I posted this on Facebook in response to a blog post someone shared where the guy said yes, he was appalled by Trump mocking people with disabilities, insulting prisoners of war, insulting parents of a soldier killed in the line of duty, insulting a civil rights hero, assaulting women - but that people who voted against Trump didn't understand how hard it was to make it in this economy. Since it was kind of long, I thought I may as well re-post it here.
I resent greatly the implication that the people who are appalled by Trump either are
a) on the public dole or
b) never had to balance a budget.
I left home at age 15. Read that again FIFTEEN YEARS OLD.
I have never collected unemployment, food stamps, TANF or any other government benefit. Nope, not even a Pell grant. I earned four degrees while working full time, founded several companies, made a profit every year. I did not start off with millions of dollars from my daddy, like your boy. Nope, I started with clothes from Goodwill and working at a series of shitty jobs as everything from dishwasher to waitress on the graveyard shift at an all night restaurant to file clerk until I graduated with an MBA from a state university because it was what I could afford. Then, I got a decent job as a data analyst, then industrial engineer and worked my way up from there.
When my husband was sick, I worked three jobs to pay the medical bills, then funeral bills, plus private school and preschool for three young children. I have chopped firewood in the dead of winter and crawled under my car in the snow to wire back on the tail pipe that was rusted by salt and dragging. I know very much what it is like to start with nothing and struggle your way up.
Trump offends and insults every value I hold dear in my life and although I won't necessarily disown anyone who voted for him, yes, I WILL think less of you that you saw someone who mocked people with disabilities, thought not paying taxes was smart, assaulted women, insulted Mexicans, prisoners of war, the parents of a soldier who died in the line of duty, thinks laws regarding ethics and conflict of interest don't apply to him, aligned with people who denied science on everything from climate change to vaccines and so much more and none of that was a deal breaker for you.
Some people, my estimate of them was at 100% and it dropped to 98%. Some it was at 4% and it dropped to 0, just one in a long list of reasons I think you are a bad person.
The fact is, yes, if you voted for Trump I DO think less of you than I did before. Is that discrimination? If I find out you cheated on your spouse I will think less of you also. If I find out that you drive while drunk or lie about your income to qualify for loans or scholarships, get investors or avoid paying taxes, I'll think less of you also. It is finding out that you have lower standards, worse values than I thought you did and I will be disappointed.
You have a right to vote for whoever you want and I have the right to my opinion that it reflects your values, which are clearly not my values. To say you are willing to sell your soul for a better economy (which is basically what the author of that blog stated) should make any true Christian wonder what happened to the Biblical injunction that "Man does not live by bread alone". Those of you who claim to be Christian and voted for Trump have just established yourselves in my eyes as the biggest hypocrites on earth. Two gay people getting married threatens marriage but a guy who continually cheats on his wives does not? Give me a fucking break!
I have been REALLY poor in my life, but never so poor that I was willing to sell my soul.
15 comments:
With the exception of denying climate change, Donald Trump never did any of those things. You aren't the only one in history who grew up poor and had to struggle as well, which is why I value money and the economy. I don't want to condemn the whole nation to that miserly state. I've been to hell and came out of it a demon, redemption took a lot of time and effort that few who draw breath can even fathom. I would never make that same mistake again.
What a wonder it is that Trump is against your values, yet Hillary is not. You're worried about Trump allegedly mocking a fallen soldier in a line of duty but what of Hillary's Benghazi incident? You're shocked and appalled at Trump's tactless, crude banter about grabbing vaginas but care little that Hillary defended a man she knew was a rapist in 1975? You don't like that Trump was born with a silver spoon in his mouth but gloss over how Hillary's accepts donations from corrupt Islamic states and has used conspiracy and corruption to further her political career? I think we can both agree that Trump does not represent virtues but whatever you can say about him applies several times more to Hillary.
