Let us begin. Trump’s decent down the ramp. It was a lovely, clear day at West Point. No precip. The leader of the free world seemed a tad unsteady. The Army officer taking the walk with Trump was quite close by. One might see more distance between horny teens at a frat party. Well, Trump made it, but like so many things he does, it was tantalizingly embarrassing. His attempt to tweet his way out fell as flat as he seemed destined to be on that lovely day.

John Bolton. Oh you rascally rabbit. Some excerpts from the book have somehow gotten to the press. Here we see Trump needing a little help from China, you know, in case Russia can’t seal the election deal for him. But it’s already in the bag.

William Barr. Dredged up from the swampy depths to serve as consigliere. If you didn’t hate lawyers before, I rest my case. Trump needed a little help to rig the Justice Department and doesn’t it seem the casting couch has taken on a whole new dimension.

Ukraine. These poor bastards. Call it a quid pro quo but Trump would probably prefer tit for tat. He needed a little help smearing Joe Biden. Sometimes the stars just align perfectly. And a very stable genius is able to play astronomer. Kidding. He stumbled into this.

White supremacists. Trump finds them useful in his desire to foment a civil or race war. Desperation. At this moment in time, Trump is tweeting threats to protesters which will surely entice a large representation of black lives matter. Trump’s de facto army of skin head militia will appear to defend the supreme leader and somehow blood will be shed. In other words, a normal Trump rally.

Hydroxychloroquine. No way. UV light bath. Seriously? Clorox cocktails. Unbelievable but true.

Rudy Giuliani. Even Trump isn’t sure if Rudy is helping anything.

Sworn to protect and to serve. It is clear that some individuals in law enforcement have an agenda, that some individuals in law enforcement have a personality disorder.

It is hard to imagine what compels an individual to pursue a career in law enforcement. Increasingly it appears that a certain personality has taken dominance in the ranks. But I would suggest that it is a reflection of our society. Derisive, divisive, and hateful exacerbated by political agendas.

To be clear, there is a bias which negatively impacts minorities. Rightfully referred to as systemic racism. It is so hard wired into the culture of law enforcement that the only way to change it is to selectively weed out offenders. Like any other workplace, the craftier are effective at bullshitting management, so unless protections are put in place for individuals who cooperate by calling out racist comrades, there will be little appetite for honest reflection.

But, and this is crucial, no segment of civilian society is immune from police brutality. Lights in the rear view mirror is frightening for anyone. And cops are not a homogenous population. They each one bring their own set of prejudices and personality traits. And your day depends on how lucky you feel.

In this country increasingly your worth as a human being is directly correlated to your bank account. Trump views his target audience as something less than worthy of breathing. But, he is willing to strike a bargain. Votes for souls. When he says he will send in troops to dominate the streets, he does not exclude anyone. You’ve already surrendered your souls willingly, so a little militaristic domination should be easy to swallow.

Everyone thinks they’re in on the joke. But not so. The payoff is so enticing, but like the greyhounds chasing the rabbit, it’s always just a little out of reach.

We will make no progress in healing our fractured society until we realize that to be American does not require a genetic bond, but a human bond fostered by our desire to be free and to be united by the creed that all men are created equal.