Buyer’s Remorse and Trump, Part 3: Ethics

In my recent posts, I have explored “Consumer’s Remorse” applied to our recent presidential election in light of Trump’s first days in office. Some who voted for him are having “second thought” about that choice.

About 35% of U.S. voters consider themselves to be part of the MAGA base. They enthusiastically voted for Trump. They generally do not acknowledge any significant defect in his policies or personal character. They would go to the ends of the earth for Trump. There is a second group, consisting of “swing“ voters who voted from Trump (about 15% of the total population), but who are willing to admit some faults in his policies and character. They are willing to listen to reason and evidence, and to follow the truth wherever it leads. I am writing this blog post primarily for them. This post is about Trump and ethics.

I am appealing to the conscience of my readers. I recognize that individuals vary somewhat in how they reach their understanding of what is right and wrong. I unashamedly acknowledge that my code of ethics is largely due to my understanding of Jesus Christ. I also believe that there is broad agreement on general ethical principles among all people in our country. Most of us believe that murder is wrong. Lying is generally recognized as wrong, as well. I suggest the following areas where people who follow basic morality might find common ground regarding contemporary political events.

Respect for the Law

Most of those who voted for Trump that I personally know are generally law-abiding citizens. Although they drive a few miles per hour above the stipulated Interstate Highway speed limits, they generally obey the important laws of the land and want their president to obey those laws. They are proud Americans who cherish our Constitution. They should be outraged when our president issues an executive order that clearly violates that Constitution. With the alleged goal of reducing the incentives of undocumented immigration, Trump issued an executive order to end birthright citizenship. The problem is that this order is a clear violation of the 14^th Amendment to our Constitution. Trump supporters might approve of his goals, but they should publicly reject his actions if they violate the Constitution. (There exists a legal way to amend our Constitution, but the president has not chosen that route.)

A President has the right to disagree with the appropriation decisions made by Congress but does not have the right to freeze the disbursement of those funds that have already been appropriated. In our country we have a balance of power: three co-equal branches, the legislative, the executive, and the judicial. Congress has the power of the purse. The President has the responsibility to carry out those decisions. The courts have the responsibility to interpret the laws where there is disagreement. On Sunday, Trump ordered a funding freeze on federal program grants that negatively impacts millions of citizens. Although Social Security and Medicare were exempt, thousands of programs were frozen. This freeze includes food programs like SNAP, aid to Ukraine, housing, etc., although there was much confusion regarding which agencies were affected. In fact, Karoline Leavitt, the White House Press Secretary, was not able to answer the question whether Medicaid (which serves 72 million Americans) was included or excluded. A federal judge temporarily blocked the freeze. The good news is that Trump has changed his mind (acknowledged his mistake?) and has rescinded the freeze. The bad news is that the president will probably issue another freeze which would be more limited, but would still be illegal.

Trump has repeatedly stated that he wants to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. He has also affirmed that his priority is to deport those people who are felons or who have committed violent crimes. (Technical language is important here. Entering the U.S. without legal documents or overstaying one’s visa is considered a “civil offense”, not a “crime.” The White House Press Secretary deliberately mixed these categories.) On the first day of the deportation raids, 1179 immigrants were arrested. 52% of these were considered “criminal arrests”; 48% were “non-criminal arrests”. I hope those who voted for Trump hold him accountable.

Bullying

Bullying can be defined as “the behavior of a person or group that hurts or frightens others who are smaller or less powerful, often forcing them to do something they do not want to do”. Most decent people denounce personal bullying as hurtful and destructive. It is not acceptable on an individual level. Neither is it appropriate behavior for relationships between nations. A week ago, the U.S. sent undocumented immigrants to their home country of Colombia in military airplanes. The use of U.S. military aircraft, instead of commercial planes, shows a complete ignorance of U.S./Latin American relations. The U.S. has immorally invaded Latin America dozens of times (Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, etc.). This invading mentality is even enshrined in our Marine Hymn where we declare that we will invade and make war “from the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli”.

Colombian president Gustavo Preto refused to receive these planes. Trump immediately threatened Colombia with severe tariffs and penalties. Preto countered with tariffs to be applied to U.S. products sold in Colombia. Colombia and the USA are not of the same size nor economic GDP. Colombia is economically dependent upon its coffee exports to the U.S. Those exports make Colombia extremely vulnerable. Preto backed down and received the aircraft. Trump claimed victory and boasted “the United States is respected again”. This is not respect; it is fear. According to the definition above, it is bullying because a more powerful country is forcing a smaller nation to do something it does not want to do.

