The one thing about Sean Spicer's recent bout of stupidity that I haven't heard mentioned

There isn't much left to be said about White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer's recent inane comparison between Hitler and Assad and his declaration that Hitler did not use chemical weapons in World War II.

It was so, so stupid.

But I think one thing has been missed in all the coverage that this moment has received:

In addition to the stupidity of his statements, Sean Spicer is an inarticulate person. Just listen to his attempts to string actual sentences together into a coherent, cohesive message as he struggles to clarify his Hitler comment. He's a verbal disaster. His inability to pause, think on his feet, slow down, and speak clearly should alone disqualify him for the position.

Being a White House Press Secretary is not an easy job. You face enormous unpredictability and a room filled with professional journalists who are hell bent on finding the truth. You have to keep enormous amounts of information at your fingertips at all times and be able to articulate the administration's position on any number of issues.

Still, you're the White House Press Secretary. You need to speak in complete sentences. 

It only got worse when Spicer released an explanation (but not an apology) of his comments. It took at least three separately-released revisions of his statement before he finally got it right.  

In the first explanation (but apology), Spicer mentions the tactic of dropping dropping chemical weapons on "innocent people."

In this second version, "innocent people" is replaced with "population centers," probably because the millions of people who Hitler murdered using chemical weapons were also innocent.   

In this final version (I think), he removed that offensive "however."

"In no way was I trying to lessen the horrendous nature of the Holocaust, however..." was not received well by anyone. 

He also added a sentence of extreme obviousness to the end of the statement, which is the closest he will come to an apology and yet is nowhere close to an apology. 

Saying dumb things is unacceptable for a White House Press Secretary. Though we are all permitted to make mistakes, Spicer has been making a lot of them. He has been caught in many, many lies, including that infamous fake terrorist incident in Atlanta and those record-breaking inauguration crowds. 

Saying dumb things is very bad. Lying is worse. 

But the inability to say anything clearly or release a statement without at least three revisions to that statement should disqualify you from the job. 

Meals on Wheels: My grandparents (and science) understand the importance for this program

My grandparents - my mémère and pépère - delivered Meals on Wheels to senior citizens for years. I once asked Pépère to explain Meals on Wheels to me. He said that he was visiting seniors. Saying hello, bringing them food, and making sure they didn't need anything else.  

"It's hard to get old," he told me. He said that the food was important to these people, but the smile and the hello was just as important. 

As you may have heard, Donald Trump's proposed budget cuts funding to Meals on Wheels, which feeds 2.4 millions seniors every year, including 500,000 veterans.  

Here's the good news:

• Meals on Wheels receives most of its funding from corporate and private sources, so even if these cuts were to happen, Meals on Wheels would continue to exist. 
• Presidential budgets are wish lists that are often "dead on arrival" to Capitol Hill. Given the scope of the proposed cuts, the opposition within his own party to many cuts, and his recent string of losses, this budget is especially "dead on arrival."
• While Donald Trump may see this program as a waste of money, it is unlikely that Congress will cut its funding given the infinitesimal percentage of the budget that it requires.    

The most offensive aspect of Trump's proposed cut to Meals on Wheels is the accusation that the program is "just not showing any results.” 

If you want to argue that the money could be better spent, fine.

If you want to argue that more seniors could be helped if the money was shifted to a different program, great.

But lying about the ineffectiveness of a program that by all accounts makes an enormous difference in the lives of seniors is a disgusting and cowardly act. 

Research reported in the New York Times includes:

“In 2014, researchers explored the evidence on whether home-delivered meal programs improved the diet and nutrition of older Americans. They found eight studies, two of which were randomized controlled trials. Six of the eight showed that programs like Meals on Wheels improve the quality of people’s diet, increase their nutrient intake, and reduce their food insecurity and nutritional risk. They also noted that the programs increased chances for human contact and improved quality of life.

