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Wednesday, November 18, 2020

11/22/2020 - See Christ in Us

11/22/2020 - See Christ In Us Lectionary Reflection - Matthew 25:31-46 NRSV

Trump followers claiming themselves to be persons of faith have a lot for which to answer.  Voting once for Trump for POTUS in 2016 is understandable, but persons of faith voting for him again in 2020 after all the evil and traumatization that he and his enablers have committed requires a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to be convened with right of referral to the American criminal prosecution system.  Trump and his enablers have without doubt, as detailed in the above article, committed crimes against humanity and against the United States of America.  It would be best if the commission could be structured like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that ended apartheid in South Africa when the citizens took back majority rule from the white supremacist government of that era.

This Sunday's lectionary scripture makes the contrast so clear as Jesus separates the sheep from the goats.  The sheep were the ones who fully honored hospitality toward the needs of those who came into their orbit, whether they were orphans or immigrants or the poor or imprisoned.  The goats were the inhospitable ones, i.e. all the ones who in their prideful self-righteous triumphalism turned away those who so desperately cried out for their help.  Trumpsters who voted twice for the evil man, both in 2016 and 2020 know who you are in this Biblical lesson from Jesus.  Trump and those who enabled him in any and all acts of criminality and traumatization must be brought before the bar of justice.

A Truth and Reconciliation Commission will let us find the goats and refer them for prosecution.

Brad Shumate, M.S.,M.A., LPC,LMHC
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Wednesday, November 11, 2020

As a licensed mental health professional with over 40 years experience in the field, the fitness of a POTUS and VPOTUS to hold office concerns me greatly for Democracy's future. With 48% of the country having favored the incumbent Republican candidates in the general election and an egregious lax of oversight by Congress on the Executive Branch, a more Putinesque like POTUS and/or VPOTUS candidate would have meant the end to our way of life. Much stronger laws are needed, particularly that no one is above the law, not at any time or in any way, especially if you're POTUS or VPOTUS.

I propose that a POTUS and VPOTUS not only have and pass mandatory annual physical examinations required by law but also have and pass annual mandatory psychological evaluations required by law.  The psychological evaluation of fitness for office would be completed by a nonpartisan commission and comprised of the country's most gifted mental health professionals, certifying fitness to hold office.  Secondly, that any candidates for office of POTUS and VPOTUS must successfully pass such examinations and evaluations as part of establishing their candidacy.  Thirdly, it must be established that persons evaluated by the commission must be free of sycophantic, sociopathic, narcissistic, and/or antisocial tendencies.

Lastly, if the mental health status of a POTUS or VPOTUS at any time appears in question to such a commission, it shall have the power to summon and mandate compliance to submit to a mental health evaluation.  If a POTUS or VPOTUS does not pass such evaluations and examinations or fails to comply with having such, the 25th amendment is to be immediately invoked and the lines/means of succession enacted.

Putting these safeguards into effect will help to ensure the future of our democracy and prevention of an unfit individual ever rising again to hold offices of the most powerful person(s) in the world.  Heck, let's extend the requirement to all POTUS cabinet members as well.

Brad Shumate, M.S.,M.A.,LPC/LMHC
Free of Encumbrance
Eugene, OR  USA
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