1,000 Days of Psychic Torture

Of no other U.S. presidency have journalists, academics, public servants, ethicists, moralists, psychologists, bloggers, activists, artists, minorities, teachers and students, old and young, earnest and passive, indeed, all who are invested in the nation’s welfare and their own, counted the days — the creeping petty pace — as most Americans have of the Trump presidency. We’ve kept the tally like a drumbeat, desperate for the terrible progression to cease.

For nearly three years Brian Williams, host of The 11th Hour with Brian Williams on MSNBC, has begun his nightly newscast with a grim reminder of l’enfant terrible’s tenure: “Good evening on this, Day 866 of the Trump presidency...”

For nearly three years these words have tortured the national psyche like the compounding beat of Chinese water torture.

Today that relentless beating is joined by rage’s blue fire and frustration’s plea for salvation. For today is Day 1,000 of the Trump presidency.

Let reflection on 1,000 days of Trump remind us to reflect more, much more, on 2,000 years ago — when someone of great mind, great empathy, and great common sense summed up the mindless, the oppressive, and the ignorant like this: “Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”