It’s a disillusioning experience when people whom you’ve idolized your whole life turn out to be less than idol worthy. It happens way too often.

When I was in middle school, the youthful and vigorous JFK was my hero. I waited in line in front of a drugstore on Gratiot Avenue in Detroit for what seemed like hours just to wave at JFK’s motorcade. A few years ago, I read an article in The Atlantic that detailed some of JFK’s exploits while he was in the White House. It included shocking descriptions of JFK in the White House swimming pool with interns and other White House staff. Sound familiar?

Even before I got to college, I was obsessed with Ernest Hemingway. I read every novel (The Sun Also Rises was my favorite), every short story, and took Hemingway courses in college. The more I learned about Hemingway’s personal life, the more disillusioned I became. I eventually wrote a final paper on how Hemingway never depicted real women—instead, as I recall my description, they were either angels or bitch goddesses. And I used quotes from Catherine Barkley (an angel) in A Farewell to Arms as an example. She said, “I want what you want. There isn’t any me, anymore. Just what you want.”   

When I went to graduate school at Georgetown, I remember my friends and I listing our top 10 movies of all time. Two of mine were Woody Allen films—Annie Hall and Manhattan. I knew the dialogue by heart. Last week, I finished watching the HBO Max documentary Allen vs. Farrow. It’s hard to look at those movies in the same light.  Somehow those innocent and charming scenes with Mariel Hemingway in Manhattan just aren’t that charming anymore.

Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger is on my “top 10 books of all time” list. Last weekend, I read an article by a woman to whom J.D. Salinger wrote love letters. She was 17 and at Yale. He was in his 50’s. She quit college to be with him, chocked everything up. She later discovered that she was only one of many nubile women to whom Salinger wrote. He later discarded her like a used shoe. It took her several years to recover from the trauma. 

I just finished the new biography Eleanor by David Michaelis. It’s beautifully written, well documented and engaging—also long. But it shows a side of FDR—my mother’s hero—that I never knew. He cheated on Eleanor with several other women, was quite the anti-Semite, and had a racist streak as well. I realize these were different times, but Eleanor evolved in ways that FDR never did. 

The list of such disillusionments is long. Having said that, I still think JFK was a great President. He founded the Peace Corps and stood down Khrushchev during the Cuban missile crisis. He also inspired many young people to get involved in public service. Hemingway’s writing remains amazing. He used language in simple uncompromising ways. Few authors come close to mastering such focus on the bare essence of each word. The dialogue in some Woody Allen movies is superb. And something tells me that The Catcher in the Rye will remain an all-time classic for years to come. And despite FDR’s shortcomings, he gave us the New Deal and led us to victory in World War II. That compensates for a lot.

What’s the moral of this tale? Nobody’s perfect. We all disappoint in one way or another. Is it sad when someone we revere turns out to be less than we had hoped? Yes. But can we still appreciate their accomplishments and admire their strengths?  Carl Jung once said, “There is no light without shadow, and no psychic wholeness without imperfection.” Still, somehow, I wish that when temptation knocked, these heroes had chosen to see the light rather than lurk in the shadows. Something to think about. 

Maria Grant was principal- in-charge of the Federal Human Capital practice of an international consulting firm. Since she retired, she has focused on writing, reading, piano, kayaking, nature, gardening, and travel.

 

During the winter months, I live in a Florida community that is touted as a nature preserve. I love seeing birds, alligators, flowers, etc., and biking on miles of secluded paths. That’s the good news. 

The bad news is that it is also a golf community with three courses on-site and two more off-site.  One of these courses is directly behind our house. I have come to hate the game of golf. Here are five reasons why.

Environment. The labor that goes into maintaining golf courses is incredible. To me, it seems like non-stop mowing and watering. Each morning, I hear noise from an endless stream of machines preparing courses for the day’s play. I read that the average golf course takes up 150 acres of land and uses 90 million gallons of water each year (not a typo). There are more than 34,000 golf courses worldwide. More than half of them are in the U.S. Worldwide, golf courses cover more than five million acres of land and use more than 13 trillion gallons of water. The impact of all this water is particularly devastating to dry states such as Nevada and Arizona which have water shortages and require even more water to keep those greens, green.  In addition, most courses are “repaired” every so many years which entails killing the old grass and starting all over again. Consider the herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers used on courses for everyday maintenance, as well as these periodic “refresher” exercises. 

Also, the transformation of farmlands and wetlands into golf courses has altered the ecosystem in significant and damaging ways. It has eliminated indigenous flora and fauna. Environmentalists claim that the large numbers of golf balls found in water are harmful as well. These balls break down into microplastics which are detrimental to water quality and sea life.

