The Big Beautiful Bill - Ugly to the Bone

 By Mildred Robertson

It is more than ironic that on the 249th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Americans stand to lose the battle it fought with Britain almost 250 years ago. Not to some great superpower that overtook us in war. Not from some foreign adversary that outflanked us, and launched cyber-attacks, nuclear bombs, or drone strikes, but by supposed American patriots. The "Big Beautiful Bill," fostered by a would-be dictator and supported by almost every Republican in Congress, is ugly to the bone. 

H.R. 1, the supposed Big Beautiful Bill, is not an idea or a concept. It is a reality that will affect the average American's household resources. Republicans, who fear a "Blue Wave" in 2026, crafted the bill so that the greatest impact of H.R. 1 won't be felt in the first two years of implementation. That design will stall many of the negative features of H.R. 1 until after the 2026 election. 

Ultimately, this huge transfer of funds will hit low-income Americans the hardest, decreasing or eliminating programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and Federal income tax credits. In fact, the biggest spending cuts target Medicaid and food stamps programs.  According to the Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C. based think tank, of the 22.6 million families likely to lose resources, 57 percent are below the poverty line. Only 1 percent of high-income households will lose resources, while 27% of high earners will gain resources. 

Drawbacks of H.R. 1 include  

• tax cuts for the rich
• loss of vital health, nutrition, and economic resources 
• an estimated 11.8 million who will lose health insurance by 2034
• an estimated 3.3 trillion added to the national deficit over the next decade

Clearly, implementation of this bill will result in the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, despite the rhetoric being offered by Republican mouthpieces. Eventually, the unsubstantiated beauty of this bill will belie its ugly core. Over the span of its life, H.R. 1 will alter the kind of nation we have grown to be. It will blunt the vision of the Founders' "more perfect union and lessen the growth that America has experienced over the past 249 years.

As those of us who see the travesty in this bill understand how ugly it is, we can only look forward to the mid-terms with hope. Unfortunately, even if a Blue Wave occurs in 2026, hope can only do so much. The damage has been done. It will take years to undo the domestic attack on American society that this ugly-to-the-bone bill embodies.

Today, July 4, 2025, we celebrate our founding yet still yearn for liberty. 

Alligator Alcatraz – America’s Concentration Camp

 By Mildred Robertson

We knew that America's trip toward dictatorship could conclude with America copying Nazi Germany in caging “undesirables” in concentration camps. Germans sat and watched while Hitler demonized, incarcerated, and ultimately slaughtered millions of people whose only crime was to be designated as undesirable citizens. Now it seems America will follow suit. 

Florida has proposed an immigration detention facility in the Florida Everglades, referred to as “Alligator Alcatraz” by some, designed to house undocumented immigrants to facilitate their deportation. Located in a remote area of the Everglades, escapees would encounter dangerous wildlife like alligators and pythons. The facility is designed to house up to 1,000 immigrants and includes an airstrip for deportation flights.

Like Adolf Hitler, Trump has instituted aggressive domestic and international policies based upon threats, coercion, and fear. His slogan, “Make America Great Again,” mirrors Hitler’s catch phrase, “Greater German Reich”.  Trump’s attack on individuals who he says come from “shithole” countries is based primarily on race and ethnicity. He has welcomed White South Africans while demonizing Haitian immigrants.

Hundreds of thousands of Haitians fled the war-torn nation seeking safety and asylum in America. While the Trump administration claims Haiti is too dangerous for Americans to visit, they say it is safe to deport Haitian immigrants back to the war-torn nation.  Haitians who fled rampant violence in their homeland and gained protected status in the U.S. will be expelled from America unless they can qualify for asylum or a green card. The U.S. plans to revoke the immigration status of those migrants in September.

Similarly, Trump has demonized the Hispanic community, calling them rapists and murderers. While he campaigned on removing the criminal element that he says entered through a porous Southern border, he is attacking nursing mothers and even American citizens born to immigrants. Among those targeted by this administration are college students who dare to exercise their right to free speech and universities that uphold that right.

