Back in time by Sue Robin

I am stepping back in time this afternoon. My computer is in for repairs, and I sit here now with pen, pad, and that crazy itch to share my thoughts.

The anguish generated by this current administration continues unabated. Tears come and go, sometimes because something utterly sweet pops up in my feed (a baby, puppy, or an act of kindness), but more often from the ugliness that is blanketing our country.

Number 47 continues to claim he is rooting out antisemitism at Harvard and other universities. I believe that Trump does not give a rat’s ass about antisemitism and uses it as a ploy to aggravate the Palestinian community and their supporters so they will attack Jews. Have I fallen down another rabbit hole of convoluted thinking as I try to understand the insanity that is destroying our country from the inside out?

Let me see if I can explain my thinking, to myself as well as to you. Trump has for many years expressed his disrespect for the Arab community. He banned Arabs from entering the USA in his first administration and is now expanding his list of banned countries. He has claimed that he will take over Gaza, force the Palestinians out, and build a big, beautiful golf resort on the beach. What Chutzpah!

On the other hand, Trump has spoken supportively of many groups such as The Proud Boys and The Oath Keepers, whose main purpose is to rid the world of Jews, Arabs, People of Color, and LGBTQ.

When he speaks out, purportedly to protect the Jews from antisemitism, but does not speak out against the devastation in Gaza, it produces a reaction against the Jews. I believe 47’s rhetoric has contributed to the huge increase in antisemitic attacks. Per the ADL, from 2020 through 2024, attacks on Jews increased by 344%. There have been 9,354 attacks in 2024 alone. 

It seems whatever he does, he does to serve his own interests. He met with Arab leaders, where he was gifted a 400-million-dollar plane, and his family made million-dollar deals. No concerns for human rights were raised. No peace deals. No return of hostages. Just money!

He continues to support Netanyahu despite the deaths of Gazan civilians, the destruction of homes and hospitals, and the halting by Israel of food and medicine. All human rights violations. Does Trump do it in hopes of making his cockamamie dream of owning the Gaza Strip himself come true?

All of this inflames the Arab community. Jews around the world suffer the consequences. Recently, there have been horrific incidents resulting in the deaths of two Israelis and a fiery assault on people marching in support of the release of hostages. As a Jew, I am terrified, but I think no less than the terror I feel as an American watching my country in free fall.

Another thread (and there are many) that keeps me awake at night is the obliteration of the pardon process. Trump’s pardons are not vetted for contrition, but for how much money they or their family have given to Trump’s coffers or how vociferously they support his every deed. The January 6^th pardons for a violent insurrection leave me reeling, but no less so than the pardons for people convicted of bank and Medicare fraud. Why are these people being pardoned? Follow the money and the adulation. Ugh!

Another appalling and frightening unraveling is happening in my hometown now. The resistance to the inhumane and unlawful treatment of immigrants is strong here. People were protesting peacefully, and yet Trump felt it necessary to call in the National Guard. He did this despite the lack of violence and the Chief of Police stating that things were under control, and our governor asserting that the guard was not needed. Is it any wonder I feel that we are now living under a dictatorship?

The paper and pen allowed me to scribble down my pain. I am grateful that my computer has been rehabbed, and I can now type my handwritten pages. I type much faster than my hand can write, and I love being able to edit on the fly. The only thing I would really like to go back in time for is the civility that once existed, however imperfectly, in our country. I know that transformation is solidified more quickly with kindness and respect and does not leave a trail of ugliness behind it.