My friends and readers of this blog post. I know that most of you don’t agree with bullying at an interpersonal level. Denounce it when it takes place at an international level.

Respect for the Family

Those who voted for Trump usually have a high respect for the family. They believe in the family and vote in favor of our country’s families. I don’t think they are aware of how Trump’s immigration policy is tearing families apart. As I wrote above, 48% of those arrested on the first day of raids were “non-criminal” arrests. Most of these people live in families where their spouse and children are legal U.S. residents or citizens. These raids are ripping parents from their kids and children from their parents. Readers, if you are truly pro-family, urge the president to make his immigration policy more humane.

The Truth

Regrettably, the president has a troubled relationship with the truth. He lies even when there is no justification to do so. For example, he has made repeated claims that he won the November 2024 election in a “landslide”. The truth is that he won a plurality of the votes, but he did not obtain a majority (49.8% compared to Harris’ 48.3%). His margin of victory was the smallest since the election of 2000.

His reputation for lying and hyperbole is so bad that we need to take his statements with a bucket of salt. Carefully examine statements from all politicians (and from me, as well), holding on to what is good and rejecting what is not.

My Plea

Friends, regardless of whether we agree on Trump’s goals or not, we can agree and find common ground on the following:

Presidential actions and executive orders must be legal and not violate our Constitution nor our laws.
Presidential actions and criticisms from his opponents must have a high regard for the truth.
We commit ourselves to examine the positions of the “other side” with honesty and integrity.

Buyer’s Remorse Regarding Trump, Part 2: It is Harder to Govern than to Make Campaign Promises

Donald Trump 2.0 has finished one week into his second presidency. He signed a flurry of executive orders and made several presidential decisions. Many of these were popular with his base, but some were not. In my post last week, I suggested that his blanket pardon of the January 6 rioters (including those convicted of assault against police officers) was not popular with the U.S. public. Only 21% of North Americans approved of that decision. In fact, some of his supporters are showing signs of buyer’s remorse. What about his other decisions? Will they increase his support or lead to greater dissatisfaction. Let’s explore some of them.

The War in Gaza

I begin with giving credit where credit is due. Even before his second inauguration had occurred, Trump’s team worked together with Biden’s people to pressure Netanyahu to agree to the tenuous ceasefire and prisoner/hostage release with Hamas. The ceasefire has held so far. Why did Trump support the Biden plan? Trump had bragged that he was Negotiator-in-Chief and could end any war. Kudos to Trump, but the road ahead will not be easy. Will he be able to help negotiate a long-lasting peace that is fair for both the Israelis and the Palestinian people? Or will his administration get bogged down by a never-ending conflict in the Middle East? His suggestion that two million Palestinians leave Gaza does not sound fair nor just.

Russia’s War Against Ukraine

Candidate Trump had promised that he would end the war in Ukraine by his first day in office. Of course, this did not happen. Those that voted for him should either feel some buyer’s remorse or that they were utterly naïve to believe his false promises.

FEMA, North Carolina and California

To his credit, Trump visited the hard-hit areas of North Carolina (hurricanes last fall) and Los Angeles (wildfires during January). Nevertheless, he made comments that raised significant concerns. He suggested that in the future, emergency aid would become a responsibility of the states and not of the national government through its Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).. The possible elimination of FEMA did not sit well with most Americans who have come to believe that emergency relief is primarily a duty of the federal government. For each state to maintain a large, stand-by emergency workforce would be inefficient and extremely costly.

Immigration/Birthright Citizenship

Trump made many decisions regarding immigration. He ordered that babies born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants would not have an automatic right to citizenship. This is a clear violation of the 14^th Amendment to our Constitution which does grant that right to everyone born in our country. The president’s order was immediately blocked by Federal Judge John Coughenour (who had been appointed by former president Reagan) who declared Trump’s action to be “blatantly unconstitutional”. Trump also affirmed that “we are the only country in the world that grants birthright citizenship”. This is a LIE! Dozens of countries permit birthright citizenship. I know because our three children were born in Mexico and have Mexican citizenship (even though neither my wife nor I are Mexicans).

