Who do you put your HOPE in?

Definition HOPE:

1: to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment 

2: to expect with confidence: trust 

If you “HOPE that 45 won’t get us into a war”, are you “trusting” him that he won’t, or are you expecting, that he won’t?  Have you seen any proof of action that supports this HOPE? When someone is a threat to our democracy and threatens our media that keeps him in check, can you say that the world will look to the United States as an example of Democracy?  Can the world trust us?  Why do you “HOPE that he will figure out how to get the USA out of the financial crisis”. What are your facts about this financial crisis?  What evidence supports your HOPE that he is to be trusted to fulfill this desire? (our unemployment went down from 9.8 in 2010 to 4.6 in November 2016 per the Department of Labor Statistics, do your research). Again, are you trusting that he will or are you expecting that he will do anything about unemployment?  When you HOPE that he will do something about the “morass of ridiculous rules and regulations” that you say have been driving our jobs out of the country, I wonder what regulations you are talking about?  You say that they are ridiculous, have you proof that they are, how have they impacted you? Do you know how these have benefited the country, what are your facts to support the claim that they are ridiculous? The ridiculous regulations that finance and banking companies that are required to abide by to keep you safe, to protect you from consumer fraud? The regulations that keep your privacy safe?  The regulations that prevent conflict of interest in public office? The regulations that prevent sexual harassment in the workplace?  The regulations that prevent nepotism in the workplace to give you equal footing for promotion? Do you expect him to or trusting him to put anything in place that will regulate corruption, human trafficking or money laundering? When you say, “you HOPE he will get rid of the Obamacare scam”, how do you know it is a scam? More people now have healthcare than ever before and had HOPE. What are your facts? Do you expect him to or trust him to replace it with a healthcare system that is equitable for everyone, what about those with pre-existing conditions, what about those who cannot afford healthcare?

Seriously, I think you need to redefine and look at where your HOPE lies.  Hope cannot have a foundation in lies, schemes or bravado.  Hope cannot be found in bigotry, hate, denial of rights or freedoms.  Hope cannot survive in chaos, abuse, or continued suppression.

One can hope that an abusive spouse will not strike again after they apologize, but they will. Pathological liars, narcissists, and abusers seldom change. They gaslight and demean their victims.  They have character flaws that speak for themselves.  One can hope a puppy will not crap on the floor, but it will, it is inherent in the fact they have not grown up yet and do not know better.  One can hope that Hannibal Lecter will become a Vegan, but that’s never going to happen.  He has a past that is undeniable and to think that he will change is delusional.

This has nothing to do with past politicians, this has nothing to do with who he ran against in the election, this is strictly about ETHICS, MORALS, and INTEGRITY!   We should hold these standards to ANYONE we put in office.  They should be accountable to the people to maintain them.  Lying is unacceptable.  Suppression is unacceptable.   To maintain HOPE, the American people – no, the World, needs to keep our leaders accountable to these ideals. Granted, it is a difficult and on-going task, but one that must be done to achieve the world we want to live in.

Hope and desire, go hand in hand with action.  We are responsible for creating the outcome.  Unless we maintain the morals, ethics, and integrity, the hope or the expectation of a positive outcome becomes an uphill battle.

I can HOPE that my children grow up to be responsible, productive, and happy adults, but it’s up to me to be the example and to teach them the values to achieve these goals.

I can HOPE that it’s going to be a good day, but it’s up to me, to strive to make it a good day by doing the best I can at my work, to be the best person I can be to my fellow man, to be the most honest, ethical and giving person I can be to make it a good day.

I can HOPE to have a great vacation, but I need to prepare, to do my research, to determine the facts and plan, to make it a great vacation.

I can HOPE that the United States becomes the shining example of Democracy and freedom in the world, that we exemplify what true freedom means to the world.  That we show the world that we honor what the Statue of Liberty stands for – “the melting pot” of the world.  Bigotry and racism do not have a place in our land.   For this HOPE to come to fruition, we must maintain our stand, our voice must be heard.  We all need to STRIVE for better, we all need to learn from the past, we all need to remember that because there may be a few in the world that are determined to create chaos and destruction of a society, that it does not mean all of any particular race, society, gender, country or religion are to be included in that category.  When we all take appropriate positive, peaceful actions then we can HOPE for a better world to live in.