Wildlife. Often golf courses were formerly habitats for mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, butterflies, dragonflies, and plants. Many of these creatures and plants have disappeared. Some wildlife have sought other places to survive. Naturalists claim that golf courses have resulted in fewer birds overall and some have been placed on the endangered list as a result. Also, hikers complain that areas that could have lent themselves to wonderful hiking trails have instead become yet more golf courses off limits to all but an elitist few. 

Time and Money. Next, let’s review the time and money people spend playing golf. The average 18-hole game takes about four hours. Some people in the community where I live play five times a week—sometimes two rounds a day. That could mean 24 hours of game time in a week. Many of these same golfers practice, take lessons, or watch golf on TV after they finish their play. These golfers pay exorbitant prices to become members of the club and then pay fees each time they play. According to the National Golf Foundation, the average price of a round of golf is $61. That does not include the sometimes astronomical fees for joining a club (which can range from $3,000 to well over $150,000) or the cost of clubs, lessons, golf clothes, golf bags, cart rental and tees. 

Conversations. Ok I realize since I’m anti-golf, I don’t find conversations about one’s golf game particularly interesting. But I can’t believe how boring cocktail parties become when the conversation—which it inevitably does—turns to golf. Is there anybody out there who is really interested in exactly what club was used on the sixth hole? Was it a difficult choice? Or whether the 13th green was hard or soft after last week’s rain? 

Waste of Intellectual Resources. I keep thinking about what could happen if we harnessed all this time from ex-CEOs, CFOs, small business owners, etc., who spend half their waking hours on the course. What if even a portion of those hours were used working for Habitat for Humanity, tutoring kids, or working in some fashion to make the world a better place? It seems almost patently immoral for these golfers with impressive careers and valuable experience to spend so much time on the course.  Maybe twice a week would be fine but seriously half your waking hours? 

Please know that I am fully aware that I live in a glass house. I’m sure many would find my excessive reading of novels a complete waste of time. Perhaps they are right. Also, one might correctly ask why I chose to live in a golf community when I hate golf. Good question. I guess the answer is that the nature aspects of the community were such a plus, as well as the beach and other amenities, that they outweighed the focus on golf.   

In summary, given the damage to the environment, wildlife, and the excessive time and money involved, I couldn’t agree more with the saying, “Golf is a good walk spoiled” which has been attributed to Mark Twain and a few others.  

Maria Grant was principal- in-charge of the Federal Human Capital practice of an international consulting firm. Since she retired, she has focused on writing, reading, piano, kayaking, nature, gardening, and travel.

Let’s talk about freedom and liberty, shall we?  Over the last few days, I’ve heard many newscasters, reporters, concerned citizens, and Texans and Mississippians claim that opening Texas and Mississippi completely with no mask mandates protects individuals’ freedom and liberty. If you don’t want to return to work, don’t. If you want to wear a mask, you can. It’s all about individual freedom and liberty. 

Get serious. While you’re being free to do as you please, you are endangering others if you are not wearing a mask. When the CDC, competent medical doctors, the Biden administration say, “hang tight, not yet–we’re almost there,” it’s crazy to throw caution to the winds and let the freedom flag fly. Why are these two state governors making this move?  To earn points with their constituents by opening the economy and appealing to their Republican bases, especially restaurants and other small businesses. I might also add that according to The Washington Post, both Texas and Mississippi have experienced a rise in cases in recent days. Plus, Mississippi is 47th and Texas is 49th in comparison to other states for the number of people per capita who have received at least one dose of the vaccine.  

These so-called freedom and liberty zealots are the same people who want to be free to carry arms and concealed weapons. Do they also want to be free to pollute streams, rivers and oceans?  Free to drink and drive? Free to drive cars that will not pass proper emission standards?  Free to incite an insurrection at the Capitol, endangering lives of many and causing death to others?

There is such a thing called empathy–worrying about others besides yourselves. Your failure to wear a mask endangers others. We’ve all witnessed the devastating effect of super-spreader events, causing many people—some very young–to die. To believe you are free, you have rights, you must also believe you have the responsibility to protect others. Freedom without responsibility just doesn’t work. You are free to use public spaces, hike in national parks, but you must use them responsibly. You must not endanger others.

We all want to breathe clean air and drink clean water. That means we all need to follow rules. Be responsible. So that the quality of our air and waters improves—a subject near and dear to most Eastern Shore residents’ hearts. 

All institutions have rules that must be obeyed.  When you choose to work at a particular job, you must follow the rules—they’re called conditions of employment. When you decide to live in a particular community, you may have neighborhood or HOA requirements. Our government has rules too.  And in times of strong turmoil or duress, it is even more important that we follow those rules—the rules that try to keep as many Americans as safe as possible and protect as many people as we can. No rules doesn’t mean more freedom. It means chaos, anarchy, and impairs the rights of others, including, in some cases, the right to live.  

