THE VIEW FROM HERE –
We all have pet peeves.
1. People Who Make Themselves Ugly
People in this category comprise a wide range from those who fail to be clean and neat when in public to those who make themselves hideously repulsive with tattoos and worse yet, with face piercing.
When I was young about 75 years ago, we were expected to be clean and neat to be presentable; fancy clothes were not necessary. Tattoos were permitted for Marines and other military who had bonded with their brothers in arms. Their experiences merited lifetime memorialization. Others who had tattoos were considered low class. While one may be poor for a variety of reason, not having money was not the same as low class, which was a choice.
While I realize that everyone has the right to make themselves as ugly and repulsive as possible, I also have the right to look away. If you want to draw a picture, get a piece of paper; if you want to paint a picture, get some canvas. On the other hand, huge wall murals are wonderful. I even like some gang writing, if it does not deface someone else’s property.
2 What’s with All the Beards?
Some people should never have a beard. Yes, I am thinking of Sen. Ted Cruz. JD Vance is a close second. Now a days, ugly unkempt beards are nearly ubiquitous. No, they do not signal masculinity. On the other hand, Abe Lincoln wisely grew a beard because, let’s face it, he was naturally ugly.
3 People Who Do Not Know the USA Is a Republic
Apparently, it is too hard for about 99% of Americans to remember that the USA is not a democracy and that the founding fathers expressly rejected the idea of a democracy as one step before tyranny. That is why they formed a republic where rule of law, i.e., the US Constitution, was the supreme law. The Constitution was intentionally complex and placed explicit duties upon all government officials. The Constitution’s Framers treated even shades of democracy as a necessary evil. That’s why only the House was directly elected by popular vote. Yet, these days virtually everyone ignores the Republic and refers to our nation as a “democracy” where the whims of the masses replace the rule of law. It is the nature of democracies to eviscerate all individual inalienable rights such as freedom of speech, assembly, and religion. Individualism will be replaced by collectivism as Mamdani declared and the sheep cheered for their slavery. Those who do not know de Tocqueville will choose the slavery of equality over the liberty of individual rights.
Politicos from the Left and Right use the word “Democracy” because they pander to the ignorant masses, leading voters to think a democratic government is nirvana. No! Without the Constitution which the DSA would abolish, tyranny soon follows. The Soviet Union and Cuba have already gone that route. Contrary to what GOP Majority Leader Sen. John Thune said, no president is entitled to have even one of his nominees approved.
4. Lack of Honor and Integrity
That brings us to my most serious pet peeve – traitors like Sen. John Thune and various Supreme Court Justices like Chief Justice Roberts and Associate Justice Alito, who intentionally and in cold blood are trying to murder the US Constitution and who lack an iota of honor or integrity. The Constitution’s main purpose is to prevent too much power from accumulating in one person or one branch of government. The system breaks down when it is savaged by senators, representatives, and justices who substitute their personal ambitions for their mandated Constitutional duties. The greatest betrayal came with Chief Justice John Robert’s decision in Trump v. United States, 603 U.S. 593 (2024) which granted Trump immunity to violate all criminal laws including murder if Trump claimed his action was part of a core constitutional duty.
One of the main objectives of all our elected officials in pretending that America a “democracy” is to evade their duties to protect the Constitution and the inalienable rights of Americans which would prevent America from slipping into totalitarianism, be it Trumpism or the DSA. Anyone, who cannot see that Trump believes that he should make all the decisions for everyone everywhere on all matters, has not been paying attention. The Constitution was designed to protect us from men like Donald Trump. The irony, or perhaps the tragedy, is that Trump could have had decent administration if the GOP had done their constitutional duty to reject all his grossly incompetent nominees and forced him to have competent advisors. Their duty was to deprive Trump of toadies and mindless cheerleaders who exhort him to make the dumbest of decisions. But for Stephen Miller and his cohort Pete Hegseth, Trump would not have lost the war with Iran. The supervening goal to prevent Iran from reaching the breakout point would have been achieved in summer of 2025, but Trump was urged by Stephen Miller and Hegseth to stop obliterating Iran’s missile defenses so Trump could revel in calling it the Twelve-Day War.
When Trump had no choice but to re-start the war in February 2026 to undo all the advances that Iran had made towards the breakout point since summer of 2025, Trump ignored the advice of both Netanyahu and Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and again listened to Miller and Hegseth. Hence, today’s nightmare.
Because the GOP leadership allowed Trump to engage is all sorts of horrible excesses including the murder of US citizens in the streets due to Stephen Miller’s philosophy that there is “no right or wrong; there is only power.” Miller’s hatred of Mexicans, apparently because his family had to downside and live in a Mexican neighborhood, Miller turned millions of Mexicans, Hispanics and White voters against Trump. Had Trump been surrounded by sensible advisers and not Miller, Noem, Blanche, and their ilk, only bona fide criminals would have been deported. That would have made Mexican areas safer and increased their support for Trump. It is no exaggeration to say that but for Hegseth’s incompetence and Stephen Miller’s hatred for Mexicans, the GOP would not be facing an election fiasco in November 2026.
My pet peeve here is not trial; it goes to the heart of the impending disaster of the racist, anti-Semitic Woke DSA gaining power in our government. Those who know the DSA’s nature realize that compared to the DSA, Trump is Pee Wee Herman.
Comments including disagreements are welcome.
(Richard Lee Abrams is a former Los Angeles-based attorney, an author, and political commentator. A long-time contributor to CityWatchLA, he is known for his incisive critiques of City Hall and judicial corruption, as well as his analysis of political and constitutional issues. Abrams blends legal insight with historical and philosophical depth to challenge conventional narratives. A passionate defender of civic integrity and transparency, he aims to expose misuse of power and advocate for systemic reform in local government. You may email him at [email protected])