The difference between Trump and Clinton is I think many of the charges against her were highly exaggerated. I don't know if Clinton was complicit in the problems in Benghazi any more than any other Secretary of State has been in any other attack on Americans. They happen. They are tragic. This isn't the first attack on an embassy and that in no way makes it acceptable. My point is just that I think the evidence against Clinton on - well, everything - was a lot less clear cut. A public defender has to defend people charged with crimes. In this country, you are entitled to an attorney even if you are guilty. It's the law, in the same way that even if you get 3 million fewer votes if you win the electoral college you are elected president. I am not going to rave about how great I think Hillary is because, yes, she would not have been my first choice for president, or even second or third. However, the evidence against Trump comes from his own words, actions and behavior while the allegations against Clinton are based on innuendo.
I can not fault all your points of “Trump hate” but I would like to point out a few things about the last post. Mrs Clinton did not work for the public defenders office in question. In fact she did not even reside in the state where the trail took place. She took the case as a “favor” to a colleague. She did not have to do so, she chose to do so. She has spoken out against the treatment of women in China but has remained conveniently silent as to the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia. Perhaps this has to do with the millions of dollars the Saudis have given to the Clinton foundation. She has also stated that she opposes Citizens United. However she accepted tens of millions of dollars from companies like Phizer and Exxon for her campaign. Trump may or may not have paid personal income tax, we do not know yet because he has not released his 1040's (he is under no obligation to do so, it is just tradition), but his companies have paid millions in state and federal taxes. Don’t you make every effort to legally reduce your taxable income as much as you can? Trump may end up being the most horrific leader this country has seen. But at least he is a person that speaks his mind and does not hide behind “politician speak” like Hilary does. She plays in the shadows, so to speak, and that for me at least is a cause for great concern.
Thinking less of a person just because of who they cast their vote for, or in other words because they feel differently than you do, is a petty thing. I find it hard to believe that you have no friends that voted for Trump, but maybe you don’t. Either way he is our next President like it or not and we all should do as much as we can to move this nation forward in a positive direction. I will leave you with my best wishes for you and your family, and this quote... "Let us neither express, nor cherish, any harsh feeling towards any citizen who, by his vote, has differed with us. Let us at all times remember that all American citizens are brothers of a common country, and should dwell together in the bonds of fraternal feeling." - Abraham Lincoln
Trump would not have been my choice either on many counts, but critiques of him are quite exaggerated and twisted:
For instance, the whole mocking of a disabled reporter story line. It was made to look that way and was sold as "Trump makes fun of a reporter's disabilities" when in fact Trump is a bit of a jerk who uses similar gestures when mocking just about anyone:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsaB3ynIZH4
Doesn't make him a nice guy. In fact, he is arguing for a breach of a fundamental human rights in one of those clips and definitely doesn't have my support in that regard. But as to the claim that he was mocking the reporter's disability, I think it more likely that it is just his usual way of making fun of people he doesn't like and it just backfired hard due to the nature of that reporter's disability.
On the Clinton's side however, even if some claims seem exaggerated, there are some very troubling hard facts. Saudi Arabia donating nearly $25M to the Clinton's foundation is one such fact. Other middle eastern dictatorships have also contributed significant amounts. Is that charity or were they buying something? What is not debatable is that those donations are listed on the foundation's own website.
The whole email debacle... Deleting emails after a subpoena is a felony, and there appears to be clear evidences that this is what happened. And is anyone buying the line that she deleted those emails to protect the privacy of her yoga appointments?
Those emails were deleted because she assessed that whatever could be found in them was worse than a felony charge. There is abundant footage of Clinton blatantly lying on TV, from anecdotes of bravery that never took place to lies about her positions on important matters of state.
None of these things can be dismissed as "innuendos" and they aren't minor issues either. An average american citizen would have been jailed and dragged in the mud for far less, and that's without getting into disputed territory, which is quite rich in scandals, and not as far fetched as one could wish.
Thank you Dr. You said exactly how I feel and believe. Notice how DJ Hitler's followers always bringing up Clinton, assuming everyone that resents him supported Clinton. They have nothing good to stand on, except to point fingers at Clinton.