The ironic part of this whole “freedom” business is that the very people who are preaching freedom and liberty to the rafters are the same people who claim that women should not have the freedom to have control over their bodies—to make personal decisions that work for them. 

The hypocrisy of the whole freedom argument is mind boggling. I agree that kids need to get back in school.  That we need to get back to business as usual.  But let’s do it responsibly. Let’s not get almost to the goal line and then cave. That’s a losing strategy—not a winning one. When you undermine good-faith guidance that helps all Americans, you are undermining democracy, liberty and freedom.   

Bob Dylan once said, “I think of a hero as someone who understands the responsibility that comes with freedom.”  Well said Bob. And a special shout out to the many who are acting responsibly and protecting their fellow Americans.  Thanks.

Maria Grant served as Principal-in-Charge of the Federal Human Capital practice of Deloitte Consulting. Since her retirement, she has focused on writing, piano, reading, biking, kayaking, gardening, and travel.

Will this be the last editorial I write about the Trump dynasty?  I hope so. But I’m so outraged by current goings-on that I felt I had to put pen to paper. My biggest, “are you kidding me” moment deals with Jared and Ivanka.

Let’s just review a few facts. When Jared and Ivanka moved to DC, they rented a house in Kalorama for $18,000 a month. Kalorama is the ritziest part of DC and home to many big names–Obama, Clinton, Jeff Bezos, Bloomberg Media CEO Justin Smith, and Fox News host Chris Wallace, just to name a few. You’ve probably read the stories about how Ivanka and Jared refused to allow their Secret Service protection bathroom privileges in their home (which only had seven bathrooms). So, what to do? Eventually, after neighbors complained about the unsightly port-a-potty in their posh neighborhood, the Secret Service rented a studio nearby for $3,000 a month (now totally more than $100,000) so that these protectors of “royalty” could access bathroom facilities.

Recently, Jared and Ivanka bought a $31.8 million two-acre piece of property in highly sought-after Indian Creek Island near Miami known as the “Billionaire’s Bunker”.  It doesn’t’ have a house on it yet so expect many more millions to be spent. The property has 200 feet of waterfront, and taxes are approximately $472,000 a year. The island, home to only about 30 residents, (and soon to be the new home of Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen) has its own police force and an armed marine patrol circles the island 24 hours a day. While they await the construction of their new mansion, Ivanka and Jared rented an apartment in an exclusive Miami high-rise for $40,000 a month. (One of Trump’s last negotiations before he left the White House was to ensure that all his grown children received six months of Secret Service protection at taxpayer’s expense. Trump will receive this protection for life.) 

Where all this money comes from, I have no idea. According to my research, neither Ivanka nor Jared are particularly astute businesspeople. Ivanka’s fashion business which sold mostly shoes, jewelry, handbags and clothing, wasn’t exactly a booming empire. The business started in 2007 and closed shortly after her father took office.  Like most Trump businesses, it’s difficult to discern exactly how profitable it was. 

Jared Kushner is famous for paying way too much for 666 Fifth Avenue in early 2007—a record-breaking price of $1.8 billion—at that time, the highest price ever paid for a New York office tower. He bought it just before the financial crisis hit and has struggled to cover its debt ever since. There are a host of stories about how a financial company tied to Qatar brokered a deal that bailed him out. Apparently, Jared had spent a lot of time negotiating blockades between Qatar and Saudi Arabia during this time—something about which the State Department was completely unaware.  

Why do I find all this conspicuous consumption so upsetting?  Because during the time that this “power couple” is spending ungodly sums of money that most people can’t even begin to fathom, Jared Kushner’s real estate company, which owns and manages thousands of apartment buildings, continued its aggressive practices of evictions and debt collection lawsuits in New Jersey and Maryland—even while their tenants were waiting for promised government relief. Both these states had declared states of emergency and both governors called for moratoriums on evictions and court filings. (Netflix recently released a mini documentary called Slumlord Millionaires which documents the abusive practices of Kushner’s real estate companies.)

Call me crazy, but it seems particularly insensitive at a time when so many people are suffering, that the Kushner business would so aggressively work to evict and sue people, particularly when he was “in the room where it happened” in terms of suspending evictions, student loan payments, and more. 

In addition to all this outrage, I now read that Ivanka is considering running for Marco Rubio’s senate seat in the 2022 midterm elections. Please say it isn’t so. Rumor has it that Jared is starting a campaign to support his wife’s efforts in this regard. Reports claim that he is bad-mouthing Rubio, saying he is terrible and worthless, and encouraging people to pledge their support to Ivanka. 

