By Carole McWilliams

Times columnist

With today's coronation of Himself as our new ruler for real, our nation enters a "long dark night of the soul," an occasion for citizens to examine what they really honor and treasure about our country, and what it stands for.

Since I was a kid, I've heard about "truth, justice, and the American way."

A significant share of Americans still care about whether the information they are being fed by those in power is true or false. We've already seen what can happen when that distinction isn't made.

Fake news has become a big deal and apparently is quite profitable. It spreads like ebola on social media. It makes me discouraged for the future of our representative democracy that depends on an informed citizenry.

Now His Imperial Awesomeness has declared in effect that any news about him that doesn't properly reflect his awesomeness is fake news.

So it's time for Americans who value true and accurate information to come together to protect and defend it. And support it financially.

Then there's justice - legal and economic. Himself won in rural and rust belt states where people have been struggling economically, who haven't seen any prospects for improvement. They are justifiably angry. Economic growth since 2009 has gone almost all to the mega rich and mega corporations.

Himself has bullied Carrier and Ford to keep factory jobs in the U.S. I'm fine with that as far as it goes. But he also has surrounded himself with Wall Street wheeler-dealers and mega-bank fat cats, so we'll see what kind of help goes to all those struggling Americans in places where there aren't big PR benefits for His Awesomeness.

Himself promised to end the estate tax. Guess whose family will benefit hugely from that. No, not yours. Himself and congressional Republicans want to cut taxes, with most of the benefit going to the mega rich, and a little bit for the little guy. So how do they pay for that reduced revenue? Nothing new there.

Congress now has a much clearer path to gut social safety net programs like food stamps (SNAP), WIC nutrition assistance for low income women and their babies, and Medicaid. There's been a mentality that these programs make people dependent on government. Better they should go hungry and sick. That'll make them more motivated.

More than ever now, Americans need to come together to defend those programs and hold individual members of Congress accountable, Scott Tipton and Cory Gardner for instance.

Then there's "the American Way."

What is that? A belief in freedom and justice for all, honesty, fairness, and responsibility? Or is it now fear, anger, and hatred of anyone who doesn't look and think just like I do?

The things we do become a part of who we are, as individuals and as a country. So now is the time to get busy for those of us who believe our country's greatness and strength comes from diversity and cooperation; that freedom and justice for all.

I want to have something positive to celebrate on the Fourth of July.