Time Out! – A Brief Rant

Fair warning:  If you’re a Trump supporter, you probably will not appreciate this post.  I don’t like to bring politics here, but I need to vent and there is no one to whom I can.

My mother is one of the most open-minded people I know.  Among my first memories are memories of my mother telling me who Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was and why he was important.  I was raised to believe that I was no better than anyone else, and when I got super judgmental in my fundamentalist days, she repeatedly told me how disappointed she was.

One of her best friends is an elderly gay man who now lives in a care facility due to his need for regular dialysis.  She goes to see him a few times a week to make sure he has new puzzles to work and the kinds of treats he wants.  Before he was put in the home, he was at every one of our family gatherings.  My mother is very protective of him.

I have always been proud of how vocal she has been about issues of civil rights, helping the poor, and women’s empowerment.  She’s spiritual, but does not believe in any one particular religion.  And she believes she communicates with spirits.  I used to be very skeptical, but I’ve been witness to her gift enough times that I can no longer dismiss her messages as lucky guesses.

My sisters and I are very disgusted with our current administration, as I think most people who care about minorities or those whose net worth is less than a million dollars.  We’ve shared articles and yes, memes, on Facebook expressing our disdain.  Our mother expressed her disappointment in us using Facebook for politics.  Our family is spread out and this is how we keep in touch.  She told us that we don’t have to like him, but we should at least respect the office.

I cannot agree with her.  Some presidents are so bad for America that even their office doesn’t afford them my respect.  But out of respect for my family members who do support Trump, I’ve moved my political expression to private groups.  My sisters have, too.  One of our brothers and their father pretty much only post political stuff, but it’s all pro-Trump, anti-NFL and anti-BLM, etc.  I’ve unfollowed them, and check in on them once in a while when I feel I can stomach the trash they post, just to make sure I have not missed anything important in their lives.

And the reason for all of this buildup is that over the past couple of weeks, my mother has been posting political memes that express quite clearly her political bias and support for Trump.  I’ve been surprised given her anti-politics stance, but I’ve resisted the urge to respond.  Then, this morning, she posted this meme.

My mother is an intelligent woman, capable of intellectual conversation and possessing the ability to troubleshoot just about anything.  I’ve never in my life heard her say, “I can’t do that.”  This meme makes me think she’s beginning to lose it as she nears 70.  For one, she’s not one to say things like “I’ll be praying for you.”  And for two, is there anyone who truly believes that Trump really wants our nation united or that he prays?

I understand that many people are frustrated with the far left folks who cry “racism,” “sexism,” or “hate,” and I don’t blame them for being frustrated.  I’m frustrated, too, because those people make us all look like dumb asses.  I get that it’s become socially acceptable to mock poor white people as ignorant trash and I am with you in saying that it’s wrong.

But I don’t get how anyone with a conscience can seriously support this guy.  He’s never exhibited a single quality that would lead me to believe that he is a follower of Christ.  In fact, before he decided to run for President, I’d say that the only thing about this country that he ever considered great was its lack of regulation of corrupt business practices that continually rob from the poor to give to the rich.  And by his actions in office, I think that’s still his only goal.  No, I retract that.  He has one other goal, and that is to widen the divided.

If you are a supporter of Trump, I welcome your responses if they are civilized.

Here are the rules for notes:

• Do not bring up Obama’s presidency.  I don’t care if you think there are parallels.  I’m talking about Trump and his impact on my family.
• Do not use this as a forum to arbitrarily bash liberals.  If you have legitimate points, I’ll gladly read them.  Otherwise, I’ll delete them.
• Obviously personal attacks will be deleted and you will be blocked.
• This is not an open forum for bashing conservatives.
• Any comments that are not commiserating regarding politics and its divisiveness or does not contribute to a discussion will be deleted.

I’ve tried to express my feelings of confusion and disappointment without being disrespectful.  If I’ve failed, I’m genuinely sorry.