Whenever the subject of gun control comes up, invariably a comparison will be made regarding our partaking of violent entertainment and that of the rest of the industrialized world where they have as much exposure to it as we do, but have nowhere near the level of gun deaths we have here in the US. And more often than not, someone on the gun control side of the argument will ask rhetorically if we are more violent than our counterparts elsewhere in the world. Perhaps. But I do believe that we do have a nasty, seedy underbelly that goes hand in hand with the violence.
Let’s face it, we’re not the only ones who have violent video games or a significant portion of our population suffering from mental health issues. And while the easy access to guns is absolutely a determining factor, the quality of our people, as human beings capable of compassion and empathy, should not only be considered but taken very seriously when trying to arrive at answers in various scenarios.
The argument that many were fooled into voting for Trump is not something I give much weight. Yes, they’re out there but I personally believe—in other words, this is my anecdotal perception—that the folks who feel they were hoodwinked by the man’s promises and rhetoric are only a small fraction of his overall followers. I am convinced that the approximately one-third of Americans who steadfastly remain supportive of this poor excuse for a human being got exactly what they bargained for. Folks like the lady in Kentucky who admits Obamacare saved her from a breast cancer diagnosis but despises Obama himself. Or those in Pennsylvania who when interviewed recently said they didn’t expect Trump to do much for them but support the president because they feel he hates the same people they do (BLM, immigrants, liberals, protesting NFL players, etc.). And, of course, there’s the chest-thumping, so-called people of faith who have decided to unequivocally throw in their lot with a man of amply documented, highly questionable morals and integrity, while putting their own into question in the process. I truly believe they all represent the overwhelming majority of Trump supporters.
Now, because some of these individuals may be family and/or loved ones who you otherwise cherish, you will likely and vehemently disagree with me and refuse to believe this of them. But the truth is, deep down, they are not the ‘good but flawed’ people you want them to be. They simply aren’t.
None of this is news, of course, and has been mentioned elsewhere repeatedly. But while surveying our current national landscape, I’m thinking about where we go from here.
For starters, even if Trump were to be curbed in his march to turn the country into one of his properties, where HE is the rule of law and loyalty to the dear leader is the only valuable currency, the damage has been done. A mass of citizens readily defiant against anything different to their race, sexual preference, religion and culture, have been inspired to rise up and distrust the powers that be, not in a healthy way, mind you, but in a manner that conforms to a bubble of conspiracy theory claptrap that reassures their biases both socially developed and acquired.
Whether Trump is impeached or not—it would take a frankly, very unlikely trifecta: a blue tsunami in the polls in November and the Democrats growing a spine while congressional Republicans, part of this cartel or not, to develop a conscience and actual love of country—he will dedicate the rest of his life to sow divisions and pit his followers against the rest of the country. A pit of resentment and hatred fueled by a despicable human being who cares not a whit about anyone except the gruesome reflection of a man in his gold plated mirror, is what we can look forward to for years to come.
However, as much as I patently despise the current occupant of the White House, my disdain is much greater for the plurality of our fellow citizens who look at this vulgar, bigot, con man, and narcissistic failure of a human being and see a good man. Or tellingly, as someone to emulate or even a reflection of themselves. They have happily and proudly foisted upon us a scourge that will take a generation to overcome, if at all. And for that I will never forgive them. Ever.