Immigration/Scapegoating

We have a long sad history of scapegoating foreign immigrants, falsely blaming them for many evils they did not commit and not acknowledging how they toiled under difficult conditions to build our country. We did this to the Irish, the Italians, the Jews, the Chinese, the Mexicans, and many more. We continue to do this today with undocumented immigrants. They work night and day on our farms, in our hotels and factories, or in construction. They pay sales tax, income tax, Social Security tax, real estate tax, and other taxes, yet we accuse them for the failures of our economy. They are blamed for the crime in our streets, even though police records consistently show their crime rate is much lower than those born in the United States. President Trump has said he will deport nine million undocumented immigrants. This would lead to skyrocketing inflation, especially for groceries. As more and more citizens realize that scapegoating is ethically cruel and economically inaccurate, buyer’s remorse will rise.

Tariffs

Nations place tariffs upon certain products from other countries, usually to punish another country or to protect a national industry. The use of tariffs almost never works and almost always raises prices for consumers. It is the opposite of free market capitalism. Trump has promised to levy 25% tariffs on products from Mexico and Canada and 50% on some from China. The overwhelming majority of economists disagree with the president. They affirm this would greatly increase inflation. On Sunday, Trump and Colombia’s President Gustavo Preto had a conflict on Sunday as Petro refused to receive Colombian immigrants who were being deported. Both presidents slapped a 25% tariff on the other country. It appears that last night the disagreement had been resolved. If the tariffs were to take effect, coffee prices in the U.S. would skyrocket.

Trump campaigned on lowering prices on groceries, rent, and gasoline. He has more recently tried to walk this back and has acknowledged, “It is really hard to lower prices”. He is now making a more modest promise of “lowering the rate of inflation”. The following political affirmation is quite true regarding the criteria used to evaluate a president: “It’s the economy, stupid”. If Trump lowers inflation, most citizens will give him a good grade, but if inflation rises, so will buyer’s remorse.

In my next post, I will analyze the morality/immorality of Trump’s executive orders.

Buyer’s Remorse regarding Trump: Even the Fraternal Order of Police Criticizes his Pardon of Insurrectionists

Buyer’s Remorse! This occurs when a person buys something (a car, a home, etc.) and then finds out that what was bought was defective and that the seller misrepresented the product. The person then regrets the purchase and feels anger with the seller for having lied. Last November, U.S. citizens bought a product when a plurality (not a majority) of voters (49.5%) elected Trump as president. In this first week of his presidency, he has issued a flurry of controversial executive orders and has made other decisions regarding immigrants, refugees, tariffs, the Paris Accords on Climate Change, the World Health Organization, and on and on. The action that has produced the most criticism, even by those who had supported Trump, was his pardon of the January 6, 2021 insurrectionists. The reaction has been swift and is the beginning of buyer’s remorse regarding Trump.

On Tuesday, President Trump pardoned or commuted the sentence of all 1500 people who had been convicted of crimes in the insurrection that took place at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Some pardons had been expected. Presidents have the right to selectively pardon people on an individual basis, but pardoning all the criminals went too far. This blanket pardon was an attack on the rule of law. For example, earlier this month in an interview with Fox News, Vice President Vance had stated, “If you committed violence on that day, obviously, you shouldn’t be pardoned”. Vance was right. Nevertheless, six hundred of those who were pardoned had been found guilty of assaulting police officers. Over 140 police had suffered injuries during the riot. These were not “minor incidents” as the president now claims.

Police organizations across the country have rallied to support their colleagues. The Fraternal Order of Police is the largest police union in the United States. They endorsed Trump in the presidential elections of 2016, 2020, and 2024. In a joint declaration together with the International Association of Chiefs of Police, they strongly criticized this blanket pardon. “Crimes against law enforcement are not just attacks on individuals or public safety. They are attacks on society and undermine the rule of law. Allowing those convicted of these crimes to be released early diminishes accountability and devalues the sacrifices made by courageous law enforcement officers and their families. When perpetrators of crimes, especially serious crimes, are not held fully accountable, it sends a dangerous message that the consequences for attacking law enforcement are not severe, potentially emboldening others to commit similar acts of violence.”

Elected Republican senators and congressional representatives have been asked for their opinions regarding the blanket pardon. Senator Lisa Murkowski had the courage to denounce the pardon, but most Republican officials claim that haven’t seen the videos of the insurrection. This is a lame alibi, because most of these officials were in the Capitol on that tragic day, and videos of the riot have been widely available for four years. Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, said it wasn’t his “place” to comment on the pardon. What a coward! The House of Representatives was precisely the “place” where the insurrection happened.

