Over the past several weeks I’ve been overwhelmed by news of Donald Trump’s executive orders. It seems every day brings a new assault on our democracy. I feel as though the United States as I’ve known it for my 72 years is being chipped away a piece at a time.

Now, to be open, I did not vote for Mr. Trump. In fact, I was vocal about my concerns if he was elected. So, in a way you could say I’m not completely surprised by his chaotic and irrational behavior. However, he has managed to surpass the horrible decisions I anticipated and is being allowed to run roughshod over the constitution.

You’re wondering what this has to do with my need for a break. Once the election was over I stopped watching all television news. Listening to Trump and his cult of followers continuing to spread lies only served to irritate me. How could thousands of my fellow Americans be blind to the insanity of “Make America Great Again”? Trump wasn’t proposing a greater America. He was bent on creating a fascist dictatorship where he was above our laws. Groups of people bound to be negatively impacted by his actions turned out to vote for lowering the cost of eggs, instead laying insane tariffs that would drive up consumer costs.

I need a break; a break from the madness, the divisiveness, and the turmoil in the United States. I need to wake up in the morning with a sense of justice and freedom that is not being usurped by a would be dictator. I need a break from tyranny and a return to the America of my childhood when I was proud to pledge allegiance to our flag. Now I’m ashamed to admit I’m American. I no longer feel secure in the knowledge my country supports liberty and justice, respecting the rights of all people.

As I contemplate the possibility of moving to Ireland, my late mother’s place of birth, I mourn for what we have lost. No longer the champions of freedom, we are now both the laughing stock of the world and an unstable question mark to countries that once viewed us as allies.

I will no longer waste time attempting to open the eyes of those who follow a failed businessman, a convicted felon, a narcissist, a sexual predator, and reality tv star. I’m taking a break. Now I will reset my brain to think of ways I can join others in preventing the disastrous demise of America and return our country to the respected democracy it once was. Wherever my old bones settle, I’m determined to resist the tide of fascism and fight for one nation dedicated to liberty and justice for all.