These are darkish occasions, the common cynic may argue.
However don’t despair.
If you happen to deal with the optimistic, quite than the adverse, you’ll need to agree that america of America is on high and nonetheless climbing.
Sure, protesters gathered Thursday outdoors “Jimmy Kimmel Stay” in Hollywood to denounce ABC’s suspension of the host and President Trump’s risk to revoke licenses from networks that criticize him, regardless of repeated vows by Trump and high deputies to defend free speech.
You may name it hypocrisy.
I name it moxie.
And by the best way, demonstrators weren’t arrested or deported, and the Nationwide Guard was not summoned (so far as I do know).
Do you see what I imply? Simply tilt your head again a bit, and you’ll see sunshine breaking via the clouds.
Let’s take the president’s criticism that he learn “someplace” that the networks “have been 97% in opposition to me.” Some may see weak spot in that, or skinny pores and skin. Others may surprise the place the “someplace” was that the president found his TV information favorability score stands at 3%, on condition that he may get caught drowning puppies and dishonest at golf and nonetheless get fawning protection from not less than one main community.
However Trump had good motive to be grumpy. He was coming back from a information convention in London, the place he confused Albania and Armenia and fumbled the pronunciation of Azerbaijan, which sounded a bit extra like Abracadabra.
It’s not his fault all these international locations all begin with an A. And isn’t there a geography lesson in it for all of us, if not a historical past lesson?
We transfer on now to American healthcare, and the numerous promising developments underneath approach within the nation’s capital, due to Trump’s impressed alternative of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as chief of the Division of Well being and Human Providers.
Those that see the glass half empty would argue that Kennedy has turned the division right into a morgue, trying to kill COVID-19 vaccine analysis, espousing backwater views about measles, firing public well being specialists, demoralizing the remaining employees and rejecting many years value of biomedical advances regardless of having no medical coaching or experience.
However on the plus aspect, Kennedy goes after meals dyes.
It’s about time, and thanks very a lot.
I’m unsure what else shall be left in a field of Trix or Fortunate Charms when meals coloring is eliminated, however I’m against faux meals coloring, except it’s in a cocktail, and I’d wish to suppose most Individuals are with me on this.
Additionally on the intense aspect: Kennedy is encouraging Individuals to do chin-ups and pushups for higher well being.
Are you going to sit down on the novel left aspect of your couch and gripe about what’s occurred to your nation, or get with this system and attempt to do a number of pushups?
OK, so Trump’s efforts to close down the conflict on most cancers is a little bit scary. Because the New York Occasions reported, on the chopping block is improvement of a brand new method for colorectal most cancers prevention, analysis into immunotherapy most cancers prevention, a examine on bettering childhood most cancers survival charges, and higher evaluation of pre-malignant breast tissue in high-risk girls.
However that would all be faux information, or 97% of it, not less than. And if it’s not?
All that analysis and all these docs and scientists can apply for jobs in different international locations, identical to all of the local weather scientists whose work is now not a nationwide precedence. The extra who go away, the higher, as a result of the mind drain goes to unencumber quite a lot of actual property and assist resolve the housing disaster.
Thanks, President Trump.
Is it any surprise that Trump has been seen not too long ago carrying a MAGA-red hat that claims “TRUMP WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING!”
Nicely, principally all the pieces.
Local weather change seems to be actual.
The conflict in Ukraine didn’t finish as promised.
The conflict within the Center East remains to be raging.
Grocery costs didn’t go down on day one, and a few items price extra due to tariffs.
As for the promise of a brand new age of American prosperity, there’s no rainbow in sight but, though there’s a pot of gold within the White Home, with estimates of billions in earnings for Trump household companies since he took workplace,
However for all of that, together with an approval score that has dropped since he took workplace in January, Trump exudes confidence. A lot in order that he proudly wears that shiny pink hat, which he was giving out within the Oval workplace, and which retails for $25.
It’s one other ingenious financial stimulation plan.
And there’s an essential lesson right here for all of us.
By no means admit defeat, and when issues don’t go your approach, stand tall, regulate your hat, and discover somebody responsible.
We must always all have our personal hats made.
Medical doctors may put on hats saying they’ve by no means gotten a analysis mistaken.
Dentists may put on hats saying they’ve by no means pulled the mistaken tooth.
TV meteorologists may put on hats saying — nicely, possibly not — that they’ve gotten each forecast proper.
I’m having hats made as you learn this.
LOPEZ IS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING!
Please don’t have me fired, Mr. President, for those who disagree.
As for Jimmy Kimmel, I’m providing this concept freed from cost:
If you happen to ever get your job again, you, your sidekick Guillermo, and all the studio viewers must be carrying hats.
KIMMEL WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING!
Steve.lopez@latimes.com