It’s important to recognize that the program’s benefits are not merely nutritional. A 2016 study showed that participants in the Meals on Wheels program had lower loneliness scores. A 2013 study showed that spending on services like Meals on Wheels was associated with less reliance on institutionalized care, because more people could live independently at home. They may even have fewer falls at home and less worry about being able to remain there.

It’s important to recognize that the program’s benefits are not merely nutritional. A 2016 study showed that participants in the Meals on Wheels program had lower loneliness scores. A 2013 study showed that spending on services like Meals on Wheels was associated with less reliance on institutionalized care, because more people could live independently at home. They may even have fewer falls at home and less worry about being able to remain there.

Researchers conducted economic analyses in 2013 and showed that if all states had increased the number of older Americans who had received Meals on Wheels by just 1 percent, the states would have saved Medicaid more than $109 million. Most of those savings would have come from reductions in the need for nursing home care.”

If my Pépère were alive today, he probably could've told Trump most of this without needing to spend a dime on research. He volunteered his time to help these senior citizens in need of help. He understood the importance of the program. He knew the people whose lives were substantially improved by this program.

As a person who has experienced food insecurity and hunger in my life, you can't underestimate the value of a dependable meal every day. 

Donald Trump grew up in a wealthy home and was given a multi-million dollar handout at the start of his career. He hasn't been hungry a day in his life.  

In the absence of my grandfather's advice, Donald Trump could follow this simple rule:

When you can afford to spend more than three million dollars of taxpayer money nearly every weekend in order to play golf in Florida (and then lie about playing golf despite photographic evidence proving otherwise), you can afford to continue to feed impoverished senior citizens and veterans who depend on this program for their daily nutrition.  

A bunch of white men apparently too stupid to realize that they are all white men.

Earlier in the week, I wrote about my belief that the country would be in better hands if more women were in charge.

Perfect example:

This is the photograph of the yesterday's healthcare negotiations between Mike Pence and the Freedom Caucus, where attempts were made to negotiate away birth control, maternity care, abortion from the bill. 

Two dozen white men - apparently too stupid to realize that there were only white men in the room - determining how women's healthcare will be administered in the future. 

Their attempts to deny women of this basic healthcare coverage is horrendous.

Their obliviousness over the lack of women or anyone of color in these negotiations is equally appalling. And this was the photograph that the White House chose to release to the public.

Astounding. 

This is hardly the first time that Republicans (including Pence and Ryan) were this stupid.

What I try to teach my girls

As a fifth grade teacher, I am often shocked at the disparity in maturity between ten year-old boys and girls.

I've known many fifth grade girls who could effectively enter the workforce if they so desired. 

I've known many fifth grade boys who still can't get their food from plate to mouth without a sizable portion landing on their shirt. 

I shouldn't be surprised. Science has repeatedly shown that girls mature faster than boys. In fact, researchers have recently discovered that female brains mature up to ten years earlier than boy's brains.

As a result, I am equally shocked at boys' ability to somehow catch up to girls. Despite the enormous lead that girls enjoy in fifth grade, boys will somehow catch up to girls along the way, and as a result, we end up with a world ruled by men.

In the House, there are currently 362 men and 76 women.
In the Senate, there are 83 men and 17 women.
In the White House, we have had 45 men as President and 0 women. 

I have long thought that our country would be run more effectively if we flipped these numbers.

I know that many factors contribute to boys ability to catch up and surpass women when it comes to positions of power.

An entrenched, often religiously supported patriarchy.
Draconian laws relating to maternity leave and childcare.
Unchecked sexism in the workplace.

But I also think Amal Clooney is right when she suggests that women must stand together rather than competing and criticizing one another.

It's a message I send to my fifth grade girls every year:

Never fight over a boy. Boys are a dime a dozen, and most of them are worthless in terms of boyfriend potential until they're at least 24 years-old. 

Never insult another girl's physical appearance. You need to stand together. You can't allow the length of a length of a hemline, the height of a heel, or the size of a waistline get in the way of your much needed solidarity.

Compete with boys rather than chasing after them. Seek to push them off the mountain at every turn. The boys worth your time and attention will be the ones who respect your willingness to compete and desire for greatness.  

