Thoughts on the Election (November 9, 2016)

               Make no mistake. Donald Trump became President of the United States this week because of who he is, not despite.  Donald Trump – arguably the most odious man to ever run for public office - was a direct response to Barack Obama. His racism, sexism and hostile temperament could not have been more perfectly suited for an electorate hungry to right the wrong of the Obama Presidency.  Equally outrageous to this same electorate, was the idea that a woman might take his place.  This is the reality which explains what happened on Tuesday. This is the reality of who we are and why we can’t ever get along or govern ourselves as one people. This is the reality of why there must be a fundamental war between those who believe we must move past our racist/sexist society and those who live by it.

               No one in the legitimate media, right or left will cop to this. In the weeks to come there will be polite arguments about poor campaign strategy, staying on message and how the polls and pundits got it wrong. Both sides will stress the need to come together as a nation despite our differences because this is what makes us great. 

The truth is we are irrevocably divided. We are two countries residing in the same house. We can not co-exist any longer. Our government has essentially shut down for the past eight years because a black man was in the White House and the Republican controlled Congress refused to work with Obama in any way, refusing to even fund a bill to help first responders of 911 with serious medical conditions.  Think on this. Over the next four years Donald Trump will have no opposition in the agenda he seeks to realize, an agenda half of America must oppose wholesale and unconditionally, in the same determined, disciplined manner the Republicans shut down Obama, or we will fall prey to the same shame the Republicans have already fallen prey too when they made Trump the leader of their party, acceptance by silence.  

How do we oppose Trump as ordinary citizens without power?

What does this ultimately mean? Armed conflict is not the solution. Economics is the solution. We must begin by identifying every resource that contributes to the inequity by race, creed, sexual orientation and gender and boycott it completely. We must disengage from any friend or family member who insists on the America Donald Trump represents. We must stop watching tv shows or going to movies by those who would divide us. And most of all, we need to come together and truly learn what the other is about. We must eliminate the racism, sexism and other prejudices we have learned which lie so deep in our hearts.

`Can we accept deportation squads removing 11 million people who we know and have worked with for many years?  Can we accept a wall between our country and any other? Can we relinquish a person’s fundamental religious right to not be persecuted or restricted  for their beliefs (the primary need which brought Europeans here in the first place). Can we accept that the Democratic candidate will be put on trial and sent to prison? Can we accept that the rebuilding of America will be about the rebuilding of white rural America where so many have been displaced by a global economy which left them out?  A global economy, by the way, fully embraced by Donald Trump.

Trump legitimized himself in the electorate by championing as the new leader of white America by starting the birther movement.  But the Republican refusal to meet Obama halfway on any issue and their intransigence to pass any law (even those they agreed with)  laid the stones for the road we traveled this week and demonstrate implied consent. Men like Paul Ryan and John McCain may defend themselves by saying they are not Trump, but this does not exonerate them from their hand in denying the legitimacy of Barack Obama as an equal man and their President.  Not all of his actions could have been wrong. Nor could Hillary Clinton be held responsible for EVERYTHING bad that has ever happened in her lifetime.

Men like John McCain and Paul Ryan, by not disavowing Trump have colluded with him in the disgraceful challenge that Obama was American citizen, revealed, even before this week’s election, how deeply hateful to one another we are.

In their heart of hearts, the people who could not bring themselves to vote for Hillary Clinton, or outright voted against her, hated her because she is a woman who tried to sit in the most powerful seat in the world.  Those who contributed in this way to this disaster should take a hard look at what actually shaped their views and decide you are either for human equality or against it. The time for a middle ground has passed.

There will be a lot of polite talk in the days ahead about reconciliation and how this election was not about race or gender. But this is a lie. We are the last first world nation to elect a woman as head of state. We're a bunch of fuckin' hicks.

               Donald Trump is a bully, a liar, a cheat, a sexist pig, a racist, a misogynist, a ruthless opportunist who takes credit for everything and apologizes for nothing. Compare his character to that of Barrack Obama. And ask yourself what would you think about Donald Trump had he been black?