The Good...

I have to imagine that it's no surprise to anyone the speed at which things are happening in the second Trump Administration.  However, before I get to the events of this past week, let's have a brief recap of the first nearly 4 months of Trump's second term.

After Biden lied multiple times that he was unable to secure the southern border without Congressional action, and after his Secretary of Homeland Security, Mayorkas, lied multiple times and told the American people that the border was secure - Trump was able to significantly secure the border in a matter of weeks.  Southwest border crossings totaled 137,473 in March, 2024.  In March, 2025 that number was 7,181.  Still too many, but a huge drop off.  I have no doubt that Trump and Homan will continue to get those numbers lower.

I understand the concerns people have about masked ICE agents forcibly snatching people off the street.  And, I read about the 19 year old Georgia college student who is currently in ICE custody.  Her parents brought her here when she was 4 years old.  Where would she be deported to?  The U.S. is the only country she knows.  On the other hand, I have to ask what efforts she made to become a citizen.  If she is given leniency, which I do not oppose, I would expect that she would have to comply with significant court orders.

Trump set up DOGE, and has reduced the size of the federal bureaucracy.  Has it gone too far at times?  Yes.  But he is not the only President who has tried to reduce the size of the federal government, and in the process cut federal spending.  

What about DEI?  I have previously expressed my opinion that DEI is evil.  It supports racism and antisemitism.  And it encourages people to view the world immorally - not through the lens of right and wrong.  Rather, Black vs White, oppressed vs oppressors, and so on.  I'm happy to see the executive order ending it.  But, the Executive Order may have gone too far when it also eliminated "accessibility."  Disabled people should have access, whether or not they are favored.  But if a disabled person is qualified for a job, they should not be denied that because of being in a wheelchair.  

Biological men competing in women's sports?  Title IX was supposed to protect women's sports.  But a more favored small minority always seems to get priority for the Left.  I am not unsympathetic to people who may feel they were born into the wrong sex.  But that does not mean they get to upend a system that has long been in place.  And, if they remain with male genitalia, they should definitely not be sharing a locker room with biological females.  Of course, all this used to be considered common sense.  And if they are such a small minority, schools should be able to make some accommodation allowing them to change into and out of gym clothes privately.

Trump, as in his first term, issued another executive order intended to combat antisemitism.  Said the order:  "These attacks (of October 7, 2023) unleashed an unprecedented wave of vile antisemitic discrimination, vandalism, and violence against our citizens, especially in our schools and on our campuses."  While some say the order takes away free speech, I disagree.  Obviously, citizens can still say whatever they want about government policy (with very few limitations).  The issue is what can visa holders and green card holders say.  I have commented twice on Mahmoud Khalil.  He not only wants to see the end of Israel, he wants to see the end of America.  And he openly interfered with American citizens at Columbia being able to study and get to their classes.

I don't get it.  He is a guest in our country.  For those on the Left:  imagine I was invited into your house and "occupied" your bedroom and bathroom, and denied access to you.  And imagine I said horrible things to you and about you.  And accused you of oppressing people who are different from you in some way.  What would you do?  You would call the police to get me the hell out of your house.  Well, I want ICE to get someone like Khalil the hell out of our country.  If you're a guest, act like it!   

I have not agreed with everything Trump has said or done.  I criticized his unfair attacks on Zelenskyy.  I disagreed with eliminating all of USAID.  And, as noted above, sometimes the executive orders are taken too far.  The DOD web site had a page about the military service of Jackie Robinson.  They removed it.  Then, under pressure, they restored it.  The idea is not to rewrite history.  That's what the Soviets did.  The idea is to learn from it.  A similar thing happened at the National Park Service, when they removed, then restored, a quote from Harriet Tubman about the underground railroad.  That's part of our history.  Learn from these things, and understand that we should all be treated equally.  And, as MLK Jr. said - judged on the content of our character, not the color of our skin (or our religion or ethnic background).