What if President Franklin could see us now?

There's a meme going around that says Donald Trump is the greatest president since Benjamin Franklin. If that's not stupid enough for you, it also praises Trump for bringing “class and dignity” back to the White House. Back from where, I wonder? Back from those black people who used to live there? What else could that mean?

I’ll get back to that shortly, but first, is it “class and dignity” to mock the disabled, shame minorities, lie to voters, lie to the media, lie to everybody else, launder money, conspire with Russians to rig an election, hire hookers to pee on you and brag about grabbing women by the pussy?

Is it “class and dignity” to encourage violence at rallies, demean a free press and threaten members of Congress who don’t vote your way?

How about shoving other world leaders out of your way to get to the front row of a photo at an international summit? Or insulting heads of other nations both in person and on the phone, including some of our closest allies?

Is it classy and dignified when you play to a base of supporters who called President Obama's wife – our former First Lady – a "man," "Gorilla Face" and "an ape in heels?" Is that the kind of "class" we have living in the White House now?

I am personally offended by anyone who is NOT offended by everything Trump says and does. I have lost some former friends because of my politics, and I expect to lose even more, but I make no apologies for my beliefs. Frankly, I’d rather not know anyone who likes, loves, voted for, supports, admires, accepts or tries to normalize a man like Donald Trump. To me this is simply not negotiable.

Getting back to the Obamas, some people don’t recognize a dog whistle when they hear one, but dogs do, and there seems to be a lot of barking going on outside. I’ve always said the worst kind of racists are the ones who either don’t know they’re racists or pretend like they’re not. A guy dressed up in a Klan robe and hood may be despicable, but at least he’s up front about it.   

On the other hand:

* I’ve had enough of people who use buzz words and racist code to talk about the former president and his family – either on purpose or because they’re too stupid to know better.

* I’ve had enough of privileged straight white people who think they’ve been discriminated against or somehow deprived of their liberty.

* I’ve had enough of religious leaders who overlooked all of Trump’s transgressions to get an anti-gay, anti-abortion justice on the Supreme Court and are now ramming Christianity down everybody’s throat. And don't even get me started on their tax-exempt status.

* I’ve had enough of anti-intellectualism and the denial of science.

* I’ve had enough of politicians who held their noses to help get Trump into the White House and are still holding them while he turns our country into an authoritarian state.

* And I’ve had all of the stupidity I can stand.

I could write another thousand words on this subject but I’m just too angry to think right now. Maybe I'll write more tomorrow or the next day or the day after that, who knows?  In the mean time, I'm left to wonder what President Franklin would think about Donald Trump. I don't know for sure, but I'm betting he’d be on my side.