The Boy Who Cried Wolf

[clacy]

Liberals need to re-read that book.

From what I can tell they are currently labeling ALL Trump voters, possible cabinet members and non-mainstream media as:

-Racist
-Sexist
-Homophobe
-Anti-Semite
-Nazi
-Alt-Right
-White supremacist
-Uneducated
-Deplorable
-Anti-Muslim

I'm sure I missed a few, but I feel like they're losing all sense of reality. I also feel like I'm not any of those things, but I voted for Trump.

[ochotona]

Liberals need to re-read that book.

From what I can tell they are currently labeling ALL Trump voters, possible cabinet members and non-mainstream media as:

-Racist
-Sexist
-Homophobe
-Anti-Semite
-Nazi
-Alt-Right
-White supremacist
-Uneducated
-Deplorable
-Anti-Muslim

I'm sure I missed a few, but I feel like they're losing all sense of reality. I also feel like I'm not any of those things, but I voted for Trump.

Of course it's an absurdity that 50% of the US population are actively "the list you presented" above. What concerns me, however, is that there were so many active and explicit markers, symbols, and statements telegraphing racism, sexism, etc. from the Trump campaign, and I wonder why were these not deal breakers for my fellow Americans. I did not vote for Trump. They were deal breakers for me. Some call me a RINO, I couldn't care less, I am who I am.

I don't worry about Trump as much as I worry about my neighbors, and the "voices" less stable ones will be hearing. If enough words get spoken by powerful, influential people, then people with a screw loose will start hearing the messages repeated to them by a dog, or they'll see a vision in the reflection on their refirgerator, and they'll go reach for their Bushmaster .223 and whoops, that'll be it... again. AND on the other side too, like the Dallas cop killer.

Stupidity and insanity are equal-opportunity destroyers, as far as I am concerned.

Thanks for your post. You are not a racist if you voted for Trump.

Probably all white racists voted for Trump, but not every white person who voted for Trump is a racist.
Probably all black racists voted for Hillary, but not every black person who voted for Hillary is a racist.

But I urge you to try to stand in the shoes of lots of people who are not white, or who are queer, or who have experienced gender discrimination or have had their pu**y grabbed, and try to think about how you as a presumably white guy can make the world a better place for them and everyone else. That may include writing an angry letter to your President if he does something really outrageous. Or, it may mean giving up your status with other white guys by standing up for people who are not in your group.

Are you ready to be brave like that, in a big way? Or do you think you will go along to get along? Will you be like the people who fought Hitler in Germany, and got disappeared during the 1930s (but now we call them Saints*), or will you be one of the silent ones who just wanted to stay out of the way? Will you be a victim-blamer? Sometimes the universe hands us choices like that. I hope that does not happen. I do not expect it.

What would you do if a powerful man grabbed your daughter or your wife's pu**y? It almost happened to my wife and my daughter. They have both been sexually harassed verbally but not physically, at work, exactly like Megyn Kelly. Most recent event was this year. And my son is queer. Yes, I am worried about the climate a President Trump could create.

But we are better together than apart. We all have to get through the next four or eight years, together. That's true regardless of who sits in the White House.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe, 8 January 1894 – 14 August 1941) was a Polish Conventual Franciscan friar, who volunteered to die in place of a stranger in the German death camp of Auschwitz, located in German-occupied Poland during World War II.

[clacy]

Again with Nazi Germany comparisons? Do you really fear that scenario unfolding?

I think there are a million miles of separation between building a wall to better control who's coming into our country illegally, and rounding people up and putting them in ovens.

I'm also very confused why gays are so fearful of Trump. I've heard nothing from him that would suggest he doesn't like gays or is willing to take legislative or executive action against them in any way.

[ochotona]

Again with Nazi Germany comparisons? Do you really fear that scenario unfolding?

I think there are a million miles of separation between building a wall to better control who's coming into our country illegally, and rounding people up and putting them in ovens.

I'm also very confused why gays are so fearful of Trump. I've heard nothing from him that would suggest he doesn't like gays or is willing to take legislative or executive action against them in any way.

I think a full-scale Nazi / White Supremacist scenario is an extremely unlikely black swan event for the USA.

I agree, there is a million miles of separation between gaining control of immigration and concentration camps. But, if you ask the Man In The Street who is eats up the red meat at political rallies, it's not a million miles for them, it's like 2.5 miles, in their minds. I know a lot of these characters down here in Texas, like at the gun range and what-not, they don't know I'm more liberal than them, so they just open their mouths and spew thinking I'm a sympathetic ear. I hear things that scare the bejesus out of me. How do you think it makes me feel as father of a queer child when people I know say that fags should die? Do I just ignore that? "Boys will be boys" and say stupid things? What about the Pulse Nightclub? Was that "boys will be boys" too?

Like I said... my neighbors scare me more than the Guvmint.

[clacy]

Like I said... my neighbors scare me more than the Guvmint.

One big difference..... I fear the government far more than my neighbors.

[Libertarian666]

Like I said... my neighbors scare me more than the Guvmint.

One big difference..... I fear the government far more than my neighbors.

Same here.

[ochotona]

The Pulse nightclub massacre occurred under the enlightened rule of Obama, so I think blaming Trump for that is a little bit off-target.

And personally, I think armed patrons would have deterred that attack or minimized its severity, but then I'm one of those bitter clingers.

I blame any polarizing, divisive, intolerant, identity-based politics that drive weak-minded people to pick up a gun. Those ideologies come in all shades, there is plenty of guilt to go around.

I have a carry permit too, but I think it's silly to think armed patrons could've helped at Pulse. On a dance floor... what is your backstop? Armed staff, OK, that makes sense.

[ochotona]

Why aren't there any massacres at gun ranges?