Let’s be clear. I’m no fan of Marco Rubio. But when does it end? Just like Jared had no clue or expertise on the myriad of assignments Trump gave him as a White House advisor (remember overseeing border wall construction, solving the opioid crisis, ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, addressing the coronavirus crisis), so Ivanka has no relevant experience to serve as a senator of Florida. Like her father, I doubt that she could explain how a bill becomes a law. Nor is she knowledgeable about the many unique challenges that Florida faces.  Apparently, Steve Bannon is on this Ivanka-for-Senate bandwagon as well. In his book Fire and Fury, he called her, “dumb as a brick”.  I guess getting a pardon changed his thinking—radically.

So why does this “Javanka,” as they are known, phenomenon bother me so much? Every night on the news we see people waiting in line to be tested, to get vaccines, to procure boxes of food. We see selfless volunteers delivering medicines to those who are housebound, working at distribution centers stuffing care bags with groceries, healthcare workers working double and triple shifts to help those who are flooding emergency rooms. In contrast, Ivanka and Jared have this entitlement mentality. They truly act as though they are royalty—the king and queen of America—above the fray with divine rights. No getting their hands dirty dealing with the masses for them.  

We’ve all read how much the super wealthy have profited during this pandemic. Some estimates claim that the wealthiest Americans have increased their wealth by almost 40 percent. In contrast, more than 429,000 people have died from the virus, more than 22 million people have lost their jobs, more than 100,000 small businesses have closed forever. 

It would have been nice to have just a small amount of empathy, compassion or aid from this royal duo. But so far, that is not the case. Just for comparison’s sake, let’s contrast this “first daughter’s” focus with Dr. Jill Biden’s first week as first lady. So far, she has met with the governors’ spouses over Zoom, videotaped a message to the American Library Association’s midwinter virtual conference, visited the Whitman-Walker Health Clinic, and brought treats and thanked many national guard workers for their service and protection. 

What a difference an administration makes! In my mind, it’s a welcome one.

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of Deloitte’s Federal Human Capital practice. Since her retirement, she has focused on writing, reading, piano, travel, nature, and gardening.

 

I find it interesting that in times of almost obscene amounts of available information, we often fail to discern facts and seek to put allegations into appropriate perspective. Examples of our failures to do so abound in recent years.

Exhibit 1. Hillary’s emails and the Benghazi attack. Consider the time, effort, and money—the number of damning editorials and exposes discussing Hillary’s failure to secure her email traffic in the most secure  way possible. Did Hillary make mistakes and errors in judgments regarding her emails? Yes. After months of investigations, the conclusion was that she was careless but no top-secret information had been shared and no nefarious incidents occurred. Still FBI Director Jim Comey felt obligated for “full transparency” to once again open the case just a few days before the 2016 election. 

The attack on the Benghazi embassy resulted in the ambassador and three of his colleagues being killed. The White House officials and Hillary’s State Department were accused of negligence in protecting the embassy. The investigation took nearly two years. Twenty hearings were held. Hillary testified for 11 straight hours. Scores of people were interviewed. The investigation cost millions.  After two years, the final Republican report concluded that the CIA ensured sufficient security for CIA facilities in Benghazi and without a requirement to do so, ably and bravely assisted the State Department on the night of the attack in 2012. Their actions saved lives.

The situation is complicated because Benghazi wasn’t considered an embassy or even a consulate which put the mission outside normal State Department procedures. Two security teams had nominal authority but no one group was on point. Plus, it has been verified that this was a spontaneous insurrection with little pre-planning that should have been identified.  Republicans however saw it as a major opportunity to excoriate Obama and Hillary and took the ball and ran with it. It became one of the most litigated events during the eight years of the Obama administration. 

Trump, of course, emphasized both issues whenever possible during his campaign, giving her the name of Crooked Hillary and promising to put her in jail if he became President.  Never mind the fact that other embassy attacks were much worse and got nowhere near the scrutiny and criticism of Benghazi. In the George W. Bush era alone, it has been estimated that there were 13 attacks on various embassies and consulates around the world and more than 60 people died. 

Exhibit 2. The vilifications of Al Franken and Billy Bush. When the “Me-Too” movement arrived on the scene it became a giant wrecking ball. No one was safe as it swung back and forth knocking down everyone within its range. Did many accused of sexual misconduct deserve to go to jail or lose their jobs, etc.? Absolutely. Some crimes discovered and tried were abhorrent and clearly demanded prison terms and lost jobs. Think Matt Lauer, Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein, Bill O’Reilly, Roger Ailes, and Bill Cosby. 

Now, let’s consider Al Franken and Billy Bush. As we all know, Al Franken was a comedian before he was a senator. While on a USO tour in 2006, an inappropriate picture was taken with him caressing a woman’s breasts while she was sleeping on a military airplane. It was a gag shot from 12 years ago.  Was it inappropriate?  Yes, I’m sure most of us would say it was.  Did it justify Franken being ousted from the Senate several years later? I think not. Franken was an excellent senator. He took his work seriously, did his homework, and, according to his colleagues, was respectful of women with whom he worked.  He was in an inappropriate picture several years ago, and he apologized for it. That was it. 