I don't know if these messages leave a lasting mark on the dozen or so girls in my class every year, but I hope so. They have so much potential and possibility when they are ten years old. They are ready to take over the world at this age.

I also know that hormones and peer pressure can be powerful forces, too.

But I dream of a day when this potential and possibility is fully realized, and women can take assume their rightful place at the mantle of leadership and steer our country along a more rationale, compassionate, and sensible path.   

I think Amal Clooney's message is a good one. Not the answer, for sure, but a small step in the right direction. 

Details matter. They matter a hell of a lot.

This was the fundraising letter sent to supporters upon Trump's announcement of the new travel ban, which was thankfully halted by a federal judge last night.  

The failure of communication from this administration is astounding. 

The first bullet, for example:

• Temporarily Restricting immigration from six countries comprised by radical Islamic terrorism: Sudan, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, and Yeman

The first two words of the sentence are capitalized, which also makes no sense. 

The first two words of the next bullet are also capitalized, but not the first two words of the third bullet. 

This is a mess. And the actual content isn't much better. 

Despite Trump's argument that this is not a Muslim ban, he indicates in this letter that these countries were chosen specifically because they are "comprised by" radical Islamic terrorism, which clearly implies (if you can get beyond the grammar) that one religion is being targeted over another (which is one of the very reasons the federal judge halted the ban), even though the majority of terrorist attacks in this country are committed by Americans.

In fact, no act of terrorism has been committed on American soil by anyone from these six nations since 9/11, and Saudi Arabia, where almost all of the 9/11 terrorists originated, is not on the list. 

And Iraq, the very center of ISIS activity in the world, has now been removed from the list. Logic would dictate that if your travel ban is essential for keeping terrorists out of America, the first country on the list should be Iraq. 

Of course this is a Muslim ban. Trump referred to it as a Muslim ban many, many times on the campaign trail and after the election. His own words have doomed these Executive Orders right from the start.

You may say I'm nitpicking here. Who cares about grammar and capitalization? But details matter. When a President who is attempting to change something as complex as the American healthcare system, details matter. They matter a lot. They are the difference between the elderly having access to affordable healthcare and the ultra-wealthy receiving massive tax breaks as part of the proposed plan.

For many Americans, the details in this healthcare plan will be the difference between whether they live or die.

Details matter. 

This administration doesn't seem to think so. 

Trump's Housing and Urban Development Cabinet chief, Ben Carson, recently referred to slaves as immigrants.

His chief White House counselor Kellyanne Conway introduced the world to the notion of an "alternative facts."

His national security advisor, Michael Flynn, was an agent for a foreign power who lied about communication with the Russians during the election - facts which Trump knew about for weeks before finally firing him. 

Trump accused a former President of wiretapping based solely on a right-wing report based upon the unsubstantiated claims of a right-wing talk show host. He claimed - once again - that his Electoral victory was the largest since Reagan, only to be corrected by a White House reporter again.

His response: "I was given that information. We had a very, very big margin."

"Given that information?" By who? The President's team can't conduct a simple Google search? Or more likely, Trump was either lying or spitballing because details don't matter to this administration.

His Electoral win, by the way, was not as large as George Bush, Bill Clinton, or Barack Obama. In fact, it was one of the narrowest Electoral victories in American history. 

Details matter.

But when you have the resources of the Republican party and the United States government at your disposal and you can't produce a letter that is grammatically correct, you make it clear that details don't matter at all to you.

This might be the most frightening aspect of the Trump administration.

In case you missed it, an important comment from a reader

On February 13, I wrote a piece about the astonishing number of typos and errors that had proliferated from the Trump administration on a single day, including the imaginary Bowling Green Massacre and a typo on the official inaugural photo of Donald Trump.

I just noticed that I received a comment on the post from someone who identifies himself as "Mike Pruitt" and worried that perhaps regular readers (like me) failed to notice Mike's scintillating prose. 