This pardon cannot now be undone, but Trump could at least issue an apology. If he doesn’t demonstrate remorse, others will.

An Exhortation from the Word of God for Donald Trump…, and for Us

“Do not think more highly of yourselves than you should.” So wrote the Apostle Paul (Romans 12:3) around 55 AD to the followers of Jesus in the city of Rome. Although most Christians in the first century were poor and without much social power, this was not universally true. Rome was the capital of the Empire, and the Roman Empire was the most powerful empire of its day. It ruled the world with violence, arrogance and pride. Their citizens generally looked down upon their neighbors and considered others to be inferior human beings. It is tragically true that arrogance is contagious and that some of the Christians in Rome had also been infected with this pride. Therefore, the apostle exhorted them to re-evaluate themselves more carefully, more soberly, and more humbly. It shouldn’t be so difficult to acknowledge this pride, personally or nationally, but it is.

The United States is the richest, most powerful nation the world has ever known. Nevertheless, it would be wrong to equate might with right, or wealth with justice. The Bible frequently points out that wealth and power have been accumulated through violence and oppression (James 2:6). Politicians, whether they are Republicans or Democrats, proclaim that the United States is the best country in the world. This might make us feel good…, but it is not true. Our European ancestors acquired this land stewarded by indigenous nations through warfare and broken treaties. They wickedly enslaved Africans and became rich off of the labor of the slaves. Waves of immigrants came to out country seeking the “American Dream” and a better life for their children. Some saw their dreams come true, but others were grossly mistreated. In the Mexican American war, we acquired half of Mexico’s territory. Abraham Lincoln denounced this war as most unjust. I could go on and on, but this is enough to reveal some of our national faults.

Donald Trump, soon you will be sworn in as our 47^th president. Many will say that you are the most powerful man in the world…and maybe they are right. But do not think more highly of yourself that you should. You also will have to give account to God for your actions. Even presidents must bend the knee before the King of Kings. God does not ask you to enable the rich to become richer. He has other criteria. He told a Jewish king the message “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8-9). Mr. Trump, I suggest that God will use similar criteria for you.

Serious Questions Regarding Trump’s Nominee Pete Hegseth

Donald Trump won the presidential election in November. His victory was decisive even though it was not the landslide that he has claimed. (In fact, his margin of victory was lower than every presidential election since 2000.) As President-elect, he has the legal right to nominate qualified candidates for his Cabinet and other top posts in his administration. The Senate has the responsibility to meet with the candidates and then to “advise and consent”, in effect, to approve or reject each one. The process involves a hearing with the appropriate Senate committee which explores whether the person is qualified (in terms of experience, integrity, judgment) for the position. This is followed by a vote of that committee. If favorable, the nomination is forwarded for a vote by the entire Senate. Many of his nominees are having their committee hearings this week.

Some of Trump’s nominees will sail through this process. For example, Senator Marco Rubio has been nominated to become the next Secretary of State. Although I disagree with some of Rubio’s policies, he is very qualified for the position and will receive bipartisan support. He will probably have more problems with Trump himself (regarding Russia’s war with Ukraine and personality issues) than with Democrats.

A more controversial nominee is Pete Hegseth. Trump named him to become the next Defense Secretary and to supervise the extensive Department of Defense (DOD). This is the largest department of the federal government with some three million employees and an $849 billion budget. His hearing before the Senate’s Armed Services Committee took place on January 14 and was seen live by millions of citizens.

I have some serious questions regarding Hegseth. There are at least three procedural anomalies:

Previous presidents have fully vetted their nominees with the FBI. This has been done to reveal any “skeletons in the closet”. Trump chose to bypass this procedure regarding Hegseth and most of his other nominees. Why?
Most hearings permit two or three rounds of questions by its members. During the Hegseth hearing, only one round was permitted. Why?
In the past, before they have their hearing, nominees have met individually with senators of the appropriate committee, both Republicans and Democrats, to answer specific questions the senators might have. Hegseth chose not to meet with Democrat senators. Why?

In addition, the following are areas that warrant honest, thorough evaluation of Hegseth’s qualifications.

Lack of experience in administering organizations

The DOD has three million employees. Hegseth has never administered an organization with more than a few dozen paid employees. Does he have the management experience to lead the largest department in our federal government? This is not an ideological debate between conservatives and liberals. This is a technical question regarding administrative experience and preparedness.