Billy Bush’s major-league crime was laughing at what Trump said when Trump described what he could do to women because he was famous. We all have heard that Access Hollywood tape ad nauseum which was about 11 years old when it aired.  Should Billy Bush have laughed? No, of course not.  But was that grounds for him to lose his job at NBC?  I think not.  He ended up losing his job, getting a divorce, basically becoming a pariah. He’s slowly returning to the scene, but it’s taken years.

Exhibit 3. In more recent times, we have the crucifixion of Hunter Biden. No doubt more information will be forthcoming about Hunter’s exact actions. But again, so far, once again we see an error in judgment for taking the Burisma Board position while his father was Vice President—especially when Ukraine was being accused of not cracking down on corruption. The Republican-led Senate Homeland Security and Finance Committee report alleged that Hunter Biden showed errors in judgment but there was no indication that his activities influenced Obama administration policies. Hunter’s taxes are currently under investigation in Delaware, and the jury is still out in determining whether tax fraud occurred.

Obviously, many more examples of our over-reactions to perpetrators of whatever crime of the day is on tap could be cited. My point in all this is that some occurrences are errors in judgment. Others are downright despicable crimes. It’s important to differentiate the two. 

The examples I’ve referenced may smack of cancel culture or scapegoating—almost Puritan-like public shamings that make their purveyors feel superior. I see these examples more as inclinations to rush to judgment and denounce “perpetrators” at the slightest provocations—without due diligence or industrious weightings of facts and circumstances. 

Mark Twain once said, “You cannot depend on good judgment when your imagination is out of focus.”  Many of us imagine we know the true story. But playing judge and jury is a dangerous game—especially when it can ruin people’s lives. Taking time to assess facts, consider circumstances in an unbiased objective fashion, and putting issues in their appropriate perspectives are worthy endeavors and sadly ones that far too often fall by the wayside. 

Maria Grant served as Principal-in-Charge of the Federal Human Capital practice of Deloitte Consulting. Since her retirement from Deloitte, she has focused on writing, the piano, reading, travel, gardening and nature.

 

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the fallacy of populism—particularly the hypocrisy of those who espouse it. Scholars define populism differently but the gist of it is a rejection of “corrupt” elites who are seen to act in their own self-interests. In contrast, populists claim to pursue the “people’s interests.”   Populists can be left leaning or right leaning—think William Jennings Bryant/Bernie Saunders/Elizabeth Warren or Joe McCarthy/Barry Goldwater/Donald Trump. 

A populist philosophy leads to a rejection of globalization, standard institutions, bureaucracies, the media, and basically checks and balances of any kind. Rapid demographic changes in the US have caused older established Americans and younger under-educated Americans to feel they’ve lost status and influence. These Americans tend to be anti-immigration and skeptical of recent global trends which have led to job losses in the US.  

Successful populists today latch onto fears and prejudices of the masses to gain political power. They often use catchy slogans, nicknames, etc. as bait to reel in their prey. Such techniques smack of the Pied Piper who plays music that supporters want to hear, and these supporters blindly follow where he leads—no matter how divorced from reality his play card is.  

The concept that disenfranchised Americans bought what Trump was selling still boggles the mind. Is there any way that Trump understood the average American?  I think not. The son of a multi-millionaire who gave his son millions and bailed him out time and time again from one bad business decision after another is hardly a man of the masses. (We won’t mention his illustrious college career that started at Fordham and ended at Wharton after someone else reportedly took his SATs, an academic record not to be found—much like his bone spur diagnosis to avoid the military.)

 The fact that any average American thought Trump related to them and their plight borders on the absurd. Do you really imagine that Donald Trump would welcome any of his rally participants to one of his properties?  And who really gained during Trump’s reign, including the loathsome year of 2020?  Was it the masses or the “corrupt elite” who made a killing in the stock market –many with record returns?  And let’s not dissect the makeup of his pardon list—loyal cronies— “corrupt elites” — who committed felonies and kept singing his tune. Yet Trump continued to play that tune, and his followers continued to sing his praises while thousands of Americans died, and Trump virtually checked out of managing a pandemic of epic proportions.

Now enter Josh Hawley; the brave Republican Missouri senator who has chosen to object when Congress meets to certify the electoral college vote for President-elect Joe Biden on January 6, 2021. Hawley has been coined the post-Trump populist, and he has decided to hitch his wagon to that falling star in a bid for the 2024 Republican nomination. He bills himself as “for the people” and a fighter of elitist policies.  But let’ take a closer look.  OK first, a banker’s son, he went to Stanford and Yale, two of the most elite schools in the country. Then he taught at England’s most prestigious school, St. Paul’s. Then he went to work at a prestigious law farm. Then he clerked for Justice Roberts.  Not exactly your everyday guy.   