I post it here for your reading enjoyment:

“I wonder if this special little snowflake wrote an article on all of the Obama Administration’s typos? Nah, he was too busy trying to figure out a way to detach himself from Obama’s nutsack to bother with that.”

I always appreciate it when readers take the time to comment on something I have written. I wish that Mike's level of discourse was slightly elevated, but not everyone can adhere to the "no name calling" and "avoidance of vulgarity" policies that I have self-imposed. Nor should they.   

I also wish that Mike hadn't fallen back on the too-often used insult of "snowflake," which is a common refrain from right wing Internet trolls these days. It's not that "snowflake" hurts me in anyway. I just appreciate variety, creativity, and ingenuity too much to enjoy an overused zinger like "snowflake."

Mike is also correct that I did not write a post about all of the Obama administration typos. I'd remind Mike that I'm not a journalist and therefore have no ethical requirement to balance my commentary in any way whatsoever, but I'd also tell him that I have no recollection of any prominent Obama-administration gaffs of the kind I wrote about that day.

• No typos on either of Obama's inauguration photos. I checked. 
• No memorable misspellings of famous people's names.
• No false attributions of quotations to former Presidents.
• No fake terrorist attacks. 

Obama, to my recollection, never mistakenly asserted that a famous American like Frederick Douglass, who has been dead for more than 150 years, was still alive, and his administration, to my knowledge, never referred to African slaves as "immigrants."

Obama's administration was simply more precise in my admittedly imperfect memory.  

 An examination of President Obama's last 200 tweets also reveals no typos that I can see.

By contrast, there are THREE typos in Donald Trump's last 10 tweets, and that doesn't include the tweet that he posted and deleted FOUR TIMES before finally getting the word "hereby" correct.

Count that one and he has SEVEN typos is the last 10 tweets.

Writing a post about the Obama administration's typos might have simply required far too much research to write. There may not be enough of them to make the post worthwhile. I like low hanging fruit, and the Trump administration provides it in bushels.  

Still, I always appreciate the feedback, even when it's not entirely positive and slightly vulgar.  

I fear that this sentiment may be in short supply today.

Critics of food stamps need to experience a childhood of hunger

There's a lot of talk amongst Trump supporters and the far right about the way in which food stamps are decimating the federal budget and costing American taxpayers millions.

If you hear people speaking like this, I would like you to consider saying something in response. These are criticisms that cannot be allowed to stand. 

As a child, my family received food stamps. My parents worked full time until my mother was injured at work and permanently disabled. She received a settlement for her disability, but even with these two incomes, my parents received food stamps at certain times in our lives. We also received cheese and milk from the WIC and an occasional donation of food from the church.

Despite all of this support, I was hungry as a child.

I was hungry a lot. 

This is why I become so enraged when I hear people talk about food stamps as the bane of the federal budget. 

The annual report from the United States Department of Agriculture showed that about 45 percent of food stamp benefits went to children under 18, totaling about 20 million youngsters. Nine percent of recipients were age 60 or older, and nearly 10 percent were disabled adults who were under 60, according to the analysis of food stamp usage for the fiscal year that ended in September 2014.

I know that there is fraud and abuse in the food stamp program (as there are in MANY PARTS of our nation's budget, including the military), but this does not make it bad or unnecessary. When I hear someone complain about the less than two percent of our annual budget that feeds people who would otherwise go hungry, I ask:

Do you really think that I should have been hungrier as a child?

Did I not deserve the food that I received as a child thanks to food stamps?

Do you really think the wealthiest nation on the planet should allow children, the elderly, the disabled, and even those abled bodied adults who are experiencing unexpected difficulties to go hungry?

Hunger is a terrible thing. When I was homeless later in life, I was often hungry, but because I had no address or phone number, I was not eligible for many of the benefits that might have otherwise been able to receive, including food stamps. Nor could I find a job without an address or phone number. Had it not been for friends and former employees who took me in when I was in desperate need of help, I might still be hungry today. 

