Saturday, July 30, 2016

Seriously?


 
I am so confused. I would like to believe that most Americans have been raised with basic morals and values. If we look at America like it's a family I wonder if things would be different. Let's say you're having a neighborhood barbecue. The music is playing, the burgers and hotdogs are smelling good on the grill, kids are playing in the sprinklers, you're all talking about remember-when stories and having a good time. Then, all of a sudden, someone starts spewing hatred about the man down the street who is from a different country or speaks a different language or practices a different religion. This person starts telling all of you how unsafe you are and encourages you to carry a gun. This person starts telling you your pregnant wife is an inconvenience and mimics you're disabled brother. As you are all standing around completely baffled and stunned by the words that are coming out of this person's mouth, the doorbell rings. This person goes to answer the door. The person on the other side of the door is your longtime family friend who happens to be Muslim. This person says very loudly, "You are not welcome here."
Later on, after the mood from earlier in the day has completely changed to a dark and almost angry atmosphere, this person who has been monopolizing the whole conversation with racist, fear mongering, homophobic, discriminatory-on-every-level rhetoric, slams his fist down on the picnic table and says, "Hey, my friends don't worry. I can fix everything for you. You don't have to help, I don't need your help. My way is the only way to make your neighborhood and life better. If you let me take over and control everything in your life, you will be rich just like me, you will be safe. I will kill everyone who comes to hurt you. Don't you know I'm the smartest man who has ever lived? Don't you know that I have every answer to any question that has ever been asked?" By this time, some of your friends and neighbors have gone. This person continues to tout his superiority and belittle and demean everything and everyone that you've always held in the highest regard and importance.  At this point, you're beginning to question everything and everyone that you have believed in your entire life. The house is quiet, the music has been turned off, there are flies landing on the potato salad, the children's laughter and wet swimsuited bodies are gone, and you find yourself standing alone with this person in your home.  I ask you, why did you invite him to your barbecue in the first place,  why did you let him stay so long when he was so blatantly disrespectful and offensive and, finally, are you going to invite him to stay the night or are you going to kick him out?  Come on America, we are so much better than this. 

Politics completely aside, if you wouldn't stand for the language and behavior and complete disrespect for anyone but himself from your child or your children's friends, why in the world would you think this type of personality is the answer to all the serious things happening in the world today? Do you want to be in a position, as a parent, to tell your children to respect this man? I wonder what reasons you would give them if they asked you, "Why should I respect him? He is everything you're not.  He is the type of person you've always told me not to be.  He lies. He makes fun of people. He interrupts people.  He calls people names. He yells.  He doesn't like people who are different than him. He disrespects people who have fought for our country. He has called President Obama bad names and has blamed him for everything wrong in the world.  He hasn't paid people who have worked for him. He is happy when he fires people. He doesn't admit it when he has said something that is not true.  He scares me.  He's a bully.  So, tell me again, why should I respect him?"

I am feeling so completely blessed that I was raised in a family by parents who taught me morals and values, who taught me to respect everyone, that everyone has a right to the same happiness and that we are all the same on the inside.  I've been taught to work hard and contribute to society in a positive way.  I've been taught to help others if they need help. I've been taught not to name call or make fun of people.  I've been taught not to curse because when you curse people hear your words but not what you're saying.  I've been taught to obey the laws and respect the police.  I've been encouraged to work to change something if I didn't feel it was right. I've been taught to believe in God and that there is good inside all people.  I've been taught to not follow the crowd just because everyone else was.  I've been taught to make my own decisions, to respect myself, to stand up for myself and also for those who can't stand up for themselves. 

There are things that I am extremely passionate about and things that I have no opinion about.  I'm a common sense type of person.  Common sense tells me that a man who has obvious problems with any person who is not like him is not someone I would welcome into my home. Common sense tells me that if a man is inconsistent with his words and constantly has to explain what he may or may not have meant, he is not to be trusted. Common sense tells me that if a man cannot have an intelligent conversation with a news reporter, he will not be able to discuss important issues with foreign leaders. Common sense tells me that a man who has his products manufactured in many different countries, is not going to bring jobs back to the United States.  Common sense tells me that a man who claims to support our veterans and yet disrespects their commanders, he is not going to be a competent commander and chief.  Common sense tells me that if a man believes it is okay to ridicule a woman because of her size, appearance or hair style, he is not going to look out for women's best interests.  Common sense tells me that if a man controls who is allowed to ask questions at a press conference, he is not going to listen to someone who disagrees with him or wants to ask a question he doesn't want to answer.  Common sense tells me if a man stoops to name-calling whenever someone points out his faults or inadequacies, he will not be able to accept constructive advice from those who know better.  Common sense tells me if a man that claims that he is the cure and has all the solutions to what ails this country, he is lying.  Common sense tells me that a man who says he speaks for me and understands my struggles while sitting in a golden chair in a skyscraper, really has no idea who I am. 

I'll close now by saying trump does not speak for me, does not understand me, does not reflect my beliefs and fears, does not have my best interests in mind, does not have my friends' best interests in mind, does not have my enemies' best interests in mind, and does not have America's best interests in mind. 
 
No, trump represents everything I am not, everything America is not. 

In my opinion

 

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