It didn’t take long after the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States for the first of many American heroes to shine light upon the darkness of his agenda. Not long after Trump took the oath of office, likely with a hand upon the Project 2025 playbook instead of the Bible, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde courageously delivered a sermon at the national prayer service in which she appealed to the new president to have mercy on the downtrodden and marginalized, immigrants in particular.
Surrounded by legions of billionaires and his fidgety family members, many wearing golden crosses that began to feel uncomfortably warm upon their chests, Trump stared straight ahead without emotion. No stranger to the art of hypocrisy, the president was busy formulating his response to a woman of faith and compassion. She was “boring and uninspiring” and was characterized as a “radical left hard-line Trump hater.” Bishop Budde was sharing the teachings of Jesus, clearly lost on the president. But she led the way for others over the past year to advocate for justice, often at their peril.
In his farewell address as the Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff in 2023, Gen. Mark Milley set the bar high for military officers to follow. With clear reference to the danger posed by a President Trump, he emphasized that officers take an oath to the Constitution, and not to a “king, tyrant or wannabe dictator.” As threats against Milley have surged, his protective detail has been eliminated by the president. More recently, Admiral Alvin Holsey abruptly resigned from the Navy after 37 years of distinguished service. As head of the US Southern Command overseeing the unjustified murders of suspected drug traffickers on the high seas, he set the stage for other military officers to come forward and encourage those in the military to refuse illegal orders.
Six former military officers, now politicians, challenged the frenetic Secretary of Defense Hegseth by openly encouraging service members to obey legal orders, but disobey illegal orders. Those heroes, including our own Rep. Maggie Goodlander, continue to stand their ground in the face of bizarre threats from the president and his cultists.
And now we have more journalists coming forward to challenge the president on a wide array of issues – support for Ukraine, release of the Epstein files, cozying up to the murderer
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, starting a war for oil against Venezuela, and his wide-ranging efforts to undermine the health and security of his own people. So many women in journalism (Rachel Scott, Nancy Cordes, Mary Bruce, Kaitlan Collins, Catherine Lucey and others) have endured the humiliating and misogynistic barrages of juvenile insults from the president, while their male colleagues have remained relatively silent. The actions of these women are brave and patriotic, and will hopefully inspire others to enter from the sidelines.
We suffered a great loss this past week with the tragic killing of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele. In addition to the treasures of his work, he leaves us with inspiring words for our times. “Silence in the face of authoritarianism is complicity. Speaking out is a patriotic act. Democracy doesn’t defend itself. It requires participation, vigilance, and courage from ordinary people.” Trump’s vile response to the killings reflects who he is – a sociopath bereft of any shred of decency.
We are finally seeing that even his most passionate supporters are repelled by his commentary. And there are millions of uncelebrated heroes; everyday Americans who recognize tyranny and hit the streets to confront threats to human rights and the Constitution posed by this authoritarian government.
We are approaching the time of year and a point in our history where darkness prevails. We
dust off copies of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” to remind us of the promise of the Christmas season. Ebenezer Scrooge is now our president who has stocked his cabinet chock full of Ebenezer Scrooges, all of whom have succumbed to greed and selfishness. The glitter of gold from tacky appliqué and grotesque, self-promoting monuments outshines connections, kindness, and compassion, condemning Americans to the sorrows of Bob Crachit. It is unlikely that the president and his followers will miraculously acquire empathy from the visits of three ghosts, but everyday heroes will surely illuminate the path from darkness to brighter days.
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah, and here’s to a New Year full of light and enlightenment.
Robert S. Kiefner is a retired Family Doctor in Concord.