I am not opposed to rooting out waste and fraud. I am not opposed to making things more efficient in order to save money. But when I hear well fed people talk about cutting back on food stamps for people who genuinely need them to eat, it makes me wish that these lawmakers could experience hunger in the way that so many Americans have experienced it in their lives.

It's easy to cast judgment on others with a full belly. 

A sign attached to a vending machine accurately describes the emotional state of many Americans

I fear that this sign - stuck to the front of a vending machine - perfectly encapsulates how many Americans are feeling these days. 

The Education Secretary is knowingly endangering children

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos opposed Donald Trump's reversal of Obama's transgender restroom policy because she worried that the reversal would hurt and potentially endanger children in schools.

When faced with the choice of supporting Trump's reversal of the policy (which he promised not to do during the campaign) or resign, DeVos opted support the policy and keep her job.

To be clear: Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has knowingly placed children in danger in order to save her job.

The glory and might of a good old fashioned pillow fight

Back in the early 1990's, when I was living in Attleboro, MA with my best friend, Bengi, in a home we affectionately referred to as The Heavy Metal Playhouse, we engaged in some of the most epic pillow fights in history.

After sunset, the shades would be pulled, the lights turned out, and anywhere from four to eight of us would use pillows, sofa cushions, and even stuffed animals to wallop one another in the near-pitch dark. The sofa cushions has zippers, so they would occasionally leave scratches across faces, arms, and legs, but we wore those scratches as badges of honor.

Couches would be tipped over to provide cover against frontal assaults. Temporary alliances would form out of desperate necessity. Smaller pillows would be fired as projectile weapons across the room. Occasionally a guy and girl would disappear into a corner to make out until discovered by some pillow-wielding attacker who would quickly break them up.

These pillow fights could go on for hours. They were glorious.   

I feel like we could all benefit from a few more pillow fights in our lives.

Of course, not every pillow fight ends well: 

• In 1921, the New York Tribune reported that a small boy named Charles Hunton fell from his six-floor winder after having a pillow fight with his brother Arthur. Although Charles was knocked unconscious, a hospital examination found no broken bones or internal injuries. When asked how he was feeling, the boy nonchalantly said he was “fine” and asked for some ice cream.
• New York police responded to a hospital riot in 1953, but found something more unusual: The New York Herald reported that rival wings of a narcotics ward at Riverside Hospital erupted into an intense pillow fight. Seventy-two men engaged in the melee before armed police came to shut it down. The brawl started at around 10 p.m., but was quelled within 45 minutes. 
• Leave it to the police to ruin yet another good pillow fight. In 2009, a public pillow fight planned at Campus Martius Park was shut down before it even began. Detroit Free Press said police arrived at the scene and sent potential fighters home. "We don't have a problem with consenting adults hitting each other with pillows, but the issue becomes cleanup," Detroit Spokesperson James Tate said. 

Men who grumble about jeans and sweaters are stupid.

Back in December I wrote a piece about the stupidity of forbidding jeans in the workplace.

Just a couple days ago, I wrote a piece about the stupidity of bemoaning casual dress in America.

Yesterday a reader sent me this story about North Dakota's Governor Doug Burgum being asked to leave the North Dakota Senate floor for wearing jeans.

Burgum is a Republican. 

Burgum's preference for jeans and sweaters has reportedly spurred much grumbling at the Capitol among many male lawmakers who wear a suit and tie when the Legislature is in session.

Can you imagine? The state is facing a one billion dollar budget deficit - the largest in the country - and these lawmakers are grumbling about what about the clothing that the governor of the state is wearing.

Middle school nonsense. That's what this is. Wrapping a floral noose around your neck and throwing a needless coat over your shirt doesn't make you a better leader. 

It simply makes you a better conformer.

Trump called the media "the enemy of the American people." This could not be further from the truth.

Donald Trump's assault on the press took a new and ominous step yesterday when he called the press the "enemy of the American people." At a rally in Florida, he misquoted Thomas Jefferson in an effort to defend his position, a fact brought to light by journalists. 

