Do we still remember how we voted last November in the U.S. Presidential election? Maybe we penned a write-in protest vote for Bernie. Or, did we pull the lever to support the status quo transition from Obama back to a Clinton? The other choice was for a candidate who promised to “blow up” the Washington, D.C. establishment. He promised to make America great again by taking aim at a bigly lineup of our society’s institutions.
It’s obvious who won just by looking around at how many of those institutions are now on fire, imploding or ducking for cover. Even before the Trump election, growing numbers of American citizens already were casting doubts about such institutions as Congress, Wall Street, the media, law enforcement — and even schools and religions. Welcome to these times where healthy skepticism is outgunned by permanent pessimism.
No matter how we voted, we’ve got to admit the path to American greatness since January 20 has become newly cluttered with Twitter debris, embarrassing foreign moments and millions of damaged people.
Even in liberal and cultured Sonoma County, one cannot avoid daily rage-filled conversations about our current president. We all join in the angst over what may happen next to our once sacred and essential institutions.
Look no further than what the Boy Scouts of America just endured. Of all our institutions, didn’t we think the scouts could never be touched by Trump? After his ugly political speech at the National Jamboree last week, the leaders of the Boy Scouts of America were forced to issue a public apology following a storm of protests from scout parents and former Eagle Scouts.
It seems wherever Trump goes these days, someone is left behind to make apologies for what he just said, who he just fired, or what he just tried to blow up. We’re not sure our beleaguered institutions and we — the people — need this kind of help.
A current Gallup Poll found public confidence at historic lows for organized religion (45 percent), the Supreme Court (30 percent), public schools (26 percent), newspapers (22 percent), TV news (18 percent), banks (26 percent), organized labor (22 percent), the presidency (29 percent), the police (53 percent), the medical system (34 percent) and big business (21 percent).
We can’t blame all that on Trump, can we? Most of us still hold the highest regard for the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, March of Dimes, 4-H clubs, Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions and maybe the Library of Congress. But look how we feel about our own political parties, Major League Baseball, NFL, Catholics, Jews, Muslims or others?
Talk about failing institutions, what about marriage, job loyalty or even priesthood?
We’ve even lost faith in some of our casual traditions. Didn’t we used to think of some TV shows and personalities as American institutions? Mayberry’s Andy Griffith and the cozy, misfit Cheers crowd might still be OK, but what about our All-American dad, Bill Cosby?
We’ve been jilted. But this is worse than a cheating daddy. We have elected a president who once bragged about grabbing women in their private parts. During last year’s campaign he publicly mocked a physically disabled man, among many others. His constant lies from the highest office in our land now make us doubt even our institutions of fair elections and a free press.
There’s a theory that after Trump is finished blowing up all our institutions that America will be great again because he will put it back together in better shape. Sure, and he’s going to show us his tax returns, too.
In lots of our local conversations we try to comfort each other and say America will survive even this bigly Trump upheaval. Except, little by little, some of these same conversations are ending with the same question: “Can we be sure?”
Take another look at those Gallup Poll numbers for the answer.
