Tuesday, March 15, 2016

The Cult of Trump

Me &Thunder Great Smoky Mtns Natl Park

I am an American citizen born on American soil, as were both of my parents and their parents before them. My father even served in the United States Army before later becoming a civilian barber. I begin with this caveat because there are some people out there in the Trump camp that firmly believe that if I choose not to support Trump, then I should leave this country. Get it straight, this is my country too and I have every right to be here, just as I have the right to vote for whomever I so shall choose.

Trump's supporters claim that they believe in freedom of speech, but only if it is in support of their candidate. This is where the “get out of OUR country” statements are being thrown about (just do a Twitter search.) They forget that we have to share this country whether we agree with one another or not. As an American citizen I shouldn't have to worry that if I put up a sign in my yard or bumper sticker on my car for “the other guy” that Trump's supporters will vandalize my home and car, but these blind followers of Trump are okay with breaking the law to help their candidate get ahead, and if my property gets damaged in the process, so be it.

I have yet to meet a rational Trump supporter, and to be honest, I can't fathom how they are able to turn a blind eye/ear to his lies, failed business history (4 bankruptcy filings) and ongoing irrational behavior. Do they actually believe he is capable of calmly negotiating any kind of a deal with a foreign power or do they just expect him to bully his way through the talks with Trump's “my way or the highway” mentality? I want a leader that projects knowledge and confidence, not one that looks like he's throwing a tantrum in the sandbox. He claims that he's going to make a lot of changes once he gets in office, but he seems to forget there is a process involved in changing laws and procedures and you can't just make it so with the stroke of a pen.

This is a man that has no idea what it is like to have to struggle for a living. Trump came from a life of privilege, getting his start on the coattails of his father's business and then later receiving a “small” $1 million dollar loan from him to start a real estate business. He can't empathize with a minimum wage family trying to stretch a dollar and put meals on the table for their children, just as he can't understand the concept of 'not' being able to have something or having to choose between those somethings. Maybe this month it's a choice of food on the table or taking one of the kids to the doctor, but don't expect that you can do both.

This election is disheartening, especially with the realization that there are so many cult followers out there loudly asking for more of the special Kool-aid. It's almost as if no one can see or hear the train coming. No one is asking the right questions or demanding answers. And when it all goes to hell in a handbasket they'll start pointing the finger or blame at “the establishment,” but to be sure, it won't be because of anything they did or didn't do, and it certainly won't be due to the blind eye they turned.

Maybe I'm a rare class of person that actually does research into a candidate. I think about the struggles and rights of others and how they might be affected. Perhaps more people should do that as well instead of beat their drum to the march of a mad piper. The media, in particular, should take a step back and re-evaluate their coverage of candidates because they sure as hell aren't giving them equal coverage and that is a disservice to all American voters. 

Don't agree with me? That's your perogative. Just be grateful that you live in a country where we are ALL entitled to a difference of opinion, and no, I don't have to drink the Kool-aid.