The Jeffersonian quote that Trump should've used was this:

"The only security of all is in a free press." - Thomas Jefferson

He might've also cited the words of South African President Nelson Mandela:

"A critical, independent and investigative press is the lifeblood of any democracy."

I understand why Trump is attempting to turn the American people against the media. In just his third week in office, journalists revealed that National Security Advisor Mike Flynn had lied to the Vice President and the American people about his discussions with Russia prior to the inauguration - lies that Trump knew about for at least two weeks and did nothing about except fire the one person (Sally Yates) who warned him about Flynn's lies and his possible exposure to blackmail as a result. 

This led to the eventual firing of Flynn - something Trump obviously wanted to avoid but needed to happen for the safety and security of the country.

The truth can be inconvenient, particularly when you are attempting to cover up illegalities in your administration. 

Thankfully, Americans are supporting the media in numbers greater than ever before. Increases in subscriptions and viewership across television and newspapers is astounding:

The New York Times - a favorite target of the President - is enjoying record numbers of digital subscriptions, and their stock is at a 52 week high.  

The media is not and never has been the enemy of the American people. The media is comprised of men and women who seek the truth on a daily basis, oftentimes risking their lives in the process.

Journalism giants like Woodward and Bernstein saved our country from a tyrant (who also referred to the press as an enemy). Trailblazing journalists like Nellie Bly changed the way mental health institutions are run today.

And then there are the thousands of journalists who have been kidnapped, tortured, murdered, beheaded, and otherwise killed in the line of duty.

1230 since 1992 alone.

Here are the faces of just a few of the men and women who have given their lives in pursuit of the truth in the last few years. A President who was granted five highly questionable military deferments during Vietnam has no right referring to our press as the enemy of the American people.

Journalists are all that stands between propaganda and truth. They are underpaid, under-appreciated, oftentimes unsung heroes of the American people.

We must stand beside them in times like these.   

My daughter embraces respectful dissent and nonconformity. Even in the face of Trump.

My eight year-old daughter, Clara, is no fan of Donald Trump. Ever since she saw a clip of him speaking poorly to Megyn Kelly on CBS Sunday Morning months ago (it seems like years ago), she has despised the man. 

Nothing since then has convinced her otherwise. Understandably so.

Still, when confronted with a weekly reader at her school featuring a piece on Trump's inauguration, she said, "Most of the kids in my class scratched his face off the cover of the magazine because they all hate him, too. But I didn't. I wanted to be respectful even though I really don't like him." 

Had Clara scratched his face off the magazine. I would not have complained. I may have even cheered the decision. 

Still, I was proud of her. I appreciated her surprisingly nuanced understanding of respectful dissent.

Her little brother, by comparison, is fond of saying that Donald Trump belongs in a trashcan.

A lot less nuance. 

Also, whenever my daughter takes the side of nonconformity, it warms her Daddy's heart. It's not always the path of least resistance (as I well know), but I believe it's the path to inner strength and enlightenment. 

Trumpian typos abound - and frighten me to death

ALL OF THIS JUST ON SUNDAY:

The US Department of Education published a tweet that spelled W.E.B. Du Bois's name incorrectly. That error stood for four hours before it was finally corrected. The Department of Education then apologized, with another typo:

“Our deepest apologizes for the earlier typo..."

Great start for Betsy DeVos. Or DuVos. Or DeVes.  

A couple hours later, the Republican Party published a tweet that quoted Abraham Lincoln on his birthday, except that it wasn't something Abraham Lincoln ever said. 

In fact, the quote probably originates from the 1940s. As the website Quote Investigator notes, a version of the quote was probably first uttered by a medical doctor named Edward J. Stieglitz, quoted in the Chicago Tribune in 1947.

To top it all off, the official inaugural photo of Donald Trump, on sale now at the Library of Congress, also has a typo in its one and only sentence:

Earlier in the week, The Trump Administration gave the press a typo-riddled lists of terrorist attacks that they claimed were not covered enough by the press.

Kellyanne Conaway's Bowling Green Massacre (a story that she has repeated multiple times until she was caught) was not on this list, but it received ample coverage nonetheless. Rightfully so. 