Trump has weaponized economic, military, and political power to terrorize and silence all who might oppose him. He has even flexed his seemingly unlimited political power to alienate traditional US allies like Canada, Mexico, and several other European nations. He has escalated the Middle East Crisis and abandoned well-established cooperation with agencies such as the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Accord. 

While many scoff at the comparison of Trump to Adolf Hitler, there are too many comparisons to fail to consider the parallels between these two leaders. Just as few Germans and Europeans expected the horrific outcome of Hitler’s rise to power, many Americans appear to be unfazed by Donald Trump’s open hostility toward individual dignity, liberty, and justice for all those residing in the U.S.

Like Hitler, Trump encourages racism and xenophobia. He has demonized and targeted people of color residing in America. He fosters the belief among many low-achieving Americans that someone other than themselves is responsible for their failure to realize the “American Dream.” He scapegoats minorities and immigrants as targets for the resentment from those unrealized dreams. What comes next, we do not know. However, the signs of the impending collapse of the American experiment are everywhere.

We don’t have gas chambers here…yet. But we do have the military patrolling American streets. We do have masked goon squads spiriting people away in broad daylight without due process. We do have evidence of an unbridled appetite for power, expansionistic rhetoric, and inflamed oratory encouraging violence against critics.

It is not too late to limit this administration's expanding executive authority, but time is short. We don’t have gas chambers, but apparently, we will soon have a concentration camp to house immigrants before deportation.  So, what is next?

As Hitler ascended to power, the people of Germany exhibited fear, hope, and confusion.  Some thought Hitler would moderate his behavior once he ascended to power. Many Americans exhibit emotions like those of Germans during Hitler’s rise. They thought Trump would moderate. He didn’t.

We can read a roadmap.  How far will we follow a parallel track with Nazi Germany? How far can this administration go down the dictatorial path before it draws our ire? How far will this administration go before the America public speaks?  The silence of many German people allowed a travesty to occur in that country. Will America follow the same path?

Trump Manhandles American Citizens

 By Mildred Robertson

This president seems poised to wage war against American Citizens. He plans to decimate all dissent against his unconstitutional actions with military force. As Americans rise to meet this challenge, many may lament as David did in Psalm 13, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?" As crowds of Americans gather in the streets of Los Angeles protesting immigration overreach and hundreds of thousands across the nation prepare to protest on June 14 against this administration's various unconstitutional acts, we must pray for Godly leadership that can meet this present challenge.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

As I scan the political landscape, I see the opposition in disarray. Though seemingly simple, this man has bowed the backs of leaders on both sides of the aisle. He has gone to battle with the richest man in the world and appears to have cowed him. He has overtaken military leadership, defied the courts, and entranced Congress and the religious right. He appeals to the hearts of many Americans, and they willingly follow him.

Many are amazed at his following. This crude, unlearned, narcissistic egomaniac threatens not just America but the world as he seeks power and aggrandizement at all costs. It was not wise for politicians to survey his antics and assume that he was a buffoon. While he well may be a fool, he is a crafty one. 

Those who believe in the value of Democracy are at a crossroads today. We can continue on this 249-year journey in support of a union dedicated to principles including human liberty and the glory of God, or we can bow down to an idol. 

George Washington, a Founding Father and the first president of the United States, made a covenant with God as he took on the leadership of this newly founded democracy. In his first inaugural address Washington said, "Since we ought to be no less persuaded that propitious smiles of Heaven, can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself ordained: And since the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the Republican model of Government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people."

He made it clear that no nation can expect God's blessings if it forgets who the giver of blessings is. He vowed that this nation would follow God, and that if she ever broke her promise, she would lose God's blessing and protection. 

I ask you to view Trump's actions as he manhandles the American Constitution and the American people. Does it appear that he is faithfully walking in the ways of God? Does it seem that AMERICA is walking faithfully in God's ways, or have we fallen victim to worshipping an idol? 

