Where is the GOP's Courage?

If you haven't heard about the meeting between Donald Trump, J.D. Vance and the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy, then you must not have been on the planet Earth on February 28, 2025. The shock waves are still being felt after what many observers of the meeting call an ambush and berating of Zelenskyy by Trump and Vance.

News outlets report the sudden blowup between the presidents was the most heated public exchange of words between world leaders in the Oval Office in memory and the encounter left the future of the U.S.-Ukraine relationship, and Kyiv’s ability to defend itself in the brutal conflict with Russia, in mortal jeopardy. Social media was a-twitter with comments of being embarrassed by the exchange to utter shock and disgust. Oh, Yeah, there was also SUPPORT for Trump reaming President Zelenskyy and asking him to leave the White House.

I happen to be of the view that the meeting has destroyed America's standing with other nations. If the president will treat a dignitary from another country in such a humiliating way, he will possibly treat other dignitaries the same. No matter what the meeting was about, how a president treats a person matters. The WORLD is watching and there are others who believe they are just a BIG of a to-do as Trump believes he is and WON'T be bullied by him or talked down to.

America is holding their breath waiting for the GOP to speak out against Trump's behavior. Are you blue in the face yet? You will be waiting for the Right to speak out against Trump because he will do to them what he did to Zelenskyy. Your wait will be a long one because the GOP lacks ONE certain thing to be able to speak up about Trump's destructive antics. What they lack is COURAGE.

The definition of courage is the ability to do something that frightens one. A simple definition and not the words I would have guessed. But it sums up why not everyone has it. You have to DO something even when you are shaking with fear. Republicans have one part of this two-part solution. They are frightened. Now they need to be able to do SOMETHING. Not just ANYTHING but the RIGHT thing and stop supporting President Trump and his alignment with Putin, gutting federal jobs, turning against allies, and IGNORING the outcry of the public. Courage is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Valor is courage or bravery, especially in battle.

Most philosophers and psychologists agree that courage involves persistence in danger or hardship. However, some argue that courage is synonymous with fearlessness, while others suggest that the presence or the absence of fear has nothing to do with courage. Trump's few days in office, under 100, have proven to be a persistent danger or hardship for a majority of Americans. Republicans face a barrage of frustration and anger from constituents questioning Mr. Trump's agenda and his tactics at town hall meetings. Their answer to the outrage is Democrats use plants to disrupt the meetings. They dismiss what their voters are saying and refuse to acknowledge dissatisfaction with Trump exists. Why? Because it would take COURAGE for them to take the message of dissatisfaction with Trump back to Trump. They LACK that courage.

Republicans have been known to wear their Christianity like a badge of honor and go as far to say Democrats are anti-God. Their religion and God have something to say about courage. In the Bible, God commands people to "fear not", "be of good cheer", and to "have courage." Having courage is part of the long history of Christianity. Jesus demonstrated courage in the face of death his ENTIRE life. He taught what was unpopular such as not to want material wealth, do not mistreat the poor, widow, or orphan, treat your neighbor as yourself, love everyone including your enemy, don't treat people differently based on status, and to beware of religious HYPOCRITS. There are seven woes or stark warnings and repercussions for hypocrites in the Bible found in Matthew 23.

The GOP feigns that Trump is doing everything correctly. They stand firmly one hundred percent behind his actions and decisions. Even if that was true, (there are rumors of their discontent behind closed doors) it is not what the majority of Americans are voicing right now. They are supposed to work for the PEOPLE and not for Trump.

After watching the encounter between President Trump and President Zelenskyy, it seems it would be difficult for anyone to say that is how Americans want to be represented. But the Right believed President Trump showed strength and power. When you have strength and power you don't have to display it. They turned an ally seeking help for his country at war into a beggar for assistance. Even if Americans don't want to support Ukraine's war financially, no one should want to humiliate someone asking for help. Kindness and dignity towards others on the world stage is what America has been known for regardless of what we are doing. Our reputation has been shattered.

America has been known as a superpower for decades. Trump is not MAKING us into a superpower all of a sudden as his followers believe. Nations have revered and feared us for the longest time. Now they fear us but for a different reason. They fear us because we can no longer be TRUSTED. Heck, we don't trust ourselves. We don't trust ourselves because a large swatch of us don't have the COURAGE to do what is right when needed anymore. Americans once had the courage to do what was right even when the rest of the world was doing wrong like we did with Hitler. Remember him and his rise to power? Many believe we are headed that way with our OWN Hitler. Just saying.