Allegations of Sexual Misconduct

In 2017, Hegseth was accused of sexual assault. Although he denied it and affirmed that their sexual encounter was consensual, he paid the woman a confidential settlement. She is willing to meet with the Senate committee to confirm her allegation. She should be released from the confidentiality aspect of this settlement so that the truth sees the light of day.

Even his own mother, Penelope Hegseth, accused him of mistreatment of women. She wrote him in an email, “I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around and uses women for his own power and ego. You are that man (and have been for years) and as your mother, it pains me and embarrasses me to say that, but it is the sad, sad truth.”

In the hearing, he was repeatedly asked whether specific allegations of sexual assault (and drunkenness on the job) were true or false. He repeatedly refused to answer these questions with a simple “yes” or “no”. He claimed that these were “anonymous allegations that were part of a smear campaign”. Many of these allegations were not anonymous. Hegseth should have answered. His refusal to respond suggests that he was guilty.

Inconsistencies Regarding Women in the Military

In the recent past, Hegseth has frequently affirmed that women should “straight up” not serve in combat. In his hearing, he tried to modify these affirmations without disavowing them completely. He hid behind new affirmations of the military’s lowering of standards in order to meet quotas for women in the military. Women on the committee who have served in the military (including Senator Tammy Duckworth who defeated me in a congressional race back in 2006) refuted his affirmations about the lowering of standards.

There are many additional areas that need honest evaluation. May the nominee provide us with honest responses.

Robert F. Kennedy: Criticisms from at least Three Constituencies

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated the people he wants to fill out his Cabinet. This is appropriate because he won the presidential election in November. (His claim of a landslide victory is false. He won 49.81% of the popular vote compared with 48.33% for Kamala Harris, the smallest margin of victory since 2000.) According to our Constitution, the President nominates candidates, and the Senate examines them and then approves or rejects each one, based upon their background, expertise, policies they would pursue, and their moral character. Some of his nominees are well qualified and should sail through the Senate. Nevertheless, other nominees are quite controversial and will probably not get confirmed. Most have not been properly vetted. Some, like Matt Gaetz, will withdraw their nomination or suffer the embarrassment of being rejected by the Republican controlled Senate. One of the most troubling is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who himself was a candidate for president, then threw his support to Trump. As compensation for his “loyalty”, Trump named him to become the Secretary of the powerful, sprawling Health and Human Services Department (HHS). He told RFK to “go wild” on health. Perhaps he is too “wild”. He has received sharp criticisms from at least these three constituencies.

The Medical Community – If he is confirmed, Kennedy would oversee 13 federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. RFK is so controversial because he has made many affirmations that are contrary to scientific evidence. For example, he is known as an “anti-vaxxer”, who urges people not to get vaccinated. He has claimed (without proof) that the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine causes autism. He has just petitioned the FDA, through his lawyer, to revoke approval of the polio vaccine. The Salk polio vaccine has protected an estimated twenty million people from getting this dreaded disease. This past Monday, 77 Nobel laureates, from the fields of medicine, chemistry, physics, and economics wrote an open letter to the Senate, urging its members to reject the RFK nomination. The letter states that “placing Mr. Kennedy in charge of HHS would put the public’s health in jeopardy and undermine America’s global leadership in health science”.

The Pro-Lifers – Some pro-lifers are realizing that Trump’s support of pro-life issues was largely transactional. He manipulated them and he is not a true believer in their cause. An early indication was the platform of the Republican party. Trump promoted a change in the abortion plank which watered down its wording which had endured for decades. Now, the President-elect has nominated Kennedy to head up HHS. RFK has been pro-choice on abortion, yet he tried to walk that back when he was courting Republican voters. Significant pro-lifers are raising their voice against RFK. For example, former Vice-President Mike Pence wrote, “I believe the nomination of RFK Jr. to serve as Secretary of HHS is an abrupt departure from the pro-life record of our administration and should be deeply concerning to millions of pro-life Americans who have supported the Republican Party and our nominees for decades.” He added, “On behalf of tens of millions of pro-life Americans, I respectfully urge Senate Republicans to reject this nomination and give the American people a leader who will respect the sanctity of life as Secretary of Health and Human Services”. (Here I am not weighing in on the morality of abortion; I am just reporting that Pence sees the RFK nomination as a betrayal of the pro-life movement.)

