most tragic holidays, as it’s one that honors the war dead, young men and women killed by the folly of our leaders.
Most war could be ended if our leaders had more of a calm demeanor, more of an ability to listen and to bridge differences through discussion and negotiations rather than violence.
World-wide the planet is making progress at ending war but its happening at much too slow of a pace. Fewer people are dying in modern times from war but its still not obsolete yet. But it should be as war and violence is totally unnecessary in modern times.
Today's provisional data release from CDC's National Vital Statistics System shows a remarkable nearly 27% decrease in predicted drug overdose deaths in 2024 compared to 2023 on average, this decline suggests more than 81 lives saved every day.
Since President Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency in 2017, Congressional support has enabled CDC to expand critical data systems and strengthen overdose prevention capacity across all states. These investments have empowered us to rapidly collect, analyze, and share actionable data—enabling communities to better understand the specific drivers of overdose in their area and tailor prevention strategies to meet their unique local needs. Since late 2023, overdose deaths have steadily declined each month—a strong sign that public health interventions are making a difference and having a meaningful impact.
