To the best of my recollection, the first time I was embarrassed to be an American was about 40 years ago. There was a severe drought going on in California, and one of their officials proposed we build a pipeline from the Great Lakes to help them out.

Forgot about how Californians would have been reduced to cinders long before such a pipeline could be built and put into service. The United States does not own our vast Inter-Ocean. All that fresh water borders on Canada as well as the States, and much of their population lives within about 20 miles of the live-giving wetness. Even a fairly slight drop in the water level would wreak havoc with the people and the economies of, among other places, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, and Windsor.

It would severely undermine navigation, traumatize and end navigation on the St. Lawrence Seaway. By the way, it would have a similar effect on the people of, among other places, Detroit, Duluth, Milwaukee, Chicago, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Erie. If you’re unfamiliar with the map — yes, I’m talking to you, my fellow New Yorkers — check it out. The Great Lakes are directly linked to the Mississippi River, part of a network that includes, oh, the Ohio River, the Missouri River, and much of Mark Twain’s work.

So why did that embarrass me? Because, when I heard this Left-Coaster prattle on the radio news, I was driving from Detroit to Toronto. I had just passed Windsor, and both my car and I needed a meal. Lucky for me, my superpower is the gift of mimicry — within minutes, I could duplicate just about anybody’s speech style and accent. If they didn’t look at my license plates, I was fine.

The only other time I was similarly embarrassed was last week.

I’m not embarrassed because Donald Trump is president. I’m very angry about that, but I’m not embarrassed. Not until he ordered American troops to turn tail and crawl out of the way of the Turks who were about to invade northern Syria with the announced intention of destroying our greatest combat allies of the 21st century, the Kurdish people. Oh, and that would let loose all those Isis people imprisoned in the area.

Did I mention there’s a significant Christian and Jewish within the Kurdish regions? Many even speak Aramaic, which means they can freely converse with Mel Gibson.

This latest act was a bridge too far for many Republicans who, as of this writing, still won’t do anything to get rid of their totally insane, truly stupid and completely evil xenophobe. Again, as of this writing, I have yet to hear about Trump’s supporters in the so-called Judeo-Christian communities saying “enough is enough.”

But enough is enough. There is a right, there is a wrong, and there is evil. This is the type of evil we read about in history books.

It’s well past the time when we need to be rid of Trump. We need to be rid of his entire cabal of Putin lapdogs. All of them, including vice-president Pence, who as we are now seeing, is involved right up to his Race Bannon eyebrows.

But, you may say, that means Nancy Pelosi would become president. Yes, that’s true. You might possibly think that’s worse. I’m not among Nancy’s biggest fans, although she isn’t even on the same scorecard as the Trumpublicans, but we’ll do much, much better for the one-year she’d be in office than with the Orange Skull.

I will admit there’s a wonderful poetry in the concept of Pelosi replacing Trump. Dues, if you will. On many, many levels. I think many of Trump’s base — you know, the Deplorables — would have a conniption and I would enjoy every minute of it.

If Trump is worried about being tossed in prison once he’s no longer in office, I think he’s making a big mistake. Donald J. Trump, once charged, can plead insanity. That would be hard to fight, given the past several years of evidence.

Personally, I think even Rudy Giuliani could win that one for him. Even if he uses it for himself.