Vantage Points by Joel Elveson is a collection of articles &/or stories that I have written. Each article &/or story is written around a central theme be it an event (s) in my life, my feelings, my professional life and so on. This time around I have decided to do something different. Instead of concentrating or focusing on one topic I am going to write about a myriad of different topics. I have decided to do this in such a manner that I may skip from topic to topic or rant to rant while possibly going back to that topic later on in the article.
The President: Donald John Trump was sworn in as the 45th President on January 20th, 2017 after an improbable victory over his Democratic challenger Hillary Rodham. By far this was the nastiest primary and election campaign season most of us can ever remember. Each candidate (both in the Primaries and The Election itself) engaged not only in political smear campaigns while including vicious personal attacks on their respective family members. This was not a highlight film we would have wanted our allies to see.
Inauguration Day saw this nation awash in a feeling of jubilation that we had not felt since the dreaded day Barack (the change we did not need) Obama took the oath of office. America wanted and needed to become great again but even more so after the wreckage, the former president left in his wake. Though violent protests which we led by the new face of America haters by the name of Linda Sarsour interspersed with the angry, destructive, and violent demonstrators who had amongst them our best known “Hollywood Heroes” our newly rejuvenated spirit remained undaunted.
Fast forward to April 2018 a mere year and three months later America is nowhere close to being great again as the Trump presidency has so far recorded one broken campaign promise after another. President Trump has shown an uncanny ability to become embroiled in one scandal after another. His fondness for attacking those who disagree with a barrage of angry Tweets. Throw in a cabinet that has either resigned, fired, or to be fired and you now have a country that in not so small circles that are foolishly starting to wonder aloud if we were better off when Obama was President.
Another day brings another scandal leading to less time devoted to the issues that President Trump had vowed to take on. If it is not a scandal it is words that should not be said, alienating allies, disregarding the value of our precious natural resources. After all what purpose do forests, streams, lakes, rivers, wildlife not to mention our environment serve? A little more pollution with more carcinogens isn’t going to hurt anybody, is it? Yes, new jobs have been created but the loss of jobs in the retail sector is nullifying the gains we were purported to have made.
The lone bright spot (more like a brightly shining star) in this administration has been Nikki Haley who is our ambassador to the United Nations who as we all know are united in their hatred of Israel. Nikki Haley has fearlessly stood up to the UN with her straightforward no-nonsense approach. She is a special blend of intelligence, grace, and passion. She has spearheaded the President’s effort (at least he did something right) to reunite Israel who is our only true ally/friend with the United States rebuilding a new nearly unbreakable bond of friendship.
The segment of this article I am bringing to close demands more space than I am electing to give it but NOT for the wanting of painting a completely bleak silhouette of the President, the current state of his cabinet, nor ignore the upcoming denuclearization talks with North Korea which in of itself is an accomplishment of historic proportions. President Trump’s commitment to protecting our country from harm is a welcome radical departure from the failed policies of the Obama administration. Moving the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) which is and always be the undivided capital of the Jewish State put in full view of the world his unwavering courage for the commitment he made to Israel with no regard to the UN or anybody else who disagreed with the move. As I sit here I still am left to wonder (although it is still very early in his first term) what went wrong or why are things going so wrong. Clearly, this President is not the President I and so many others enthusiastically voted for and cried tears of unbridled joy, optimism, and hope back on those fateful days in November and January. Yes, it is in no small part due to the Democrats trying their hardest to dismantle this Presidency that is cheap politicking at its sleazy best. The other carriers of the current chaos are members of the GOP establishment who are also working feverishly behind the President’s back so they can whisk him out of office especially since he is not a member of their club. And so it goes.
The Arms Race (Gun Control): Shooting rampages are becoming all too commonplace. Innocent men, women, and children are being cut down by men whose seemingly only real motive is the need these people have (had) to hunt down and kill as many people as possible, in as short of a period of possible, while destroying as many lives as possible. A simple squeeze of a trigger was all it took for the bloodshed to begin. One of my reasons for supporting President Trump was based on the comfort I took that he would protect and defend our Second Amendment rights. If the Obama Presidency had continued much longer he literally would have sent out armies to confiscate gun owned by private citizens the majority of whom obtained their guns legally who were also licensed to own them.
I can no longer support the Second Amendment in light of all this senseless slaughter. You can give me all the statistics or data you have to support the idea that guns that are sitting idly by cannot kill anybody or how few gun-related accidents there have been or whatever slant you want to use to convince people you and the NRA are in the right but that will not change my thinking or for that matter the growing legions of people who now favor strict gun control laws. I do not buy into the idea if people give up their guns that only criminals will have them. The surrender of guns did NOT aid the Nazi’s in their quest to exterminate the Jewish people. No, there is no 100% quarantined solution but stopping the wave of gun violence must begin now. Just to digress for a moment using a gun in the name of the “sport” known as hunting to kill innocent animals is very much gun violence that is as disgusting as shooting a human being. Allowing guns in schools by way of teachers is not an idea that has any merit to it. The same can be said for armed security personnel in schools. One lone shooter is deadly enough but when teachers and alike are also filling the air with bullets more lives are at risk of being lost leading to many concluding fighting gun violence with gun violence is not a viable solution.
Leaders: Yes, I am aware that by and large, they exist along with there being a degree (the extent of which is subject to debate) of the need for them. There is a bone of contention that I have with the volume of articles that are written on this subject. A great many of these articles you are left to wonder who these “leaders” are, under what pretext are they leading, who put them in a position of leadership, and lastly how can it be that there are so many people who cannot function without them or have at least some degree of discomfort not being led. During the decades I spent in the business world the leader was either the boss/owner or a supervisor you reported to. As far as there being this person who has people following him is something I find specific information missing. If as I have read the leader is not a boss then who exactly is he? The last thing any business needs is somebody within the organization taking on followers.
