Columnists

Like most of you, I cannot wait until Donald Trump leaves the White House and the daily onslaught of Trump "news" ceases. Unfortunately, while Trump will move on to the netherworld, the political madness will continue. The most difficult 2020 election lesson is that Trump is not the cause of Republican insanity, he is its symptom.

In the 2020 election, more than 74 million Americans voted for Donald Trump. They chose crazy.

It's a deeply disturbing fact that millions of Americans voted for Trump. A fact that's important to consider, because Trump will disappear but Trumpism will persist. Many Trump voters will continue to support Republican irrationality.

Many pundits disparage Trump supporters; call them stupid, deplorable, or worse. I believe the most apt characterization of MAGA devotees is desperate. Trump supporters feel hopeless and have grasped Trump as a "lifesaver." -more-

In Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decided that what happens to an individual is her choice, meaning that being forced to carry a fetus to full term violated a person's inalienable right do decide what is to happen to her body. Another way of saying it is, "Keep the government out of my (her) womb."

Forcing an individual to take psychiatric drugs could be seen analogously to anti-abortion laws that were struck down under the Supreme Court ruling. Forcing an individual to take psychiatric medication against his or her will could be seen as a basic violation of human rights.

But it is more complicated than that. To force medication on someone, often they are first judged incompetent. This means that a mental illness has wiped out an individual's ability to make a rational decision. That's one point in which the forced medication differs from Roe v. Wade. -more-

In 2012, then President Barack Obama by Executive Order the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA often called “Dreamers”), giving young unauthorized immigrants the right to seek work permits and deportation relief through the DACA program.

On September 5, 2017, with a stroke of a pen, Trump phased out over six months unless Congress stepped in with its own plan for these childhood arrivals, but gave the Republican-controlled Congress until March 6, 2018 to replace it. Trump promised to sign the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (Dream Act) that would have granted legal status to certain undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children and went to school here. -more-

Damn You, Autocorrect!

I noticed the SF Chronicle has posted an online list of holiday special events. One of the options garnered special attention owing to a Chron typo. A "Holiday Cookie Demo" featuring Charlie Farriér of Crumble & Whisk is set to screen at 5:30 PM on December 15. But the addition of a single letter makes the event sound a bit friskier than intended. The Invite line reads: "Join Crumble & Whisky."

Why You Can't Be a Christian and a Capitalist

A note, in passing, to the bottom-line prophets of the Prosperity Gospel: “No one can serve two masters. . . . You cannot serve both God and money." — Matthew 6:24-28.

When the World Is in Tatters, Look to the Heavens

NBC has come up with some good news for our wretched, cloistered times.

If you're looking for "a bright spot in a dark year," just circle December 21 on your calendar and prepare to lift your gaze to the sky. On this Solstice Night—the first day of winter and the longest night of the year—the planets Jupiter and Saturn will appear to merge into a single, brilliant "Christmas Star"—a sight not seen in 800 years.

The last time this planetary conjunction was visible in the night sky was in 1226—a year that marked the deaths of Louis VIII (the Lion King) and St. Francis of Assisi. -more-

Despite all the legal scholars saying that the Texas lawsuit was frivolous without merit, I still worried. It was a relief to receive the news that the Supreme Court dismissed the latest bid to overturn the November 3 election. The mere fact that 17 attorneys general and 126 congressional Republicans signed on to the Texas suit should give all of us pause. A closer election could be the end of what is left of this democracy.

On page 352 in Isabel Wilkerson’s book Caste, she quotes Taylor Branch, historian of the Civil Rights Movement, “If people were given the choice between Democracy and Whiteness, how many would choose Whiteness?” The answer is staring at us.

On July 14, 2020, the Berkeley City Council passed the Omnibus Motion on Public Safety. This motion was to put into action policing reform in Berkeley. It follows by two years the release of the Center for Policing Equity (CPE) Report of disparate treatment of Blacks in Berkeley.

I fully expected Councilmember Bartlett’s proposal to develop a progressive police academy, called the George Floyd Community Safety Act, to fill the entire City Council Public Safety Committee meeting Monday morning, but the item was withdrawn as too expensive to pursue in this economy. The next item, the Ordinance Regulating Police Acquisition and Use of Controlled Equipment, was continued, with the City Attorney reviewing the ordinance before the next meeting in January, bringing the meeting to a quick end.

The two unscheduled items from previous Councilmember Cheryl Davila were left in abeyance. Her successor Terry Taplin had said prior to the meeting that he did not wish to advance provisions for less lethal weaponry and fire extinguishers for homeless encampments. It is not surprising that dealing with the controversial issues of tear gas, pepper spray, disorientation devices, etc. was left unscheduled, but it is unfortunate that a discussion of providing fire extinguishers is not coming forward. The total acres of land consumed in wildfires (over 4 million acres - 9,279 fires) in California in 2020 was more than double the previous record. This should make everyone receptive to considering all avenues to reduce fire risk. At least Fire Chief Brannigan was invited to the January Safety Committee meeting to provide information on evacuation plans. -more-