I know. I know. I'm an elitist for thinking that our government might have some spell checking apparatus in place and we might expect a modicum of professionalism from our leaders, but it doesn't look good and makes me worry about other items requiring precision. 

Say... the value of the dollar. The rate of inflation. Interest rates. The location to drop a bomb on a terrorist. The nuclear codes. 

The Lincoln Memorial. In blocks.

Remember when Donald Trump said that it was “very seldom” for incoming U.S. presidents to celebrate their inaugurations at the Lincoln Memorial, even though both of his predecessors had hosted far larger and more well attended inaugural events at the Lincoln Memorial?

Those were the good old days, before Trump spent a week lying about the size of his disappointing inauguration crowds, blocked immigrants and visa holders from seven majority-Muslim countries, called his decision "a ban" and then became angry at the media for calling it a ban, began the steps for ending Obamacare with nothing at all to replace it, and spoke about Frederick Douglass as if he were still alive.

It's remarkable how much a person can do in just a couple weeks. 

Back then, before the disaster of the last two weeks, Clara asked me questions about the Lincoln Memorial. We looked at some photos. Apparently she did some more looking on her own, and yesterday, she built this from memory.

The Lincoln Memorial. In blocks.

Her only regret: "I couldn't make the 50 steps that I know it has. I just didn't have the right blocks."

9 Specific Steps to Standing Against Donald Trump

1. Always remember and constantly remind others that Donald Trump became President by losing the popular vote and winning the Electoral College by the fourth slimmest margin in American history. About 25% of Americans voted him into office. And he managed this victory with help from the Russians, who decided that he was their preferred candidate. 

This is important because Trump has been dominating the headlines day after day and will continue to do so. Add to this a Republican Congress and it's easy to believe that you are in the minority and that there is little hope of turning America back on a progressive path. None of this is true. You must remember this and (more importantly) remind others of this whenever possible. People are struggling and need hope. These facts offer a desperately needed dose of perspective.

2. Do not insult Trump voters or supporters. Avoid name calling at all costs. Remember what Michelle Obama advised us to do:

When they go low, we go high.

Insulting Trump supporters only serves to divide us further, and this is not good. It's what Donald Trump wants. It's easier for him to govern when America is divided. Insult Donald Trump all you want, but respect your fellow Americans. They have made a terrible and dangerous choice, but there may come a day when they will begin to question Donald Trump and his decisions. On that day, you want to be available to them absent any former hostility or malice.   

3. Do not allow Donald Trump or his supporters to steal love of country away from us. Hold on tightly to words like "patriotism." Do not allow them to make the American flag or the steadfast support of our military their own. Assert your love for flag and country, your support of our servicemen and women, and your patriotic ideals whenever possible. Bring American flags to marches and rallies. Shake the hands of veterans and those currently serving in our military. Call yourself a patriot. Donald Trump wants to paint his opponents as subversive, weak, and un-American. We must make it clear that we love our country just as much as any other American.    

4. No matter what Trump does in the coming days and months, remember these things that he is desperate for us to forget:

1. Donald Trump has not released his tax returns despite repeated promises that he would, as every other President has done for the last 40 years. Regardless of what he says, more than 75% of Americans (including more than half of Republicans) still want him to do so. His refusal to release his tax returns in the face of these staggering numbers indicates that he is hiding something embarrassing and potentially damaging. We must not stop reminding people of this campaign promise not kept.
2. Donald Trump is a sex offender or a person who believes that pretending to be a sex offender is an effective means of making other men like him. This is embarrassing for Trump and cannot be forgotten. Men do not speak like Donald Trump did on that Access Hollywood recording, regardless of what he would have you believe. Remind people of this incident. Do not allow it to be pushed into the past.
3. Donald Trump established a fake university that stole millions from Americans. As a result, he was forced to pay a multi-million dollar settlement. He tried like hell to hide this settlement by announcing it on a Friday night in the midst of the whirlwind of other news. Don't allow this to happen.
4. Donald Trump won the election with the help of the Russians who decided that he was their preferred candidate. This is no longer speculation. Trump himself has acknowledged it. Never let him forget it.  
5. Donald Trump failed to create a blind trust or divest in his business interests as promised and as every other President has done before him. 

