By Gary Norris Gray, Staff Reporter 

OAKLAND, CA.- This president has done the impossible. He has lowered the standard of the office, he has lowered the respect of our great nation, and he has permitted the dark racial animus to raise its ugly head again. He has allowed the longest government shutdown in American history with 800,000 workers not getting paid for three weeks. This will be the legacy of this administration.

Remember the three main characters following Dorothy down the yellow brick road. The scarecrow, lion, and tin man all needed qualities to make themselves a better person, to complete them. This president needs all three of these qualities and even then it might not be enough.

The question remains is he the man behind that big green curtain. Is he the man with the bellicose voice scaring people to death with veiled threats of actions? Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi finally pulled that curtain and put the brakes on Donald J. Trump. This should have been done a year ago by his own party.

The Nation is better for her actions.

This man is the master of deceit and deception. He is unethical and lies with his bombast, tweets, and threats claiming his tax cuts would create jobs in the United States while it has done the complete opposite. He claims that North Korea and Russia pose no threat, while Iran is the Great Satan. Again, the complete opposite of what our Nation’s intelligence departments are reporting.

This man was willing to shut down the nation’s airways, national parks, and government agencies because he did not get what he wanted, he was willing to starve Americans, put migrant children in steel cages, contribute to the homeless, close down schools, and harass the National Football League pointing a finger at former 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick, calling him and others S.O.B.’s.

THIS IS OUR STATE OF THE UNION

So who’s reality are we living?

The State of the Union is under siege.

AT&T laid off 4,000.

Macy’s laid off 10,000.

General Electric laid off 12,000.

Carrier is laying off 215 more in Indiana.

The United States has lost 40,000 tourist jobs last year and will lose 2,000 more this year.

Sears closing over 100 stores.

Toys R US closed 180 stores.

The State of California last year felt the sting of Mainland China refusing to buy soybeans because of the American tax and tariffs imposed by this president. The Chinese government resumed trade in January 2019.

Farms all over this nation are beginning to have worker shortages in the field because our Latin brothers and sisters are not willing to take the risk of being harassed by the legal authorities whether they are documented or undocumented.

Domestically, the systematic dismantling of our social, racial, and economic system is underway creating stress, grief, death, mistrust, and denial.

Follow the Yellow Brick Road, this president had two years to pass a bill to build the wall he promised for his supporters but he never pushed the issue for a vote in the Republican-dominated Senate or the Republican-dominated House. We all should be asking WHY? He then demanded the wall after the Democrats captured the House forcing a political showdown and a shutdown. Throwing America into chaos. This is theater at its best and Donald J. Trump has perfected this art.

Your programs, Sir, have created a hostile racial sexual, and economic environment; example the events in Portland, Oregon, Charlottesville, Virginia, and Berkeley, California.

You, Sir, attack poor people, people of color, and women consistently. These actions are being carried out by your surrogates, your cabinet appointees, who know little or nothing about domestic or foreign politics. These cabinet members do not care how it affects the common American. The most recent partial government shut down of 35 days throwing the American economy into a roller coaster ride. What was the point?

You, Sir, are putting many disabled individuals in danger by cutting the safety nets that they depend on to live and by cutting the availability to attend American public schools.

You, Sir, are putting Americans in danger passing the American Health Care Act dismantling the Affordable Care Act or “Obamacare.” Why? Because he could as President.

You, Sir, are putting our military families in danger by disclosing sensitive military information.

 You, Sir, have put transgendered military personnel in individual danger by forcing them out of the military service by identifying them as transgendered. These young men and women gladly served and protected our great nation.

 You, Sir, are putting African Americans in danger by being with cohorts of the new political Alt-Right Movement and known Ku Klux Klan and White Knights members in your cabinet. Former United States Attorney General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions was the so-called leaders in his invisible white robe. Ben Carson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and Elaine Chao, Secretary of Transportation are the only people of color in his cabinet of 40 individuals; this will also be the legacy of this presidency.

You, Sir, have called countries of color S***Hole countries because you, Sir, just don’t like them because they do not live up to your standards or look like you, Sir. Hate crimes have jumped up 17-21% since you have entered the White House. You, Sir, have given the silent green light for this kind of behavior.

 You, Sir, have disrespected the former President of the United States, The former Secretary of State, and the former Attorney General.

You, Sir, have disrespected gold star parents who gave their only son or daughter to this great nation and who represented Americans fighting for the United States.

You, Sir, have attacked the American Press Corps for doing their job reporting the news. This is the same press corps which allowed you to ascend to the White House. 

 You, Sir, have joked about a disabled reporter from New York and one should never make fun of another’s disability because one day if we all live long enough, will be disabled.

 You, Sir, have attacked the leaders of the Christian World and the Moslem World at the same time.

You, Sir, have disregarded the health, safety, and welfare of my Native American Brothers and Sisters in the great northwest with the re-start of the Dakota Access Pipeline which has leaked twice since your presidency.

You, Sir, have attacked the very foundation that made America great, immigrants. Without immigration, you would not be here, Sir.

You, Sir, want a wall from Texas to Southern California, yet the very forces you are trying to stop can enter the United States via boat, train, or airplane. Just ask the residents of Eastern Pennsylvania, Northern and Central New Jersey, Southern New York, Western Delaware, and Connecticut.

 You, Sir, are supporting leaders of nations like Russia, North Korea, The Philippines, China, and Venezuela that do not have American values or American interests. The values Americans hold dear. Lastly, you have cooperated with a foreign power, the former, Soviet Union, now Russian Federation, during an election year, a power that is our so-called political enemy.

You, Sir, want Americans to pay taxes but then you will not let the American public see how much you have paid or not paid. WHY?

Sir, many Americans want to know are you a man for the people or are you just out for yourself? When you entered the White House in 2016 the American house was performing well and healthy, not anymore. You have made friends with our enemies and enemies of our friends.

It is time for you to be President of the United States not the president of rich people, not the president of billionaires. It is time for you and your administration to stop causing controversies, confusion, and diversions.

It is time for you to govern the country and unite its wonderful people as one. We are the United States of America and we stand for freedom, justice, and equality.

The State of Our Union is broken, get ready for another government shutdown.

Mr. President, pick up that Heart, that Brain and Courage at the end of the yellow brick road and truly make America great again. Compassion goes a long way for a battered and broken soul and a battered nation.

THIS IS THE STATE OF OUR UNION!!!

Gary Norris Gray – Writer, Author, Historian, Gibbs Magazine-Oakland, California and New England Informer- Boston, Mass. THE GRAYLINE:- The Analects of A Black Disabled Man, The Gray Leopard Cove, Soul Tree Radio In The Raw, and The Batchelor Pad Network, Disabled Community Activist. Email Glcgray@gmail.com

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