Help Me Understand

It has been 70 days since the most depressing presidential election I’ve ever experienced and there has been no reprieve from the glaringly unstable president elect’s ability to frighten and disappoint on a large scale.

As his inauguration quickly approaches to the utter surprise and disgust of most of the country, people are continuing to battle for their voice and remain angry in protest to, frankly, TRY to stand up against a lying racist no, def racist, fascist narcissist that is relentlessly threatening our freedoms. In all of this, he still has a vicious staunch following that believe his lies so wholeheartedly that any hint of dissension unleashes a reign of despicable fury, a litany of personal insults that makes you question whether or not this aggression is coming from something deeper than a desire to defend an ideal, but is really a culmination of compounded hatred and blind selfishness that leads to the hapless belief in policies in direct opposition to their own interests. Not to mention these assaults are usually led by the president elect.

I listened to a podcast today, (shout out to Pod Save America!) and was able to (kind of) understand where some of this frustration comes from. There can be an air of superiority that liberals have when it comes to discussing conservatives that can be off-putting and stratifying. Calling Trump supporters classless and stupid are not great ways to garner traction to change minds, but then again, I guess that’s not really the point at this juncture. The right has alarmingly made up its mind to house and support white supremacy, and ignore the plea of thousands to rethink disrupting Obamacare- just to name a few indiscretions. At this point, the priority is to protect the republic and defend ourselves from the inevitable onslaught of bigotry that is going to find its way into law. A vast majority of the country has made it abundantly clear that we will not walk quietly into the night, while this incoming administration attempts to steamroll, crush, and diminish our rights.

There’s just a piece of me that wants to believe people can change. In the right context, under the right circumstances, truth can prevail against a despot. Alas, this election has chipped away at that hope and I am resigned to believe no amount of fact or the witness of actual events will change the minds of the white America that is so wrapped up in an identity that is based on ostracizing and belittling “The Other” while turning a blind eye to an emerging government that cares nothing to little about democracy (or their wellbeing) and everything about money. 

To those people who will seemingly never see the dark side of this presidency: 

How can you so intensely follow someone who wants to MAGA for the upper class no matter the cost to the rest of the American people? Why can’t you see you’re being duped?

United We Stand?

While the primaries continue to rage on with every candidate vying for attention and making choices to get their campaign promises to more ears, there is still this huge elephant in the room that is going to be a challenge for whoever wins this race. That challenge? Bringing people together.

Let’s face it. We’ve all pretty much given up on anyone who has even hinted at voting for Trump and have witnessed and read the biting criticism coming from democrats and republicans alike who ardently disagree with his rhetoric. There is nothing wrong with this. However, it seems as though, among the violence and outright insanity, we tend to forget that on the other side of the proverbial fence are people who are feeling disenfranchised and have taken solace in a candidate that knows little to nothing about government but is masterful at manipulation and the art of scare tactics.

There is a video circulating that caught my attention yesterday that touches upon my feelings about Trump supporters. 

HOWEVER, there is a whole other side of me that is more scared than anything that the people who are blindly supporting this tyrant are not going to just go away after the primaries or even after the general election. Because, even though I do understand there are a number of people who are clinging to Trump because they believe he is going to “change things,” there are also a majority of people who want to “Make America Great Again,” who are just downright racist, sexist, homophobic, and unwilling to change their minds about backwards beliefs. My question is how are democrats going to unite these people who are so steadfast in believing the very political ideals that are blatantly working against them? I will never understand that. Why would a selfish millionaire give a sh*t about the middle class?! 

Anyway, as I said before, I understand people clinging onto what they want believe will change their situation, but why him?! How would this work?! Help me understand. Anybody.