General Discussion

I don't think that's true for many, many people.

A elderly friend of mine, Judy, a Jungian therapist who was deeply disappointed by the outcome wrote this to those of us in our book club today:

"Yesterday, I needed to be in solitude and “just be.” Today I felt the need to go and have breakfast at [the café] not for interaction but to sit quietly with my New York Times and be present to the energy around me. I needed to quietly be in community and somehow know that the earth was still turning and that day would follow night and that people were going about their lives. My spirit was calmed as I sat and read and quietly observed those around me. And the interesting thing was that each of the servers that spoke to me, those that give me a feeling of “home” and familiarity and comfort as I often go have a meal there, I found all voted differently than me. Bambi, as she ran over and gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek, even tho she wasn’t my server, was beaming and said “God is so good! He took care of us this time!” Kristen, the dishwasher, is very dear to me. She is “on the spectrum” and is one of the hardest workers I have ever seen, both here and at Linda’s, came over and said, “We really needed a change! Maybe now we will get it!”

These are folks that give me kindness and a feeling of “home” and they voted for Trump. This feels like where the work is going to be as we heal our world and somehow find peace within ourselves. The angry bros with their MAGA hats, what is underneath their raised fists? The suburban white women and the minorities that voted for Trump— what do we learn from it? I don’t know the answers, but I think if we are going to bring about the change we hope to see, we have to struggle with these questions. Not to agree, but to understand where they are coming from and not look at them from a superior stance as “deplorables” or we will get the same results in the next election. And we can’t just use generalities like “misogyny” and “fascism” and “diversity training” and “Biden economics” and not dig deeper than that to put those important truths into language that truly speaks to people."

This is who so many of the Trump voters were. People feeling desperate and willing to take a chance that things would be better for them and their families. Hardworking decent people working to feed and clothe their families. NOT the hateful brainwashed FOX idiots whose minds are closed, not the Russian-paid influencers and bots out to alienate and divide Americans. Yes, those are a subset, but not the majority. Somehow I don't believe punishing them all will work out well for our future. Divisions would become chasms. And it will delight Russia and our other enemies if we go that route.