Corn Farmers – RFK has been quite outspoken regarding the dangers of high-fructose corn syrup. He denounces that our high consumption of this corn syrup in many food products has been the major factor in childhood obesity and other illnesses. (The medical community largely agrees with RFK on this issue.) In one of his promo videos, he affirmed that high-fructose corn syrup “is just a formula for making you obese and diabetic”. The political controversy swirls around what he might do about corn syrup and how this might negatively affect the jobs of farmers. As Secretary of HHS, he could urge the elimination of farm subsidies for corn production. This would be devastating for rural farmers (rural folk are some of Trump’s most solid supporters). Senators from corn producing states have raised the alarm. Senator Chuck Grassley, Republican from Iowa, said, “I may have to spend a lot of time educating Kennedy about agriculture”.

U.S. Senators, you are responsible for seriously evaluating the experiential and moral fitness of each nominee and their mental judgment. Next week, Kennedy will be meeting with many of you. Please, do your job of serving the citizens by being rigorous in your evaluation of RFK.

When Politics Becomes a Cult

When we think of a cult, we usually focus on a relatively small group of people who are under the “spell” of a manipulative religious leader. Nevertheless, there are moments when political movements and politicians demonstrate cult like tendencies. Hitler had a powerful spell over much of the German population. Dictators frequently have such power over many of their citizens. I recently did a google search for characteristics of cultic leaders which revealed the following traits with brief descriptions in parentheses. I urge you to study these characteristics and evaluate if any current leader comes to mind. If you are under the influence of such a leader, have the courage to break free.

Grandiose idea of who he is (exaggerated self-importance)
Excessive admiration demands (narcissistic cravings)
Exaggerated power sense (rule-breaking confidence)
Boastful about accomplishments (showy self-promotion)
Unlimited success fantasies (delusional aspirations)
Exploiting others financially (financial manipulation)
Hypersensitivity to perception (concerned with image)
Center of attention craving (distracting behavior)
Blind, unquestioned obedience (demanding loyalty)
Arrogant behavior (haughty attitude)
Ignoring others’ needs (selfish disregard)
Best of everything expectation (material superiority)

Defending the Immigrant: Thanksgiving, Father Abraham, and Brother Jesus

The recent election reveals a lot about us in this country. Polls show that immigration was one of the most important issues and that up to half of our population would like to see millions of undocumented immigrants deported. If you are in favor of this massive deportation, I write this brief article with the hope of changing your mind. I appeal to your conscience, your sense of integrity, and if you are a religious person, your understanding of Biblical teaching.

Let’s begin with Thanksgiving. According to our national folklore, the first Thanksgiving took place in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. Members of the Wampanoag indigenous people shared food (venison, bass, mussels) with the pilgrims. Whether it occurred exactly in this way is not that important for this post. What is important to remember is that on the eve of the European colonization of the Americas (by the Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, and others), these lands were under the stewardship of the indigenous people tribes. Not many Europeans asked the indigenous leaders for “permission” to occupy and settle in the land. In other words, they were “illegal” or “undocumented” immigrants, although they tried to justify their actions by affirming “manifest destiny” or other religious arguments. Others claimed that although their government was wrong, they were individually innocent. Over the next centuries, treaties were made…, and frequently broken. The result was that almost the totality of the land previously under the stewardship of indigenous people was taken by Europeans and their descendants. I am a descendant of those European colonists and a beneficiary of that unjust land takeover. Most of my fellow citizens are in a similar situation. It would be hypocrisy for me to glory in this pursuit of the “American Dream” of my predecessors and to deny other immigrants that same opportunity.

Our national history regarding immigrants has been quite checkered. Protestant immigrants from western or northern nations of Europe have been very privileged. Others, not quite so much. At various times, Italians, Poles, Jews, the Irish, Mexicans, the Chinese, and others have been scapegoated, as if they were the cause of all our country’s ills (as claimed today). Some suffered outright persecution and deportation. Of course, the capture and enslavement of Africans was our nation’s most horrific evil committed against foreigners. If we were honest, we would confess our national sins against immigrants.

Now, let’s turn to the Scriptures. “Father Abraham” is recognized as the founding patriarch of the three great monotheistic religions in our world: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. According to the sacred texts, God called Abraham to leave his father’s house to go to a distant land (Genesis 12). He became an immigrant “par excellence”. God told Abe that those who welcomed and blessed him would also receive the Lord’s blessing. Along the way, Abe made many mistakes. (Like some contemporary immigrants, Abe told some lies to save his own skin.) Nevertheless, people in other countries forgave him and blessed him… and Abraham became a blessing to others, just like God had promised.