I DO have friends and relatives who voted for Trump and I DO think less of them as a result. Now, some of them I thought REALLY highly of to begin with and so now I think a little less highly of them because I am disappointed in them. I don't believe thinking less of a person because they think differently than you is necessarily a petty thing. It depends. I also think less of a person if they believe black people are inherently inferior, if they are willing to over look violations of human rights, women's rights,are not appalled by the child abuse that happened in the Catholic church (and I say that as a Catholic).
I delete 1,000 emails a day. That isn't necessarily suspicious to me. Do I think EVERY politician in the U.S. makes compromises I find morally repugnant? Well, not every one of them but the vast majority.
What I do see is a great hypocrisy. For the vast majority of people who voted for Trump, they also voted for people in Congress who took money from those same dictatorships and supported those same countries that violate human rights. What I see as hypocrisy is that the same people who were not appalled when Bush supported those countries are appalled when Clinton gets money from them. Me, I stay in a permanent state of disgust.
I also wonder, and this is a serious question, why people who are so upset (rightfully so) about Clinton doing business with middle east dictators are fine with Trump's businesses in dictatorships.
Thank you for the post. It saddens me that even here people are defending this man of monster with facts that is irelevant. In reality, president's power is limited. However, before the ideology, we choose president for their character and leadership quality such as honesty, integrity, and goodness. None of which applies to president elect.
I think the world of you, based on your blog and general opinions but respectfully disagree with you on this issue. First off Trump would not be my first choice... but the choice to not vote for Hillary is a lot more complicated than the fitness of Trump. First off Trump is a protest candidate. He represents, among other things, the belief that Washington has been so negligent and so corrupt that one would rather vote for an unknown, an outsider with no credentials than a career politician. This is a strong statement that some feel needs to be made.
Ann Marie, there are people who have researched the Clintons and there is proof that they have done some horrendous things. Mrs Clinton enabled her husband's serial rape behavior and threatened, bullied the women who protested. Mrs Clinton stole the primary from another candidate, thats a fact that Wiki leaks proved beyond any doubt. Clinton supports the worse individuals in the Middle East. People who who abuse women horribly. Mrs Clinton Also supports the prison industry which advocates putting people in cells for 23 hours a day with no human interaction, charging children as adults, and other such inhumane measures. Mrs Clinton also supports Wall Street and has obvious pay to play schemes at all levels of government. These are all established facts, we are not even talking about the more insidious things that perhaps cannot be proven, but one day will be proven.
Mrs Clinton under virtually any other conditions would have been convicted of a RICO conviction Ann Marie, just ask Martha Stewart what happens when someone lies to the FBI. Notice I have not mentioned any partisan issues. Finally? Clinton is unhealthy. She has shown signs that her health is not up to snuff for the position as commander in chief. Also, I doubt you would support the global deals that take business out of this country, the Trans Pacific partnership, before that Nafta. These deals are not good for a society that needs, in this cycle, support and not the growth of multinational corporations.
presidents operate by consensus. Trump will not be allowed to do things that are insane, or even abherent in way that threatens progress. He is not a good person but he is a way of saying..."we will not tolerate the same old shenanigans any more. So, I would hope that you at least reconsider your opinion of those who felt that Clinton was just really evil.
With affection
Darrell
I voted for Trump because he spoke against war and military commitments all over the globe. If that makes me something less in your eyes, so be it.
Hillary may have good ideas on domestic issues, but when it comes to foreign policy, she's a war monger. She supported every deployment, every attack, and every bombing campaign ever since Bill moved into the Oval Office.
As far as doing business with dictatorships, everyone is guilty. We buy Chinese products and pump Saudi gas, so why the hypocrisy? US was friends with Assad's family for decades, why is he the bad guy now?
Much respect. I am 57 y.o. and have benefited from your parenting perspective over the past few years, and all for FREE !! Thank you.
On Trump; they all say whatever it takes to get there, and then what ever it takes to stay there. As someone once said, Jesus was too smart for politics. All Caesars are murderers. BUT , and this is the important point, Trump has the ability to put the most qualified people in charge of specific responsibilities. Would you have had your statistical analysis teacher in charge of Rhonda's judo education?