What I do know is that Christianity and courage go hand-in-hand. If Republicans wear Christianity with pride, they should also have the courage that comes along with it. I'm not saying all Republicans are bad or wrong. What I am saying is they are ignoring the concerns of the voters during the mass firings adding to unemployment, and the possibly newly created need for financial federal assistance of those fired, while there are cutting federal assistance. Calling people lazy for needing help then firing them so they need help makes no sense. The Trump administration seems to have a problem with PEOPLE IN NEED and the GOP remains silent. The poor or those in need have never been so publicly SCORNED before.

As always, I will leave you with what the Bible says about courage. It is what Christians should strive for in their daily lives. To be able to stand for what's right even when it's unpopular or can lead to less than desired outcomes. Doing what is right takes courage. I hope the GOP will be like the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz and realize his courage was always there and once he knew that - he was confident to USE it.

Examples of spiritual courage: 

Standing up for what you believe, even if it means being rejected or facing harm

Making sacrifices

Being "dangerously unselfish"

Doing what's necessary despite difficulty or danger.

Bible verses about courage

• Joshua 1:9: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you"
• Deuteronomy 31:6: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you" 
• Isaiah 41:10: "Fear not, for I am with you" 
• 1 Corinthians 16:13: "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" 
• 1 Chronicles 28:20: "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong" 

Seven Woes

Russia Ukraine America WAR?

 WILL RUSSIA INVADE UKRAINE?

    My guess is no. Russia enjoys being a threat and could not stand being known for losing a war. While Trump was president, Americans made little noise about Putin. Now with a change in administration, we're ready to fight. I wish it was a law that those elected to Congress, and the presidency had to serve their country in one branch of the Armed Services for one tour of duty.

    America is proud and should be of our large, well-trained military. Men and women across the country enlist voluntarily to defend our shores. But lately they have been paying a cost once they decide to put on their uniform. Families become strained from the absence of the enlistee. PTSD is often the result of being in battle. Even those who do not see battle can be affected being on a high state of alert for months with just the treat of being attacked, killing, or being killed. Then there are those who become physically maimed from combat forever altering their civilian life. And finally, the increase in suicide of military vets once they return home. 

     America enters wars with certainty we will be victorious. But even when we win, we lose. War cripples those who fight for their country and the people who love them. The monetary cost to care for those injured while fighting and suffer long-term health problems is staggering and will increase as we enter more and more wars. 

    There are good reasons to go to war and there are good reasons to avoid war at all costs. If our elected government officials served as soldiers, I believe the call for war will not be thrown around lightly. Other countries have set up that all of its citizens have to give a certain amount of time to be trained in the military (not voluntary). I am also for a mandatory military training period for all Americans so no American will be untrained if a draft is needed again and so civilians won't be rooting for war so quickly. 

    This post is an old post dusted off for this occasion of us being on the ready if Putin invades Ukraine. It was just a day in my life I wanted to share and I'm sharing it again with you today. 

    I was off on another mad adventure. Here I am in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I was returning from Birmingham. I had no idea Birmingham was that urban. The University Hospital block is amazing. I felt smarter just walking past all of those enormous research buildings.

     As always, some vets hanging outside of the VA made my day by wolf howling at me. If you are ever feeling down and a little unattractive, go to a VA hospital, the men love the ladies there. You will feel a boost to your confidence after leaving (those that it does not offend or make feel threatened). 

      Anyway, as I have said, I am a veteran of the first Gulf War. I actually worked on tanks setting the crosshairs ensuring they hit their target. We were traveling one a day when Alabama had a big football game, and the traffic was crazy. I never saw so many dedicated fans in my life. There was maroon and cream everywhere. The vehicles were overwhelmingly red and white with the flags just a-waving. I enjoyed their enthusiasm. I was pumped too.

     If you notice, I am standing with a cup in my hand at the McDonald's President Ronald Reagan ate at when he visited Tuscaloosa, Alabama. A photo of him and a bust representation is in the window behind me. Cool huh? I have dined with a president. 

     The other picture below is a list of fallen war heroes. The idea that my name could have been engraved on a stone slab somewhere commemorating me as a fallen soldier never seems to stop sending chills up and down my spine. I sweated in the hot Saudia desert in the early spring during the first Gulf War with temperatures reaching 117 degrees listening to bombs exploding nightly 45 miles across a border, ready to serve my country. An experience never to be forgotten. 

    It never ceases to amaze me how pro war people are that are not enlisted in any branch of the armed forces. When someone states openly to you in the future the need for war, ask them for me: "So where have you enlisted at?" 

     There will always be wars and thank goodness we have wonderful men and women willing to volunteer to defend our freedoms, but no one should be rooting with zeal and salivating with bated breath for war.

DON'T FORGET: purchase my book "The Politics of Prayer" available on amazon.com and

CLICK right side of page to follow for my latest posts