Caffeinated Politics

When people say they despise Donald Trump there are multiple reasons for such a sentiment. This week the country looks aghast at the complete destruction of the East Wing of the White House and wonders exactly how a low IQ person with no sense of history or any awareness of our values as a nation could have so easily abused the norms that surround the People’s House? It is not like the citizens of this nation were not amply warned in various ways about the dangers Trump would present if elected to a second term. I understand why my fellow citizens are exercised over what is happening, and while I am aligned with their anger, we must remind ourselves (as soybean growers and beef producers are now doing) that casting a ridiculously stupid ballot has consequences.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation weighed in this week with justified criticism of Trump’s actions in a letter to the National Park Service. They warned the current design of the ballroom threatens to “overwhelm” the White House in regards to the sizes of the two structures and requested a freeze on further construction until a commission that oversees the iconic urban landscape of the nation’s capital is consulted.

More to the point, most Americans understand the words of Hillary Clinton on social media this week. “It’s not his house. It’s your house. And he’s destroying it.”

I am sickened that preserving this historical landmark has been tossed aside for the whims of an infantile idiot. We are talking about the East Wing, a structure steeped in cultural memory and architectural significance, and Trump is treating it like a burger wrapper. The nation should feel a deep sense of utter betrayal. We have lost a chapter in our shared story.

Readers know I love history and revere our past. The halls and spaces of this wing served as a reminder of our institutional evolution; its space carried the weight of history. To destroy it is to sever a thread that connects generations, from those who built it to those who walked its halls in moments of national consequence. If Trump had one iota of education about our nation or values he would have grasped the wrongness of his idea that at the outset of his brain fart.

When Trump chose expedience over preservation, he sent a clarion message that our heritage is disposable. That his madness matters more than the voices of those who came before us. The destruction of the East Wing is a slap in the face of historians, architects, and everyday citizens who see value in remembering where we came from.

Some may argue that progress demands sacrifice. But progress without memory is reckless. Trump has made that crystal clear. This week I heard the term “cultural amputation” used in regards to this destruction. I agree that the words apply to what is now happening. The people of this nation deserve better. Our history deserves better.

Donald Trump simply does not care.