Some will say that God’s promise to Abraham was quite specific and does not apply to immigrants today. Not true… at least not for those who want to follow the God of the Bible. The Scriptures tell us that all people, including all immigrants, are made in God’s image, and therefore, have immense value. Because immigrants are frequently subject to mistreatment (just like orphans and widows), God defends them and provides them with special protections (Leviticus 25:35, Deuteronomy 14:29, the entire book of Ruth the immigrant, and Malachi 3:5). The Lord Jesus is even more radical in his teaching: “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me… what you have done to the least of these my brothers and sisters, you have done to me” (Matthew 25:31-46). The way we treat an immigrant is, in fact, how we treat Jesus himself.

How should we treat the millions of undocumented immigrants in our midst? The overwhelming majority of them are working in gainful employment. Our economy, especially the agricultural and construction sectors, needs immigrant labor. It would suffer greatly if millions of immigrants were deported. Undocumented parents would be separated from their children, many of which are U.S. born citizens. A good solution would be to follow the contours of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, carved out by President Reagan and Congress. Let them regularize their legal status, pay a penalty, continue in their jobs, and most importantly, keep their families intact. A good first step would be to increase the pathways for legal immigration.

Let’s do better in the future than we have in the past!

The Matt Gaetz Nomination: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, your Christian Values are at Stake

A week ago, President elect Trump nominated Congressman Matt Gaetz to become the country’s Attorney General. Like other nominations, this process moves to the Senate so that the nominee can either be confirmed or rejected. Usually, the House of Representatives has nothing to do with this confirmation process, but in the Gaetz process, it does. Why? Gaetz is a very controversial nominee for many reasons. He does not have significant experience in prosecution of legal cases, a must for the position of Attorney General. Gaetz was largely responsible for getting rid of previous House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. In addition, he was being investigated by the House Ethics Committee for a wide range of allegations: violating sex trafficking laws, sharing inappropriate sexual images on the House floor, using campaign funds for his personal use, and accepting bribes! He has denied committing these crimes. The House Ethics Committee (composed of five Republicans and five Democrats) was moving forward last week to make public the results of their investigation. Trump then nominated Gaetz for the position of Attorney General. Gaetz abruptly resigned his position in the House (which was not required for nominees). He hoped the potentially damaging investigation report would never see the light of day. The current Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, now appears on the scene. First, Johnson confirms that, in his position as Speaker of the House, he has no role in the Senate process. Then, he meets with Trump. Johnson then immediately states that the House Ethics Committee’s report should be buried.

Johnson is very open about his faith in Jesus Christ. That is appropriate. Nevertheless, those of us who claim to believe in Jesus must strive to follow the Lord’s teaching. Jesus claimed to be the Truth and urged his disciples to speak the truth, promote the truth, and live out the truth. Mr. Johnson, by trying to bury the investigation report on the allegations against Gaetz, you are suppressing the truth. If Gaetz is innocent, he will be vindicated. If he is guilty, the Senate needs to know the facts before they vote on his nomination. Leading senators, both Republicans and Democrats, have demanded to see that report. I am a fellow follower of Jesus, and I urge you not to continue your suppression of the facts. Your values as a Christian are at stake.

The Election is Over: May God Help Us Bind Up the Wounds of our Nation

In his second inaugural address in 1865, President Abraham Lincoln encouraged the U.S. people with these words: “With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan—to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.”

Lincoln’s troops were on the verge of winning and ending the war. He knew that both sides thought they were morally right and believed that God was on their side. Nevertheless, Lincoln knew enough about God’s justice and he understood that both the North and the South had committed atrocities before and during the war (ex. massive killings, the horrors of slavery, Sherman’s devastating and decimating march to the sea, etc.). A righteous God had judged both sides and found them to be morally deficient. A multitude of women on both sides had become widows. Thousands and thousands of young men would never come home. Orphans abounded and starvation was rampant. For those who had eyes to see, the nation’s wounds were all too apparent. A few weeks after he delivered his speech, an assassin’s bullet cut the president’s life short. Lincoln was denied the opportunity to heal our country’s wounds.

