Take your toys and go home, Donald

Have you noticed the tantrums that the man who holds the office of Chief Executive has been throwing lately? He’s continued to lie about everything from how the 2016 election ended to having a photograph taken in Europe. He has his point of view, while others disagree with how he sees reality.

Now he has come back to the U.S. and decided not to sign a law that the Senate and House had both approved. He’ll sign it as soon as the Trumpites browbeat those who don’t agree with him into agreeing on another bill that does not seem to be very popular.

This is just another example of the childish attitude of a man who is old enough to know better. Spoiled brat behavior is often seen in preschoolers. Grown men who have been elected President of the United States rarely pitch these kinds of fits in front of the press. We know today that some of the former Presidents did this in private.

Donald Trump no longer has a filter that most of us use to prevent the embarrassment of foot-in-mouth syndrome. I’ve been a non-Partisan voter for all my voting career. When I registered to vote in August of 1972, they tried to tell me at the county clerk’s office that I had to declare a party to be eligible to vote.

Having my high school diploma did not necessarily guarantee that I knew voting law. My history teachers made it a priority to teach us about the new laws that were in effect after the problems in the sixties. I asked to speak to the county clerk, and he told me I was correct that I did not need to declare a party.

I currently serve as an election judge for Greene County, Missouri, where most voters are Republicans. When I signed up for this job, they needed to know my party affiliation, and I told them I was non-Partisan and that is what I am listed as. To me, that means I should be able to work with a Republican or a Democrat. I have always been paired with a member of the GOP because here, there are always more of them and fewer of us.

It does not matter to me whether Trump belongs to any party. I have known for over forty years that he is a dishonest, lying businessman that I would never trust, even if my pastor told me to. For the last three elections, when most of my friends thought he was the only choice, I disagreed with them. I continue to believe that he never should have been elected either time.

This year, as always, I want to overthrow all the political parties. It is not just the way our groups work against each other. After fifty-plus years of watching politics, I have seen US and other countries’ politicians use party affiliation to bypass the people they represent. I’m tired of it. We need to learn this as citizens.

Did you know that Trump used to be a Democrat, and so was former President Ronald Regan. When the Republican Party was formed, it was the party for the downtrodden. The Democrats were the ones who supported slavery. They continue to flop back and forth on almost every issue. I can trust a candidate but not the party he belongs to. They sell their souls to the parties to get money to buy their election. It must stop.

©Copyright 2026 by Charles Kensinger

Kentucky State Senator Brandon Smith

Are certain people exempt from the penalties of our legal system? There are many people who violate our laws every day. In Springfield, police officers run red lights, fail to follow traffic laws, and endanger innocent civilians for no valid reason. As Christians, forgiveness should be our creed. As law-abiding citizens, sometimes we are fed up with those who believe they are above the law.

Another politician has been accused of driving under the influence. Apparently, he is not going to fight the charge that he was intoxicated. His defense is a 100-year-old law that protects legislators during a session. He did not apologize for betraying his constituents’ trust. He did not admit that he was intoxicated when he was stopped. He did not deny that he was intoxicated.

Forgiveness of those who are trying to straighten their lives out might be a good procedure for individuals. It is not for the government. Law enforcement should do that, enforce the laws. Whether someone is a politician, a celebrity, a friend of the police to police themselves, they should face the full force of the law.

Until no one is given special rights, there will be no equal rights for anyone. When equal rights are mentioned, it is usually in response to racial situations. Our officials need to grow up and realize that the privileges they believe they deserve undermine their authority. The voters need to take responsibility away from these lawbreakers. They should force them out of their cushy jobs and require them to work for a living.

Some legislators seem to believe that when they are elected, they become superior to the electorate. The only way to stop this is to remove everyone who shows this type of arrogant attitude. Voters often believe that their legislators should be forgiven, while those from other areas should be removed from their offices. No wonder our country is in the condition it is in.

You all know that our current President still says that he won the election in 2020. He claims it has been proven to be true. The main one who believes this is himself. He cannot admit that he lost. His claim of this injustice brought him back to the eye of the voters, who believe the other lies he tells. He has had to take a step back from his Gestapo tactics against illegal aliens and fire someone to be the scapegoat.

In November of this year, you will have the opportunity, again, to positively affect our political system. Look at everything that you can find about candidates. Keep in mind that both Republicrats and Demicans have caused our government to be shut down twice. None of them has lost a dime of pay.

©Copyright 2026 by Charles Kensinger

Five who will not listen to you

Let me tell you who these are. Your cat. Any cat, really. Cats do not listen except to their name or a door opening or maybe a can opener. They have very sensitive ears. They simply do not understand words. They comprehend petting and playing. They know who feeds them and is supposed to clean their litter box. Don’t do this and they will remind you.

Do you ever complain that your children don’t listen? Again, this is not just yours. Youngsters in general have difficulty following instructions. They are people after all. Once again, they respond to love and play. Speak the language they understand and they will comprehend. Yell at them or criticize them and they will not.

They also do not respond to being ignored. If you have ever had a child ask a question that you did not know the answer to or want to respond to at that moment, they will continue to press you. Just like a hungry cat. Give them what they want, and they will leave you alone, momentarily.

Bosses are others that will not listen unless you are saying what they want to hear. When they ask what you think, they do not necessarily want that answer. Some are not sure that their employees can think. Thinking is what they are paid for, and many are overpaid.

When they ask what you think of the concept they have just given to you, they may only want agreement. Give it to them. “Is this a good idea?” Do not say no. Say that it is and immediately add whatever your suggestion to improve on it is. Say it slowly and clearly. Then shut up.

If they want comments, they will accept what you say. If not, avoid confrontation and wait a while. Soon their thoughts may alter. I have often made suggestions, been told they were bad ideas, and left the discussion there. Later the concepts I expressed became the boss’s new directives and were implemented.

Do not try to take credit for their own brainstorms, you’ll get washed away. It is now their idea no matter how much you try to reason them out of it. Take the win. What needed to be done got done. When you become the boss, remember what they did and do not repeat their error.

Both husbands and wives are accused of not listening. That is correct. We all have selective deafness. We are only grownup children after all. The truth is that this malady is not limited to a sex or age group. We really should not limit this to just these five groups.

Politicians are the last of the five. The reason I say this is because I have listened to interviews with them for over fifty years. Most of the time their answers to questions do not answer those inquiries. They may have to deal with the topic but seldom provide an adequate response.

Work on your listening skills. Practice stopping what you are doing when your spouse or kids are trying to get your attention. We all need to concentrate on our communication skills. Listening is an essential part of our relationships. Don’t be one of the sixth group, those who do not care.

©Copyright 2026 by Charles Kensinger