I read the following this morning and I had to reply;

Donald Trump, who has wormed his way into our presidency, never should have gotten there. He is categorically unfit by his habits of bullying, braggadocio and false bombast, not to say all normal considerations of character, background and suitability. His followers are still hoping, in vain, that he will turn Washington, D.C., on its ear; if you still believe that stuff, please take a look at the Cabinet he has nominated and the presidential commands he has issued.

I have served this country well during my years in the U.S. Foreign Service, in posts that included the U.N., Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Haiti (counternarcotics chief), various posts in West Africa and two tours in Iraq at ages well past normal retirement. I have personally never seen such an assault on American values and norms. I gather that around the time of my birth (1943), there were many who saw such a wall as necessary against imagined foreign invasion; one result is the shameful legacy of Japanese-American internment camps. I have read of the sufferings of Irish and German immigrants impressed into the U.S. Army about the time of the war against Mexico in the mid-1800s. It seems we go through one of these America-first episodes every 80 to 100 years.

 Trump has no right to lead the politics and command the armed forces of the United States. He may have been elected by outmoded methods of calculation, but I speak for nearly 3 million Americans when I say that this man is not my president. Republican voters and representatives, be ashamed, not least for what is to come.

Richard S.D. Hawkins

And our pumps were down. No clue why, but no gas sales were happening. I spent an hour on the phone with tech support and they’re up and running now. If it happens again, I should be able to fix them myself, providing it’s the same issue.

I hate snow.

Peace.