And this decision to object to the electoral college vote is not Hawley’s first grandstanding move. During the Amy Coney Barrett hearings, he railed on and on saying, “When you tell somebody that they’re too Catholic to be on the bench, when you tell them they’re going to be a Catholic judge, not an American judge, that’s bigotry. The pattern and practice of bigotry from members of this Committee must be stopped and I would expect that it be renounced.” The irony here is that no Democratic member of the Committee even pounded on religion–the only members who spent time on Barrett’s faith were Republicans. Democrats avoided that pitfall at all costs. But Hawley, ever the opportunist, took every opportunity to grandstand here as well, never missing a chance to boost name recognition and ingratiate himself with the religious right.  

Hawley’s move to object to electoral college certification is a risky one. Perhaps it will serve him well in coming months—perhaps not. He claims he “has to do something”—even though case after case, recount after recount have ratified election results. Ben Sasse, a Republican senator from Nebraska, has taken the opposite route. He called Trump’s pardons “rotten to the core.” He also called Hawley’s proposed actions “a dangerous ploy.”  It will be interesting to watch how this drama plays out.

My point with all this is “beware of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” It is true that you needn’t be poor to be an advocate for the masses and propose policies that would enhance their standards of living.  But it is incumbent on all of us to look closer at truly fraudulent claims. 

Donald Trump is not a religious man. He never was. Josh Hawley, it has been said, doesn’t even live in Missouri. (He denies this, but records show he has used his sister’s address as his—where his sister pays the taxes– and put his name on his parent’s piece of land where he claims to be building a house.) Others in Congress have gotten harsh reprimands and worse for similar tactics. 

My hope for 2021 is that we respect, honor, and promote expertise. I would venture to guess if you asked Trump today how a bill becomes a law, he could not explain the process. America has some of the best and most respected educational institutions in the world—the best facilities, the best training, etc. Why in God’s name wouldn’t we select the most qualified people for those positions? 

Steven Hassan, the author of The Cult of Trump explains how the President uses mind control to convince his followers that only he can save them from ruin.  Supervising editor of The Apprentice Jonathon Braun told The New Yorker, “Most of us knew Trump was a fake. He had just gone through I don’t know how many bankruptcies.  But we made him out to be the most important person in the world. It was like making the court jester the king.”  Bill Pruitt, another producer recalled, “We walked through offices and saw chipped furniture. We saw a crumbling empire at every turn. Our job was to make it seem otherwise.”

In 2021, let’s all commit to doing a better job of seeking truth, verifying credentials, experience, and references. Let’s respect and trust science, expertise and facts. It’s important. And it’s the right thing to do.  It’s also a worthy new year’s resolution. 

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of Deloitte’s Federal Human Capital practice. Since retiring, she has focused on writing, reading, piano, travel, nature, kayaking and biking.

 

I am loving the idea of the first “second gentleman” of the United States.  And I think Doug Emhoff is the perfect man to fill that role. Here’s why. 

Emhoff, a 56-year-old Jewish lawyer, appears to be totally comfortable in his own skin.  Unthreatened by Kamala Harris’s success, he supports her 100 percent. It’s the most refreshing attitude ever. It’s also refreshing that he is only two weeks older than she is—no 24-year difference here! (Emhoff also will be the first second spouse to have a surname differing from the Vice President.)

When Harris was running for president, Emhoff became good friends with the other spouses of fellow candidates, especially Pete Buttigieg’s spouse Chasten.  He came off as a genuinely nice guy with a great sense of humor. When Harris gave up her race for president, Emhoff’s tweet, “I’ve got you.  As always” went viral.  He has been there for her in defeat and success. 

When Harris was nominated for Vice President, Emhoff was thrilled.  He campaigned sometimes with her, sometimes without her, and sometimes with Jill Biden.  He seemed to enjoy all roles—extolling her virtues and explaining why she was the right woman for the job.  His campaign stops included LGBT venues and Jewish venues, and his rising popularity earned him more than 600,000 Twitter followers.

Emhoff took a leave of absence from his job when Biden appointed Harris as his running mate and plans to resign formally from DLA Piper where he has worked since 2017 to take the second gentleman role full-time. Obviously, women have been quitting their jobs to follow their men for ages, so there is a certain irony in his doing so receiving such fanfare. Still he seems excited about the opportunity and jazzed about being able to make a difference.  

One of Emhoff’s roles will be to convene lunches for the senators’ spouses. That should prove to be interesting material.  I can’t help but recall the brouhaha regarding Hillary when she was asked about her high-powered career when Clinton was running in the Democratic primary.  Hillary responded, “You know I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, but what I decided to do was to fulfill my profession which I entered before my husband was in public life.”  The uproar was immediate. Her comments were considered derogatory towards stay-at-home moms and catapulted her into controversy.

