NO GUTS NO GLORY

Greetings. I am a voting constituent in rural west Texas. Recently we’ve been presented with examples of profiles in courage, and profiles of the opposite. On ABC’s This Week, host George Stephanopoulos asked NH Gov Chris Sununu about his recent switch from backing Nikki Haley for the GOP nominee to supporting DJT. “Just to sum up,” GS said, “You support [Trump] for president even if he's convicted in [the] classified documents [case]. You support him for president even though you believe he contributed to an insurrection. You support him for president even though you believe he's lying about the last election. You support him for president even if he's convicted in the Manhattan case. I just want to say, the answer to that is yes, correct?” Sununu: “Yeah. Me and 51% of America.” His stats are hopeful, but you get the gist. His answer reflects the current GOP triumph of politics over principle. Not courageous. To those of us who are not politicians, we write such off language to politics, but in our core we cannot understand the apparent ability to throw aside any personal code of ethics, morals, or integrity for the sake of power. Most of us are not built like that so we find it inauthentic, suspect, completely craven, and untrustworthy, to say the least. Next. On April 10, Pulitzer Prize–winning photographer David Hume Kennerly resigned from the board of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation. His fellow trustees had declined to present the GRF Medal for Distinguished Public Service to former WY representative Liz Cheney out of concern that a future President Trump would retaliate by taking away its tax-exempt status.  “The historical irony was completely lost on you,” Kennerly wrote. “Gerald Ford became president, in part, because Richard Nixon had ordered the development of an enemies list and demanded his underlings use the IRS against those listed. That’s exactly what the executive committee fears will happen if there’s a second coming of Donald Trump.”  Re: Ford’s service in the World War II Navy, Kennerly wrote: “Did [LT] Gerald Ford meet the enemy head-on because he thought he wouldn’t get killed? No. He did it despite that possibility. This executive committee, on the other hand, bolted before any shots were fired. You aren’t alone. Many foundations, organizations, corporations, and other entities are caught up in this tidal wave of timidity and fear that’s sweeping this country. I mistakenly thought we were better than that. This is the kind of acquiescent behavior that leads to authoritarianism. President Ford most likely would have come out even tougher and said that it leads directly to fascism.” Courage pushing back against cowardice. Now, let’s get back to the day, a Prez vs a porn star. Or as one DJT supporter so succinctly put it, “What's the deal? It's no different than someone going out with a hooker in New York City." That’s illegal too bro.