The Word says in Chronicles 2:14, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." Is America still in a covenant relationship with God? God has been faithful. Have we?

While it is crucial for Americans to lift their voices, finances, and if need be, their bodies in defense of this nation's heritage, it is equally important that we seek the wisdom and guidance of men and women who stand ready to defend this nation and the Word upon which it was founded. We must seek healing, and then we must stand against the military might of a tyrant.

UPDATE: Recent incidents further emphasize how this nation is slipping into an authoritarian dictatorship. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) on June 12th was forcibly handcuffed and removed from a press conference where Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was speaking in Los Angeles. Even after identifying himself as a sitting senator, Padilla was manhandled and evicted from the building.  The Senator said that he attempted to speak to Nome at the press conference because he had unsuccessfully sought an audience with her on several occasions.  If this is the way the administration chooses to handle a sitting member of Congress, what can the average American expect? Saturday protests will paint a fulsome picture of what the remainder of the presidency will be like.

Media Focused on Trump Trivia

 By: Mildred Robertson

Updated June 18, 2025

While perusing the internet, I saw several articles and videos about Donald Trump stumbling as he boarded Air Force One. I am amazed at the amount of dribble that finds its way into news, social media, and ultimately the minds of the American public.

Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP vis Getty Image

Trump stumbling while boarding the plane is not a big deal. But it was not a big deal when Biden did it either. Trump’s callous destruction of the rule of law will destroy America as we know it if the American people fail to stop him. He has embarked upon numerous crusades to attack those individuals and entities he sees as his enemy. Those assaults are the issues we must focus on. And there are plenty of them.

Right now, he is creating chaos around this country as his storm troopers invade pre-school graduations, restaurants, and Home Depot parking lots to imprison suspected immigrants without a warrant and without due process. He has met the public's response to these attacks on civil liberties by usurping the authority of the Governor of California and calling out the National Guard to quell peaceful public protests. Many speculate that his actions are intended to escalate the protests, providing grounds for him to institute martial law. A state of martial law would empower him to suspend citizens' legal civil rights protections.

Trump has co-opted plans by the U.S. Army to celebrate its 250^th anniversary on June 14. Coincidentally, his 79^th (yes, 79^th) birthday was on that date. To no one’s surprise, thousands of soldiers marched down Constitution Avenue as tanks rolled down the streets and aircraft flew overhead, all to provide him with his authoritarian dream of a military parade in his honor. This parade was a last-minute addition to the 250^th anniversary plan. His previous attempt to hold such a parade in his honor was thwarted during his first presidency.  Heavy artillery and tanks weighing up to 60 tons are expected to do considerable damage to Constitution Avenue. The parade is expected to cost between $25 and $45 million.

In his second term, he has gutted all major federal agencies, created a brain-drain in scientific and academic institutions, blocked many foreign students from studying in the U.S., created chaos in the U.S. economy, deported American citizens, and accepted apparent bribes from world leaders. Courts have challenged his attempt to freeze foreign aid to struggling countries and ban transgender troops.

Republicans in Congress are trying to push through Trump’s stopgap funding bill that will slash nearly $300 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP), leading to people losing nutrition assistance and children losing access to school meals. A $1 trillion Medicaid cut would result in more than 13 million people losing access to health care, causing rural hospitals and community health care centers to face possible closures. And of course, the bill includes massive tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy, which will increase the federal deficit by $3.8 trillion.  The bill also restricts Pell Grant access, making college less accessible for low-income students.

Again, Trump’s stumbling while boarding the plane is not a big deal. However, many factors associated with this presidency should cause us concern.  

Being old and stumbling is not among them. 

J-6 Rioters Seek Restitution for LEGAL imprisonment

By Mildred Robertson

The release of January 6 insurrectionists appears to have flown mostly under America’s radar, until now. Myriad challenging events have flooded the news cycle since President Donald Trump pardoned January 6 insurrectionists, including those with felony charges. On the first day of his second term, he granted clemency to approximately 1500 people convicted of various charges related to the January 6 attack on the nation’s Capital. 

