I bought this domain in 2017 while in deep despair about the outcome of the US 2016 Presidential election, planning to use it as a bully pulpit to voice my disgust at the situation. Not our Circus is a short version of ‘Not my monkeys, not my circus,’ which, according to the Cambridge Online Dictionary, equates to ‘not my problem’ and is a phrase a friend of mine at work was fond of using at the time. It was a perfect fit for my new site because that was my initial reaction to the first election of Donald J. Trump, and the implication that he and his team were monkeys was icing on the cake. In my excitement, I even commissioned artwork for the site as shown above (shout out to Richard and Phil!).

But I never went ahead with the site or the venting because when I calmed down a bit, I realized they were my monkeys and this was my circus. I came to this conclusion because Trump was elected in a free and fair election. Do I have problems with an electoral college victory in an era where we should be able to figure out the popular vote? You bet. Do I think the Citizens United decision was a massive blow to democracy? Absolutely. However, these rules are dictated by the Constitution and the Supreme Court, respectively, and there is no use crying about the results. (That isn’t to say we shouldn’t do everything we can to fix those issues. More to come on them both.)

So, with the site name misaligned with my revelation, I just let it sit idle. I did a few things, like attending and documenting the Denver Women’s March, but honestly, that was about it. For the most part, I groused to friends and family and, comforted by the administration’s abject incompetence in achieving their mean-spirited goals, decided to wait it out. That was a mistake.

So, here I am in 2025 with the same person in office, but in a much worse situation. Freed by questionable legal judgments and empowered by the plutocrats, oligarchs, and fascists he has surrounded himself with, Trump is on a rampage against constitutional rule and individual freedoms that is unprecedented in American history.

What is my take on things today? Is this still my circus? Yes, it is, and for the same reasons stated above. We again had a free and fair election, where this time, a majority selected Trump to hold the highest office in the land. Let that sink in for a moment. With clear knowledge of how the first Trump administration went and with him clearly stating what he planned on doing once back in office, most voters chose Trump. While that choice might be unfathomable to some, it gives his presidency a legitimacy that we must respect, even if we hold his actions in contempt. Over 77.3 million US voters felt that Trump was the answer, and we need to examine and rectify as many of the problems that made that happen if we have any hopes of salvaging American democracy.

So, I am now picking up where I should have been eight years ago. I will write and post my thoughts and information that others will hopefully find helpful. I will attend protests, call, write, and visit my representatives, and I hope you will do the same. I will continue to write here for my mental health and in hopes that others may find something of value in my ramblings. If you made it this far, thank you, and I hope you come back.