Imagine walking into an ice cream shop excited about the many flavor selections, only to be greeted by a clerk who says, “From now on, all we have is vanilla.” Befuddled, you respond with, “Oh… OK, then I guess I’ll have vanilla, but let’s add some sprinkles and chocolate chips.” Then the clerk says, “No toppings. Just plain ol’ vanilla. That will be the only option from now on.” 

The war with Iran is not only a perfect metaphor for Trump’s presidency and the MAGA movement in general, but it is also revealing of a basic truth that MAGA opponents can never quite seem to grasp: Trump’s supporters do not now, nor have they ever, looked to him for consistency, coherence, dignity, wisdom or even decency. 

Growing up, watching Miss America, Miss USA and Miss Universe were exciting times in our house. My sister and I were starstruck little girls enamoured with the glitz and glamour of 1980s beauty pageants. We were oblivious to any corruption going on behind the scenes and were naively lured in by the fanfare of it all. 

The first thing is to tame the rage so that you do not live in it all the time. Or worse, repressing it so often and so much that it calcifies into all-consuming despair. That won’t do. 

The next thing is to cultivate joy stubbornly and aggressively. You know, that “pursuit of happiness” business. It is not easy to do it in our madhouse of a country. You know it and I know it. 

Editor’s Note: This is the transcript of a recent voice memo Garret left for a friend of his on Thursday, Jan. 8, in the aftermath of the incident in Minneapolis, Minnesota, between a protester and an ICE agent. To note, both Garret’s father (U.S. Immigration) and grandfather (U.S. Customs) were career officers for the federal government (now retired). In 2003, Immigration and Customs combined to form ICE due to the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

Good afternoon. You’re probably slaving away at your [office] desk doing your favorite thing, which is working inside under fluorescent lighting, I would assume. [Laughs]. Oh, man, I don’t know where this message is going to go, but I just was wanting to vent about…[well], it’s almost hard to vent anymore, because it’s like every day is just this chaotic frustration of things outside of my [front] door and things across the country and things around the world. 

To the Editor:

The MAGAs control the executive branch, the legislative branch, the judicial branch and the U.S. Supreme Court, but the minority party who are in Washington is causing the shutdown because they will not meet with maga legislators who are not in Washington. 

To the Editor:

Last week’s letter by L. E. Cossette: “Democratic Party is in disarray,” is a delusional insult to Democrats and a vacuous flattery job to Trump’s Republican Party. Democrats are as committed and vocal about the values that they support as they always have been. 

To the Editor:

Western Carolina University is only one of many public institutions being infected with the disease of Trumpism. Single-handedly Trump has mandated that diversity can no longer be promoted in hiring, curriculum, and even in student populations.

To the Editor:

June 14 isn't just another date — it's the day we take back what's ours.

You know what's remarkable? They want you to think the American flag belongs to them now. That somehow the stars and stripes became the exclusive property of MAGA rallies and Trump merchandise tables. When did we let that happen? 

To the Editor:

Rep. Chuck Edwards greeted attendees at the Republican Party's 11th Con-gressional District convention with: “Isn't it great to be making America great again?” Was that a question, Congressman Edwards, a prayer or an affidavit?