                                                               Photo by Newsweek

Now Enrique Tario, the leader of the Proud Boys at the time of the insurrection is seeking restitution for his trial and conviction which ended in a 22-year prison sentence for seditious conspiracy and obstruction of Congress. He and four other members of the Proud Boys allege the U.S. government violated their constitutional rights when it used illegal tactics to target and imprison J-6 participants. They accuse the government of evidence tampering, witness intimidation, violations of attorney-client privilege, and the use of spies to report on trial strategy.

Trump’s blanket pardon released violent offenders along with others convicted of lesser charges. It appears to be an attempt to rewrite history and lessen the historical significance of the most consequential insurrection in American history since the Civil War.

Trump’s pardon of the J-6 rioters came as no surprise. It was the fulfillment of a campaign promise. However, many, including those in his party, were surprised that Trump granted clemency to protestors who committed violent crimes, including violently assaulting police officers. Tarrio and other leaders found guilty of organizing the insurrection were convicted of sedition and sentenced to decades in prison.

A December 2024 survey conducted by YouGov found roughly two thirds of Americans disagreed with pardoning violent January 6 protesters.  About 44 percent supported the pardon of non-violent offenders but feared that pardoning violent offenders would encourage more of the same in the future.

While discussion of the pardon seems to have fallen from the media’s radar, this move by Tarrio will likely result in greater attention to the freed rioters. Americans now must consider the consequences of the president’s imprudent actions to free those willing to commit crimes to keep him in power following his 2020 loss to Joe Biden.

Not only is this group free to organize and prepare to support Trump in the event he attempts to run for a third term; but they are demanding that America pay them $1 million for their lawful imprisonment for crimes against the nation. Yes, citizens such as you and me will bear the cost if this band of treasonous misfits can successfully litigate against their prosecution and incarceration. Folk who caused the death and injury of law enforcement officers, who threatened Nancy Pelosi and sought to hang Mike Pence; rioters who defecated in the halls of Congress and ransacked our seat of government…those are the folks who are seeking and could possibly attain a judgement totaling in the millions.

The thought of this is outrageous. Or maybe not. Perhaps nothing is outrageous in America anymore. It seems that we have become desensitized to evil doing. Many are not surprised at the pardon, nor the lawsuit, however appalling it may be.

I ask those of you who voted for Trump, is this what you voted for? I pray not.

Wearying American Politics

 Bedazzled Airplanes, Golden Toilets, and International Isolation

By: Mildred Robertson

For those of us who religiously follow American politics, it is safe to say that we are tired, weary, and worn. I used to habitually watch MSNBC from morning to night, but I can't anymore. I have found that keeping up with current news colors my entire day. Trump's firehose of lies, distortions, and criminal acts dominates the news waves, and few remedies appear imminent. I pray daily for God's intervention. I look to the courts to rule against him and write my congressmen and women asking them to intervene on the people's behalf. I post on my blog and comment on internet articles about him and his outlandish administration. I send money to various progressive campaigns as finances allow.

But I am tired. 

I know that my forefathers who toiled in the fields of savage masters were able to persevere.  Native Americans endured the vicious slaughter of their people, and the Jews survived attempted genocide. This horrific chapter in America's history is not a novel story, but the rewrite of an age-old script that pits the weak and seemingly powerless against the monied titans whose only goal seems to be to get more stuff...more money, more oil, more bedazzled airplanes, more golden toilets, more authoritarian power, while denying the masses basic sustenance. 

So, as I tune out Trump's latest shenanigans, there is a certain shame attached to my detachment. Sitting on the sidelines is not an option in today's tumultuous political landscape. All of us must do something. We cannot just sit and watch while Trump and his minions destroy America. 

But I am tired. 

And that's the point. Trump's strategy is to keep us focused on one crisis after another, one criminal or unconstitutional act after another, one outrageous lie after another, one inept policy after another. Before we can deal with his latest transgression, he has already committed three more. As the media run helter-skelter, attempting to simply keep up, we are left to sort through the foolishness for ourselves. 