Emhoff has announced that since he is a lawyer and familiar with the judicial system, he will make one of his major initiatives criminal justice reform, ensuring access to justice and legal representation for all.  

Kamala is friends with Emhoff’s first wife, Kerstin Emhoff, a filmmaker and head of Prettybird, a production company which she co-founded. Harris also claims to have great relationships with Emhoff’s two children, Cole and Ella, named after jazz legends John Coltrane and Ella Fitzgerald. Such camaraderie needs to be commended in today’s world of vitriol-spreading banter among exes.  Harris has described their modern family as “almost a little too functional.”

When asked by a nine-year- old boy in an online “Ask a Grown-up” session what he plans to do, Emhoff replied, “I’m going to support her because it’s really important for men and even young boys to support the strong and wonderful women in their lives, and I’m going to do that, and I hope you do that too.” 

My case rests. Having an evolved non-threatened man as second gentleman is a gift indeed.  Let’s hear it for the evolved male. God knows, the world needs more of them.    

Maria Grant was Principal-in-Charge of the Federal Human Capital practice of Deloitte Consulting. Since her retirement, she has focused on writing, piano, travel, gardening, and nature. 

 

In the movie Wall Street, Michael Douglas said, “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good.”  He went on to make the point that greed “captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all its forms: greed for life, for money, for love, for knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind.”  

Donald Trump has been quoted as saying, “The point is that you can’t be too greedy.”  And, he has said, “My whole life I’ve been greedy, greedy, greedy. I’ve grabbed all the money I could get. I’m so greedy. But now I want to be greedy for the United States. I want to grab all that money. I’m going to be greedy for the United States. “

 After an election such as the one we just experienced, it’s important to reflect on just what kind of country we’ve become. The fact is that 48 percent of the US population voted for Donald Trump. Despite what we know about Trump’s character, his aversion to truth, his crude and base statements about others, his lack of empathy for those who have fallen ill or died from the pandemic, many of us held our noses and voted for him. Why?

I contend that greed is a big reason—not the only reason—but a big reason. When I ask my Republican friends how they can overlook this man’s character, his lies, his crude behavior and vote for him, they say things like. “I don’t like to pay one cent more in taxes.”  “I don’t believe in open borders.”  “Foreigners are taking our jobs.” 

Many of these comments have an element of greed in them. It’s the, “I worked hard for my money, and I don’t want the government or other intruders into my space to take it away” mentality.  Perhaps I’m oversensitive to this thinking, but this is depressing. We are so afraid that if someone else wins, we will lose. 

Trump convinced many of us that if we voted for him, we too could share in the “greed” that has worked for him. We too could “gild the lily” and wallow in conspicuous consumption. Even his promise to save the suburbs was in essence about greed.  Basically, he was saying if you vote for me, you won’t have to share your suburbs—your nice parks, your good schools. Your property values won’t go down. I will put my arms around you and keep them from harm. No need to share.  

And then there was the “America First” theme. Is that really the focus America should have? Yes, we must establish fair trade agreements so that America gets her fair share. But it’s also important that we, as the leader of the free world, set a good example by promoting peaceful solutions and encouraging environmentally sound and helpful policies that lift all nations. 

In Trump’s glory days as a businessman, he leveraged himself to the hilt and kept buying more and more properties, each one glitzier and more ostentatious than the next. Many of us see that as the sign of a successful businessperson. Ironically, he built those buildings on the backs of immigrants—many of them illegal. 

Trump isn’t alone in the “greed” grab. Think about the many businesses that seek to line their pockets by pandering to accomplish whatever administration’s “hot buttons” are so that they too can benefit from them. There is a good reason that Fairfax and Montgomery counties are some of the wealthiest in the country.  There is nothing wrong with trying to make an honest buck by providing solutions to government priorities. But consider businesses and lobbyists who criticize reasonable regulations that keep people and the environment safe simply because it costs them money and eats away at a percentage of their profits.  Thomas Jefferson once said, “Experience demands that man is the only animal which devours his own kind, for I can apply no milder term to the general prey of the rich on the poor.”   

And the US isn’t alone in the big grab. Clearly Great Britain’s Brexit movement illustrated that same attitude. Many Brits didn’t want immigrants invading their country and sucking up all the government healthcare and other services and insisting “legitimate” Brits pay the tab.  

Most countries in the world are guilty of bad behavior at one time or another. Many of them have owned up to it and taken steps forward to improve.  Many of them also have taken a few steps backward before going forward again in their journeys. Other countries are well aware of past bad behavior in the US.  Still they admired much about our democracy, our ingenuity, our moral compass, and our willingness to help other countries that suffer in some way. 

