As I watch, read, and listen to the events unfolding across our country, I keep coming back to the question, “How did anyone ever support the Republicans, and how do people now support trumpists and the man in the Oval Office?”
In my wondering, I have the picture in my mind of a family member or friend, and then the picture of who they may really be based on their current support of the man in the Oval Office. Many of these people grew up very poor and needing social services. Now they are outraged someone may need a handout, a hand up. I’m trying to reconcile the dichotomy of how they are acting, and how I view(ed) them.
How does one support a party that consistently votes against raising the minimum wage, but is okay with billions of dollars in tax cuts to the rich?
How does one support a party that doesn’t believe everyone deserves health insurance, does everything they can to deny health insurance for all, and is even fighting to take away health insurance from people in the middle of a pandemic.
How does one support a party who is okay with their leader talking about grabbing a woman by her pussy, talks about wanting to date his own daughter, and cheats on his wife?
How does one support a party who believes it is okay to separate children from their families, place children in detention camps, then does the bare minimum to take care of these innocent children whose only alleged crime is coming across the border with their parents, whom are seeking asylum?
How does one support a party who believes it is perfectly acceptable to make fun of how a woman looks, consistently belittles women, believes women should be punished for having legal abortions, calls women stupid along with calling them profane names?
How does one support a party who believes white nationalists are good people, who wants police to dominate city streets, who has many members flashing the white power symbol blatantly, cares more about statues than human lives, and believes slavery was a necessary evil?
How does one support a party that does anything, and everything, it can to suppress and deny people the right to vote, affecting people of color disproportionately?
How does one support a party who ignored the warning signs of the pandemic, and even now believes it to be a hoax, blown out of proportion, and seriously believes wearing a mask is a violation of one’s civil rights?
How does one support a party that leaves town in the midst of an economic calamity for millions of Americans, who are trying to survive in the midst of a pandemic, hurting working people all across our great nation?
How does one support a party who sends paid mercenaries to an American city, who then attack peaceful protestors with extreme prejudice and callousness, including beating women and veterans?
How does one support a party who allows their party leader to teargas peaceful protesters using the military, and then uses a Bible and church as a prop?
I am trying to wrap my head around how some family and friends can’t see the evil being done by the trumpists and the man in the Oval Office. The reason I am trying is because it is hard to imagine and think they are okay with these immoral, unethical, unconstitutional, and heinous actions and personality traits of the so-called Republican Party, and more specifically trumpists. Yet, they have stated they will vote for him again.
What does this mean that I may be choosing to ignore or refuse to accept the obvious because the alternative is to believe they believe the above things are actually okay?
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 