Lincoln’s remarks are very relevant for us today in the wake of our divisive presidential election. Trump won a clear victory, taking all of the seven battleground states. Nevertheless, we are a deeply divided country with roughly 50% on both sides. As in Lincoln’s day, we should strive to bind up the nation’s wounds. To heal a wound, you must first understand it and clean it out. During the passion and heat of the campaign, I didn’t see much willingness on either side to listen to and feel the various painful wounds on the other side. If we are sufficiently mature and with “malice toward none”, we might be able to have courageous conversations and begin to understand each other… an essential first step towards bind up the wounds.

We might not agree that all the painful wounds are equally justifiable, but we should be able to walk in the shoes of those we disagree with and strive to feel their pain. What were our political rivals fighting for and what were they fighting against? I encourage my readers to strive first to understand the pain before you automatically respond.

Millions of our fellow citizens feel they have been economically falling further and further behind.
Our neighbors have seen food and other prices dramatically rise (eggs by over 200%) due to inflation and not fall back.
Many believe that undocumented immigrants are taking away their jobs and/or depressing their wages.
After five decades of living under Roe, millions of women have seen their right to an abortion taken away.
During the same period, millions of tiny lives in the womb have been destroyed not to save the life of their mother, but for the sake of convenience.
Many of our citizens feel that the other side is lying (a lot!) and distorting the truth.
Many feel that people on the other side are arrogant and talking down to voters.
Most people believe that big money has corrupted our political process.

Trump has won the election and will occupy the White House as of January 20. I do not believe in the validity of the maxim “to the victor belong the spoils” as if the winners can do anything they want. God (and “we the people”) demands that those in authority be responsible public servants (Romans 13:4a,6) and to act justly. Therefore, I urge Trump, his supporters, and government officials generally, to seek justice and bind up our nation’s wounds. The following are some of the painful wounds that I see (mostly wounds of those who cannot speak up for themselves, or for society at large). They are principally based upon my belief that all people are created in God’s image and, therefore, deserve to be treated with respect.

Bullying is wrong. To demean others by making fun of their handicaps, deliberately mispronouncing their names, or dismissing them with offensive nicknames (“little Marco” or “your wife is ugly”) instead of reasonably debating the issues, is not acceptable. Everyone should acknowledge that Trump is a bully. I urge him to turn from his bullying ways and set a more positive example for the younger generations.
All women are created in God’s image. Therefore, treating them as having less value than men is wrong. Trump has been found legally liable of sexual assault. The Access Hollywood tape where Trump boasted of grabbing women by their genitalia should be denounced by all people as morally abhorrent. Trump’s unrepentant womanizing is a painful wound.
It pains me to see immigrants vilified for attempting to provide a better life for their families. Of course, undocumented immigrants who have committed felonies should be in prison or deported back to their home countries. The overwhelming majority of immigrants are hardworking contributors to our society.
Trump’s plan to deport 8-15 million immigrants is painful and anti-family, because many of them have children born in the U.S. who are American citizens. As a result, families would be separated. In addition, because undocumented immigrants work hard jobs for low wages, employers will have to pay higher wages to attract new workers. If Trump follows through on his deportation plan, inflation will skyrocket…another painful wound.
Thousands of innocent Gazan civilians have died in the Israel-Hamas war. If Trump gives unconditional support to Israel, many more civilians in Gaza will pay the price with their lives. This is an open, festering wound.
Trump has affirmed that he will “solve” Russia’s war against Ukraine even before he takes office. This probably means forcing Ukraine to give up some of their territory to appease Russia. This will not stop Russia’s imperialistic goals of taking control of other neighbors. This is not an acceptable “cleaning” of the wound.,
Our national founders put “checks and balances” into our Constitution to protect our country from one branch of government amassing too much power over the other branches. The Supreme Court, including the three justices previously appointed by Trump, have given presidents “immunity” for all their presidential actions. Not having any guardrails is a dangerous wound.
Republicans used to be the “law and order” party, and they proudly proclaimed that “nobody is above the law”. That is no longer true. Trump is a convicted felon. The federal court cases against him for insurrection and mishandling of secret documents will just “disappear”. A society that permits the powerful to be above the law has a cancerous wound that needs cleaning.
The planet itself is agonizing with ever more destructive “natural” disasters like massive floods, “once in a century” hurricanes, droughts, and wildfires. Many of these are related to global warming. “Drill, baby drill” for more oil is not an acceptable cure for our planet’s illness.

The list could go on and on. I urge people of all political persuasions to acknowledge the wounds that exist, to empathize and identify with the wounded, and bind up their wounds.