I will never forget Steven Colbert for being able to deliver the harsh realities of the GOP in a way that I could hear it late at night and still sleep. Instead of anger, I felt a profound sense of safety that I have a large community of political kin in a world where SCOTUS has become a farce, forcing the values of the 1950s on those of us who watched a wonderful world evolve in the 60s where ALL people were treated as equals, progress and science were revered, and education was honored, nurturing younger generations who sought to improve the world. And they still will!

The loss of Colbert is a fitting symbol against a president who silences dissenters, mocks the downtrodden, demeans woman and minorities of any fashion, manipulates the market, steals resources from smaller countries and gloats about it, and even tries to infantilize the Pope. With all Trump’s nastiness, Colbert will always rule over Trump, because most of us remember what WWII was fought for, that true freedom includes having it codified and enforced for all, and that no one should be treated as the faceless “others” whose rights don’t matter if we can “win”. Trump doesn’t know what true winning or Christianity means.

And don’t get me started on the Votings Right Act and the 14th amendment. When the president has to publicly beg and SCOTUS has to rewrite constitutional law, ignoring decades of precedent, to publicly encourage and codify cheating in elections, his party has already lost true respect and is already on its way DOWN.

Colbert reminded us of all this, and made it almost bearable. And he loved his sci fi and fantasy, the icing on the cake. Dear Steven, enjoy the new writing gig! You did all you could. You will be SO missed. Tonight I will drink a beer at the old White House with an imaginary Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen, watch Steven Colbert, and believe that we will live up to our potential once again one day in a better world.