There didn't used to be any massacres at nightclubs, either, just fires. I would not be surprised, actually, if there was someday the start of a mass shooting at a gun range, of course it would not progress. But if you are shooting alone at a rural range, sighting in your hunting piece, you could very well get robbed and shot by people trying to get your guns, your truck, etc. This was even mentioned in the NRA American Rifleman some time ago. And what about Chris Kyle? He was killed at a gun range by a nut.

The problem is, people in the current times are completely self-centered, they think their grievance is the center of the universe, therefore they can't compromise. Then they get angry, then they pick up a gun. ALL of them are snowflakes, not just the libs. It's just hilarious to me to hear the rightwing snowflakes tell the leftwing snowflakes to "get over it", but then Snowflake Elect can't stop tweeting about young actors and such, or Miss Universe, as if they mattered.

How about Snowflake-in-Chief? That's a good title.

My archaic vision? The winners of the election are good sportmen and offer a hand of friendship to the losers, the losers accept the gesture, and everyone goes to work on the people's business. Gosh, is that just too old fashioned?

FWIW, I sat a few seats away today from President George H.W. Bush at church today. Poor guy is in a wheelchair, but he was beaming. He's always smiling. Barbara was with him. As I walked by him after Communion, it really struck me - Gosh, I really miss his leadership. He got the world through some tough scrapes with a steady hand. Gulf War I and he did not have an extended land war in Asia Minor. The fall of the Soviet Union. This Joker we've got now? I just don't know.

[ochotona]

If Ochotona was Mike Pence at "Hamilton":

I would have stood up, climbed up on the stage, and made an brief extemporaneous speech thanking the actors for their message of concern, and assuring them that the Trump administration will be for every American, then I would have invited them all on the spot to the VP's residence for lunch after the inauguration.

If Ochotona was Trump tweeting:

@RealDonaldTrump Mike Pence at Hamilton last night what a standup guy. Great guy. Our White House will serve all Americans. It will be great. YUUUGE.

---------------------

I mean, is it that hard, folks? How twisted are these people if they can't be kind like normal people?

[ochotona]

And, again, it doesn't give me much faith that he will have a thick enough skin to respond appropriately to actual threats to the United States.

Some tin-horn somewhere, maybe Putin, maybe Kim in N. Korea, maybe China, maybe ISIS, is going to severely test Trump early in his Presidency. The way he acts just send out waves of weakness. He's not the big, strong, quiet, confident kid on the playground that everyone liked (you know who I'm talking about... and no, it wasn't you); he's the loud-mouthed bully / sore loser that people gets sick of, then he gets some teeth knocked out by getting bumped at the water-cooler.

[clacy]

One big difference..... I fear the government far more than my neighbors.

Fair enough. I'm curious if you have some specific fear.

I guess I don't fear my neighbors because they are peers. And if I have a problem I can move to a different neighborhood, city, state, etc. If you're gay and fear gay-haters, move to SF or Miami. Essentially, you can escape neighbors quite easily. And neighbors play by the same rules, ie. have no extra authority over me.

There really is no escaping a tyrannical federal government. Governments do have authority over us.

As the old saying goes, "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely".

I think or *hope* that Trump will de-centralize power.

[ochotona]

"I think or *hope* that Trump will de-centralize power."

The man is 70. He's going to act like he's acted his entire life. He will try to concentrate power through himself, whIle also trying to risk manage, and take advantage of tactical loopholes. Good bad or indifferent, it is what it is. To twist the Obama saying, "Hope will not make Trump change".

[Benko]

The man is 70. He's going to act like he's acted his entire life.

So taking $1 pay salary would be like he's acted his entire life?

[clacy]

I didn't ask about your neighbors. You already said you did not fear them, though I wonder if your feelings would change if you overheard one of them say they think people like your child ought to be be dead.

There really is no escaping a tyrannical federal government. Governments do have authority over us.

Again, what *specifically* do you fear? And I don't recall Trump saying he was going to dismantle the federal government.

Thanks for the snark!

I specifically fear centralization of government power. I despise the thought of it.

I agree that Trump won't likely be dismantling government, but there is a HUGE difference between him and the globalist movement (ie Hillary, Bush, etc). Globalism is certainly underpinned by a move towards a one world government. The left is underpinned by centralization of federal power, and is embracing the move toward global centralization as well.

The further away control gets from the people, the more difficult it is to change or reduce the bureaucracy, laws, rights.

[WiseOne]

Going back to clacy's original post...I completely agree. Half the US population is being painted as almost subhuman by the other half, who in turn is busy putting undocumented immigrants and similar groups on a pedestal - which implies that these people are valued more than the existing American lower and middle class. This is a lot more scary than, say, a potentially homophobic neighbor.

Trump's tweets are truly ridiculous, and I do wish somebody would take away his iPhone. But on the serious issues, he seems to have an unerring ability to get to the heart of the matter, and let's be honest here - this is why he was elected. For example, Trump was right to point out the inherent Democratic Party hypocrisy as regards African-Americans, giving them lip service and throwing them a bone every so often, while doing its level best to undermine them in all the ways that count.

[MWKXJ]

Liberals need to re-read that book.

From what I can tell they are currently labeling ALL Trump voters, possible cabinet members and non-mainstream media as:

-Racist
-Sexist
-Homophobe
-Anti-Semite
-Nazi
-Alt-Right
-White supremacist
-Uneducated
-Deplorable
-Anti-Muslim

I'm sure I missed a few, but I feel like they're losing all sense of reality. I also feel like I'm not any of those things, but I voted for Trump.

Democrat Jim Webb's thoughts on why the Democratic Party lost many working-class white voters this election cycle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi6o_TwxWH4

[Tyler]

And considering he hasn't even been inaugurated yet, I may get tired of winning after all!

I saw this and thought of your post.

[clacy]

haha