Irritated Grunt

                Today’s piece is titled, “Irritated Grunt”, because that is what I caught myself doing through the majority of President Donald Trump’s Address to Congress last night. I found the whole speech a baffling spectacle of puffery and nonsense.  Mr. Trump said a lot of things that filled the ears of his faithful with the things they like to hear. The Valium of his words were to serve as a relaxant to soothe the nerves of his supporters. However the whole speech lacked any specifics or substance. For those of us with a more critical ear it was truly all sound and fury signifying absolutely nothing.  Grunt.

                 I was really baffled with the 250^th anniversary of the United States comments when that anniversary is nine years away! Even if, God forbid, Trump was elected to a second term, he still wouldn’t be President for that anniversary. He was talking about our country in the year 2026 and the wonders this country could achieve by then, without really laying out a blueprint for what will be done in the present.  It was very confusing. It was as if his speech writers, trying to come up with something positive to latch onto chose the future instead of the realities of the present. That was just weird. I would even guess that the uneducated, whom Trump loves so much, think the 250^th anniversary of our nation’s independence is this year or something like that. It was a dumb thing to focus on.  Grunt.

                One of the main themes of the speech was supposed to be about unity and bringing the country and our political parties together and encourage them to work together. However, it’s very difficult to seed unity while being sarcastic in your presentation.  Mr. Trump, on several occasions did impress the need for working together while simultaneously gesturing sarcastically at the Democratic representatives in the room. It is possible to gesture sarcastically.  I’m fairly certain that’s not exactly the way to get people excited about unity or working together. Grunt.

                The President’s words did not stir me to emotion. I was frankly embarrassed by his obvious use of Carryn Owens, the widow of a U.S. Navy Special Operator, Senior Chief William "Ryan" Owens for political fodder. It was an abuse of the emotional distress that family is in. The President’s overly drawn sentimentality over it, without taking any responsibility as the Commander in Chief, left me feeling sick. It was the most classic and tasteless use of Propaganda I have seen the Republican right use. I know neither party is above propaganda tactics, but this move seemed too far this time; especially when there is still such controversy surrounding the actual act and facts that left Mrs. Owens a widow.  Grunt.

                The final part of the speech that caused me to grunt with irritation was the President’s closing. His reference to, “We all salute the same, great American flag. And we are all made by the same God.” This last line had me confused since the President had attempted to infer that his American vision was all about unity. This final line seemed to be a jab at those who do not subscribe to organized religion or have different religious beliefs from the President and the majority of his cabinet.  I am a Catholic, but I certainly would never assume my fellow humans believe in the same God as I might. That seems powerfully exclusionary to me.   Vomit grunt.

                All in all, I do not believe the President made for a compelling figure. He was very mild in his presentation, stuttered in the reading of the teleprompters (as if he had only read the speech once on the car ride from the White House to the Capitol),  and seemed unaware of the real responsibilities the President of The United States of America must bear.  It is a thankless and unforgiving job that ages and diminishes even the best intentioned of people. It is our perpetual duty to keep the spotlight on Mr. Trump and his address promises and remind him that he works for us, and not the other way around.  Grunt.