5. Support legitimate news sources like the New York Times, the Washington Post, Slate, and more. One of Donald Trump's most dangerous acts has been to undermine faith in legitimate media outlets that threaten to expose him for who he truly is. Thankfully, Americans have responded by subscribing to these legitimate news sources in record numbers. We must continue to support these journalists. They are the people who will investigate Trump and hold him accountable at every turn. Trump undermines the press because he is afraid of them. He has much to hide. 

6. Limit your time spent on social media. It is too easy to become consumed with politics while staring at Facebook and Twitter. Your health is too important to sacrifice it to the endless stream of posts and tweets. You have the time you need to do the things that will make you happy: exercise, meditate, play with your kids, dance in your underwear, or read a good book. You're just spending it on social media. Assign yourself a limit and then get the hell off. 

7. Call your Congresspeople. Call them often. Start by putting the names and numbers of your state Senators and Representative into your phone. Make it simple to call them, and then call often. You'll find yourself speaking to a staffer who is professional, attentive, and genuinely cares about what you have to say. Phone calls mean more to members of Congress than emails, letters, tweets, or Facebook posts.

8. Give credit where credit is due. For example, Trump agreed to extend Obama's 2014 executive order protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people who work for federal contractors. He did so quietly, at 7:00 AM on a Tuesday, and never tweeted a word about it, but it's still a good decision. You cannot establish credibility if you aren't willing to recognize good decisions on Trump's part. The same holds true for Republican members of Congress. When they stand against Trump or his despicable policies, they must be credited for placing country ahead of party. 

9. Stay positive. I have become fond of saying that we are fortunate to be living in interesting times with real enemies to battle and defeat. While I would prefer to be living in a world where Donald Trump is not President, I have chosen to embrace the moment and stand in opposition to this man. This is not a Democrat-Republican fight for me. It is a battle against a narcissistic, erratic, indecent man who is dangerous for our country.

My father fought in Vietnam. This is my fight. 

This hateful Muslim Ban must end now.

Anne Frank would be a 77-year-old woman living in the United States today, but she and her family were denied entry to our country as refugees because of a fear of European immigrants during World War II.

This hateful, bigoted Muslim ban must be lifted. Refugees are some of the most hard working, patriotic people in America today. Denying them access to safety and opportunity in their time of need is the least Christian and most immoral act imaginable.

Right now there are hundreds of Syrian refugees in airports around the world who have undergone months of intense vetting and sold all their worldly possessions in order to purchase plane tickets for America but have now been stopped by Trump's Muslim ban.

International students throughout the United States are now prevented from returning home to visit family lest they be barred from coming back to America to finish their studies.

Iranian film director Asghar Farhadi won't be let into the United States to attend the Academy Awards even though he's nominated for best foreign language film.

This is an inhumane and unnecessary decision by a bigoted President who has never experienced poverty or violence in his life. It tarnishes America's position as a moral leader of the world. It is an embarrassment to Americans everywhere.

Something to think about as Trump closes our borders to refugees

Our President is a sex offender or pretends to be a sex offender.

I have many thoughts on this historic Inauguration Day, but here is one that I will carry with me for the next four years:

Our President - who has not released his tax returns and will violate the Constitution on his first day in office under the emoluments clause - has either admitted to being a sex offender or pretended to be a sex offender. 

If he did what he described, Donald Trump's name would be on a sex offender registry today.

If he was lying about his actions in an attempt to garner the approval of others, Donald Trump thinks that pretending to be a sex offender is an effective means of getting attention.

There is no third explanation for his behavior. It can only be one or the other. 

Donald Trump is either a sex offender or pretended to be one.   

Thankfully, the countdown to the end of his Presidency begins today.