That respect for America has steadily dwindled over the last four years. This administration has shown the ugly underbelly of the US time and time again. According to Pew Research, other countries’ favorable view of the US is the lowest it has been in the 20 years since the Center began its polling. Favorable ratings in the United Kingdom are at 41 percent; in France, we’re at 31 percent and 26 percent in Germany. We are seen as shallow, selfish, racist and greedy. Clearly, we have taken more than one step backward in our quest for a “better union.”

We all know JFK’s familiar inspirational quote that challenged Americans to commit to a larger vision, “Ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country.” That concept of what can each of us do to make the US a better place is on the back burner. It’s my hope that it once again becomes front and center.     

And let’s be honest. You don’t need to become a socialist to be willing to share. There is such a thing as responsible capitalism that governs with decency, compassion, fairness and heart. 

Maria Grant served as Principal-in-Charge of the Federal Human Capital practice of Deloitte Consulting.  Since her retirement, she has focused on writing, the piano, reading, travel, gardening and nature.

 

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Political pundits claimed that Hillary Clinton lost the election because of her comments about “deplorables.” Specifically, Hillary said that half of Trump’s supporters belong in a “basket of deplorables” characterized by “racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic” views. Trump capitalized on that theme during the final month before the 2016 election. He made it clear that Hillary didn’t care about a huge segment of America. Instead she found them “deplorable.”

I’ve been thinking a lot about that word. The fact is many “deplorable” things are going on in America right now. Perhaps some would call these occurrences by another name. But if we are honest, we would own up to this reality. Let’s just review some items on that list of deplorable actions. 

First, make no mistake about it. It is deplorable to separate children from their parents at the border and put them in cages. It just is. The fact that 545 children cannot be rejoined with their parents is an unconscionable dereliction of duty on the part of the United States. Some of these children were babies when they were separated and have been without their parents for more than two years.

Second, it is deplorable to speak about women in misogynistic terms. Comments made recently about Kamala Harris are beyond the pale. Disagreeing with her political views is one thing. Personal comments about her are quite something else. Recently, posts have questioned whether she’s really an American citizen and qualified to run for President. Some question whether a Jamaican and an Indian qualifies as being Black. Others claim that she slept her way to the top. Still others question her competence, including the President of the United States, who also has called Harris a monster. He seems to have a major problem with powerful women whom he does not control. 

Third, the hate groups on both sides—Antifa, the Proud Boys and others– are deplorable. Inciting violence and stoking hatred is never a good idea. In fact, it is a deplorable way to act. It is the opposite of what John Lewis would call “good trouble.” Rather it is bad trouble that should have no place in our society.  

Fourth, Trump jumped all over Biden’s comments about curtailing the oil industry during the last debate. He attempted to stoke the “Biden will tank the economy” fires, claiming that Biden would cause mass unemployment in states like Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas. To my way of thinking, it’s deplorable if we don’t make efforts as a nation to reduce pollution and create new ways to get the job done using renewable energy. It’s deplorable that we worry only about short-term optics and not the future of our environment. Why is the United States government continuing to subsidize fossil fuels at all? Already oil companies see the writing on the wall, and the smart ones are taking steps to migrate in that direction. To not do so, is short-sighted and demonstrates a clear lack of concern for future generations. 

Fifth, it’s deplorable to care about no one—not even yourself–during a pandemic and refuse to comply with recommended CDC guidelines. It’s been proven, without a doubt, that motorcycle rallies, political rallies, campus bar hopping, and massive beach parties are super-spreader events. Shortly after each of these activities major COVID spikes have occurred.  By being cavalier about your own behavior, you can spread the virus to others who may be much more vulnerable than you.     

Sixth, it’s deplorable that we have not progressed further in implementing reasonable gun control legislation that keeps guns out of the hands of criminals and those suffering with mental illnesses. It is possible to do so and still protect second amendment rights. Because of the lack of vision and leadership on this issue, thousands of innocent people have died.  

Finally, it’s “deplorable” for politicians to capitalize on the prejudices or lack of understanding of some voters by playing on these deficiencies to their own benefit. Examples of this strategy include such statements as; Mexicans are taking your jobs. They are rapists. Democrats want to turn America into a Socialist country.  It will be like Venezuela, etc.   

Maya Angelou once said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” 

We know that separating children from their parents is wrong. We know that making sexist, racist, and homophobic comments is wrong. We know that continuing to pollute our environment and not taking proper remediation efforts is wrong. We know that putting other people’s health in jeopardy is wrong. We know that allowing dangerous people to own firearms is wrong. And we know that feeding on people’s prejudices solely for our own benefit is wrong.

As a nation, we know better and we should do better. We can set an example. We can be a beacon of hope. We can push reset and try again.

Maria Grant served as Principal-in-Charge of the Federal Human Capital practice of Deloitte Consulting. Since her retirement, she has focused on writing, music, reading, travel, gardening and nature.