The New Guy.
The Canadian Niece - newly 7 years old, with the wisdom of her years - is outraged by our election of Tronald P Dump. (This is what I’ll be calling him from now on, to avoid a) showing respect and b) algorithms from certain countries or his own people that may be looking for his name.)
So first, TCN’s favorite Big Boy restaurant here in my hometown - where her mother was always obsessed with their chocolate ice cream fudge cake and where the kids would beg to go for ice cream - has closed down. Then the Toy House - a local toy place that was family owned and operated for 65 years and where TCN is aware that I get all her best dollhouse stuff - has closed down. She was lamenting the loss to her father and said, “The new guy did this.” - “What new guy?” her father asked. - “The new guy who is in charge now.” Yes, Dump. She thinks her favorite Michigan restaurant and toy house have closed down because of Dump.
When she told me this during their Christmas visit, I said, “Well, he is shutting down a lot of things, but I actually don’t think Big Boy and the Toy House are his fault.” What other things was he shutting down, she wanted to know. So I told her that he wanted to take away health insurance for sick/old/poor people, so they can’t go to the doctors anymore. “Why?!” was her outcry.
“Because he hates poor people,” my brother supplied. - “But that’s not nice!” she said. - “He hates a lot of people,” I told her. “Black people. People from other countries. Poor people. Women. Sick people like me. Gay people.” Every people I named, her mouth fell open a little bit farther.
“He really hates women,” my brother said. “He grabs them and hurts them and gets away with it.” - “Someone should stop him! Why does he hate everyone?” TCN asked.
“Well, not everyone,“ her dad said. “He likes rich people.” - “Yes, he likes rich people who are also white people who are also men,” I explained. “Only rich, white men like himself. He hates everyone else.”
“He should be in time out!” she declared.
“I agree,” I told her. “We could have had a woman who was nice to people, but everyone said, no let’s have the mean guy.” - “The woman wasn’t very good herself,” my brother added. - “Um, she wasn’t the perfect choice, that was Bernie Sanders. I’ll say that ’till I die,” I told him, a little offended. “But she was a good choice. She is nice to all the different people.” My brother conceded on that.
“The new guy shouldn’t hate people or hurt them and he should let them go to the doctor,” TCN told us. - “Hey, he likes the Russian guy. He’s nice to him,” my brother said. - “This is true,” I added, “But the Russian guy is mean too. He’s a bad guy.”
“A bad guy?!” The Canadian Nephew perked up. “I’ll karate chop him!” To be fair, he’s five and he’s in a phase where he karate chops everything. He thinks he’s a ninja.
My niece declared she didn’t like the new guy and that was the end of the conversation.
But it left me thinking, how a seven year old would be a better choice. And not in a, “Oh, a seven year old would better than this douche,” kind of way, but in a genuine, “A seven year old has compassion and would be open hearted and open minded to all the peoples of America,” kind of way. Someone would have to handle the budget issues for her, but otherwise, I think she’d make a fine candidate. She was born in Canada though, so I think she’s out of the running.
Still, The Canadian Niece for President 20/20!
So first, TCN’s favorite Big Boy restaurant here in my hometown - where her mother was always obsessed with their chocolate ice cream fudge cake and where the kids would beg to go for ice cream - has closed down. Then the Toy House - a local toy place that was family owned and operated for 65 years and where TCN is aware that I get all her best dollhouse stuff - has closed down. She was lamenting the loss to her father and said, “The new guy did this.” - “What new guy?” her father asked. - “The new guy who is in charge now.” Yes, Dump. She thinks her favorite Michigan restaurant and toy house have closed down because of Dump.
When she told me this during their Christmas visit, I said, “Well, he is shutting down a lot of things, but I actually don’t think Big Boy and the Toy House are his fault.” What other things was he shutting down, she wanted to know. So I told her that he wanted to take away health insurance for sick/old/poor people, so they can’t go to the doctors anymore. “Why?!” was her outcry.
“Because he hates poor people,” my brother supplied. - “But that’s not nice!” she said. - “He hates a lot of people,” I told her. “Black people. People from other countries. Poor people. Women. Sick people like me. Gay people.” Every people I named, her mouth fell open a little bit farther.
“He really hates women,” my brother said. “He grabs them and hurts them and gets away with it.” - “Someone should stop him! Why does he hate everyone?” TCN asked.
“Well, not everyone,“ her dad said. “He likes rich people.” - “Yes, he likes rich people who are also white people who are also men,” I explained. “Only rich, white men like himself. He hates everyone else.”
“He should be in time out!” she declared.
“I agree,” I told her. “We could have had a woman who was nice to people, but everyone said, no let’s have the mean guy.” - “The woman wasn’t very good herself,” my brother added. - “Um, she wasn’t the perfect choice, that was Bernie Sanders. I’ll say that ’till I die,” I told him, a little offended. “But she was a good choice. She is nice to all the different people.” My brother conceded on that.
“The new guy shouldn’t hate people or hurt them and he should let them go to the doctor,” TCN told us. - “Hey, he likes the Russian guy. He’s nice to him,” my brother said. - “This is true,” I added, “But the Russian guy is mean too. He’s a bad guy.”
“A bad guy?!” The Canadian Nephew perked up. “I’ll karate chop him!” To be fair, he’s five and he’s in a phase where he karate chops everything. He thinks he’s a ninja.
My niece declared she didn’t like the new guy and that was the end of the conversation.
But it left me thinking, how a seven year old would be a better choice. And not in a, “Oh, a seven year old would better than this douche,” kind of way, but in a genuine, “A seven year old has compassion and would be open hearted and open minded to all the peoples of America,” kind of way. Someone would have to handle the budget issues for her, but otherwise, I think she’d make a fine candidate. She was born in Canada though, so I think she’s out of the running.
Still, The Canadian Niece for President 20/20!