Editor,
I have been heartbroken since the 2016 election was stolen by Putin and his minion Trump became president of our wonderful country. I have been angry about this growing fascism and have been participating with others in civil disobedience and resistance.
When Michael Wolff’s book Fire and Fury describes how Trump’s own staff thinks of him as an idiot, a moron, out of control and stupid, and his family as unprincipled people, it seems as if I would be glad of this exposure. I am not. The situation is far worse than we know.
The 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders lists nine characteristics of the extreme narcissistic personality disorder. Many people have one of two of these characteristics. I was once called narcissistic because I am an outspoken lesbian and an assertive feminist.
The 9 characteristics one must have to be extreme: a grandiose sense of self-importance, fantasies of unlimited power, belief that one is unique and special and should associate only with other special people, requires excessive admiration, has a sense of entitlement, is exploitative, lacks empathy for others, is envious of others or believes others envy him, and has arrogant, rude and abusive behavior
I think Mr. Trump exhibits many of these characteristics. This does not make me happy, [but] I think the lackey Republicans who fill their pockets but will not speak out against corruption are more to blame.
We can change our society if we fight with compassion and strong love for justice. We must vote the rotten ones out and stop this march to a fascist world.
Happy and busy New Year!
T.A. Laughlin