Time will tell, but please try to remain objective and consider all sources of information. Most voices have an agenda and it's sadly not often the truth. May you find the space to reflect quietly on beauty. Well Done.
It seems everyone's choice of the orange demon was to protest Clinton. Well, alot of people didn't vote for Clinton--including myself. That man insults my religion (Islam) and slanders my Mexican family non-stop. No one in my family intends on giving him a chance or "wait it out."
Dr. Anna, I KNOW what you are saying. This is more than "politics." This is about self-defense! So if I know my opponent is good at shime waza, I'm not going to "hope" that he doesn't want my back to choke me out! I KNOW what he is going to do and deal with him accordingly! Trust is crucial for good social and mental health. But when you know people like a man who has no respect for you, you cannot be safe around them.
I help assist my sensei with a youth class at our Judo school and after the election CHILDREN were telling me it was OK to put Muslims in concentration camps!!! Moreover, these children were JEWS!
You can have your dreams about him putting "qualified" people in positions and "hope" that he has changed from a narcissistic sex maniac, but I know NOTHING will change. Even if I was white and Christian/Jewish, I would know he has no intentions on shaking things up just from reading a few interview transcripts.
Despite my efforts to raise good children, run an honest business, pay taxes, volunteer, that man you hope will shake things up has made sure that me and my community will live under severe discrimination and mental anguish.
You can give him a chance. Well, that "chance" you give him may end up in the loss of innocent life. And after he makes an example of us, he'll find something on you! Good luck at the casino.
As an outsider, I'm just looking at America right now and thinking... irony? Trump is basically about to sign a block on refugee's coming to the states, the irony here? well, for those not savvy with history - Trump's family is from Germany and basically, America was founded by people not native to the lands (I say founded, it was basically stolen from natives by European colonists)
I feel sorry for America I really do, I always thought of America as this great place where people could go to fulfil their dreams... now I just think of it as utter dogshit (and that's putting it bluntly)
America is in for a rough ride for as long as that bigoted sex offender is at the wheel.
I should probably word what I said previously a bit different for clarity
When I said for those not savvy with history I wasn't referring to the united states and how it was founded, I was referring to Donald Trump and his family who were kicked out of Germany because his family dodged military service. His entire Bloodline doesn't have a patriotic bone in its/their body.
I fear for the USA's future I really do, you've basically got a lunatic at the helm with religious zealots who want to push hardline Christian values on all of America. They want to stamp out any sort of homosexual behaviour, anything that basically doesn't go hand in hand with their seedy agenda and the worrying thing is they have an absolute nut job to lean on to push (or attempt to push) such values, the only thing standing between them, trump and these things coming to pass is the constitution and courts.
On a further note what I read recently about Donald Trump trying to ban Muslim refugees is just mental, absolutely mental... the USA, UK and many other nations are directly responsible for destabilising the middle east, ultimately leading to the war-zone that these people are trying to escape from, each and every one of those who participated in that has a moral obligation to accept refugees. The argument Trump and Trump's supporters are using is basically "Refugees will kill us" - possible, no escaping that, since 1968 however only 5 US citizens have died on US soil from refugees whereas 1,500,000 US citizens has died from gun-related incidents.. yet the trump administration chooses to/attempt to ban refugees..... *scratches chin*
Anyway! I hope that clears things up!
Really??? Even though some of my dearest friend are on the other side of the political spectrum than me, I do not think less of them for voting for Obama. They are the ones that will always have my back regardless of their bad judgment in voting. You really need to step back and see how it all plays out. Trump was not running against Mother Teresa...You have lived in California too long.
"I also wonder, and this is a serious question, why people who are so upset (rightfully so) about Clinton doing business with middle east dictators are fine with Trump's businesses in dictatorships."
People only expect businesspeople to make money, but people expect more from their leaders. If the businessman does not "live up", it doesn't matter, at least in the public mind. Will Trump make the transition? It remains to be seen! But at least as an actual politician he is a clean slate, meaning he has possibilities, unlike the alternative. That is a lot of his appeal. There are as many reasons to think less of those who supported the alternative as those who supported him, perhaps more. -Bill
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