And we are tired. 

What we face in America today is more than we can manage as simple humans. The evil forces we face surpass what an individual can handle standing alone. The current administration has turned against us, all those agencies, processes, and procedures designed to keep America safe, independent, and democratic. It is not a personal problem; it is a national one. 

As a Christian, I look to the Bible when weary, weak, and worn. I find not only comfort, but inspiration from Psalms 121:1-2 which says, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help., My help cometh from the Lord."  It is believed that this Psalm was written by King David, a mighty warrior king. It was David who slew the giant threatening Israel. While he knew where his strength came from, David did the work to overcome obstacles in his life. Throughout his trials, he trusted God and gathered his men to face his adversary. We must do likewise. 

We are tired...but the giant still stands. 

We cannot be done. Our eyes must be lifted up!

 

Real ID and Government Inefficiency

 By Mildred Robertson

While the Department of Government Efficiency is a joke, government inefficiency is a very real problem. Having recently renewed my driver's license at the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles I can attest that this agency lacks the effective, efficient protocols and procedures to provide well-organized services to the citizens they are hired to assist. A rush on this agency fueled by the May 7, 2025, deadline to acquire a "REAL ID" has resulted in lines of hundreds of people wrapped around the DMV offices across the state. 

In my case, my license was set to expire in August of 2025. That coupled with the Real ID deadline prompted me to search for an appointment back in April. The search, however, turned out to be futile. There were no appointments available anywhere near me. Even when I search surrounding towns in my county, I was still unable to schedule an appointment. So, I went to the DMV and stood in line for about 30 minutes, only to be told they were taking no more walk-ins. An office worker suggested that I try coming in between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. when walk-ins take priority. 

I heeded her suggestion and arrived a little before 8 a.m. on May 6. When I arrived, there were about 75-100 people in front of me. Some had apparently been there before because they came equipped with folding chairs and umbrellas, ready for the long haul. I was not ready for the upcoming ordeal, which lasted from 8 a.m. in the morning, until after 2:00 in the afternoon. I spent 4 hours standing in the hot sun and then another hour inside the building, which at least had air conditioning, chairs and a bathroom. There were numerous times I considered giving up and trying another time. But logic told me I would just be postponing the inevitable and so I decided to stay my course. 

While some of the workers were discourteous to the patrons, there were some patrons who were pretty rude as well. My personal experience was okay, since the person who finally helped me secure my license was polite and courteous. I left feeling both accomplished and frustrated. 

There is no reason for a required government service to be so difficult to attain. I am retired, so I had a half-day to contribute toward acquiring the mandatory document. But as I stood in the line, I saw elderly and infirmed people struggling to get through the process. There were mothers with young children in tow who had to suffer through the insufferable wait as their children fidgeted. Many folks who probably had to use personal time from work languished right alongside the rest of us.  

As DOGE decimates government agencies across the country, removing essential personnel and destroying agencies needed to provide services to the citizens, perhaps it will be more well perceived if it focused on these types of service areas that clearly need reform. 

We need doctors to continue to research cancer treatments and to try to prepare for the next pandemic. America needs for well-trained generals to continue to lead the armed forces. It is imperative folks involved in world outreach continue to make America a valued world citizen by providing service to those less fortunate than us. We need the FBI, the CIA and other law enforcement entities to have well-trained staff who protect and serve us. So, DOGE (if it exists at all) needs to focus less on partisan revenge tours and instead focus on correcting true government inefficiencies. 

The moral of the story is, I should be able to vote in the future without incident. I can now board a plane or gain access to a government building. I am glad about that, but it should not be this hard. I wonder how many will be left out of significant parts of our society because they cannot get access to needed documentation. 

That is not democracy, and it is not effective governance. We need to figure out how to fix it. Our representatives in Washington D.C. need to turn away from partisan politics and focus on fixing inefficiencies which negatively affect their constituents.