I have been living in a world draped with illusion that allows me to believe in a non-reality.
And I had a slap in the face awakening this week about how wrong I have been.
This wake-up revelation had to do with my erroneous belief that reason would win over emotion, that my beliefs would and could convince someone else that they were wrong.
Am I an optimist, or what? And am I a fool? You do not have to answer that.
I was having a political discussion, which is fairly stupid in itself, with a friend who is a true Trump fan, to the core of his being, apparently. And suddenly I realized we inhabit two different and seperate universes. I have lived for three plus years believing Trump’s behavior would finally cross a barrier that even my friend would find appalling. Little did I know how entrenched his dedication was to the current occupant of the White House.
I thought he was kidding some months ago when I asked him about the man’s threat to shoot people, humans beings, who were attempting to cross into the United States seeking safety and citizenship. His response was “We should shoot them all.”
What? He didn’t really mean that. He’s a good man. He wouldn’t really think that. It was either the glass of wine he had or a bad joke.
But this week, when asked about Trump’s desire to gain support and assistance from a foreign country in his reelection efforts, my friend exclaimed, “He should take help from Hitler if it will get him reelected.”
Wait. Seriously? You don’t really mean that, do you?
This time it didn’t sound like a joke. Perhaps an impulsive (and repulsive) statement, but it opened my eyes to the depth of the commitment some people have to our Commander in Chief. Even though it is against the law for our president to get such aid, there is a dedicated group of people who will accept any behavior from Trump, no matter how illegal, how ill advised, how immoral, how offensive, how untruthful that behavior may be.
I had no idea the loyalty would transcend right from wrong, good from bad, reasonable from unreasonable.
Yes, it was an awakening: a sad, frightening, ugly, and mystifying realization that our country can be lost. I have indeed been living in a fragile bubble that can be pierced by an arrow spiked with lies and corruption.
Reality is scary.
that little voice 
Oh Margo. That has to be BF, right? That’s tough because he’s been such a friend. I’ve got a BF–actually 3 of them–who are really close friends and are just as blind to what Trump is doing as your friend is. It breaks my heart. But we shall overcome. Shan’t we? It’s scary.
Kareyb
Sent from my iPhone
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Yep it is BF and I’m so saddened by his blind devotion to a very sick and evil man. But I now understand there is nothing, no words, no actions, no abuses that will change his or other Trumpers dedication. Scary and sad.
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The other day I had lunch with a friend who’d just returned from holidaying in Canada and America, something she and her husband have done a few times before.
She reports that normally Canada has the tightest security, but on this visit she was shocked to find how unpleasant American security had become. They had hired a car, but at the border they were detained. All passports/paperwork were in order, yet they were detained for over two hours, they were interviewed and the paperwork was scrutinised. Although not mixed race, she has a darker ‘white skin’ than most. She felt that this was the reason they were detained and blamed the dreadful Trump regime.
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Yes, it starts at the top and he has instilled the mindset to distrust and intimidate.
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I, too, believed that eventually it would be come obvious to everyone, no matter how they voted, that Trump is corrupt, evil, incapable of empathy, and a complete idiot. My husband kept saying there were people that would support him no matter what. I argued this could not be true. But now, with the latest development with the Ukraine, which he has admitted to, and with people still supporting him…and then the Syria issue, huge mistake to pull out so abruptly, people are getting KILLED due to his impulsive decision, and STILL there are some of my friends supporting him. I get it now. They are blind. And it’s so scary. We can not allow him to be reelected.
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Calling our Senators and Representatives is what we can do now, to register our desire for impeachment, and then to the ballot box if that doesn’t work. The man needs to be removed from office immediately. The damage he can do is unlimited if left in office for another 16 months.
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Wow, hope that wasn’t my dad, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all. I am continually baffled by how good, “Christian” people can justify this horrible man’s behavior.
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As a matter of fact, sorry to say. I have kept thinking that reality will finally break through, but I do believe they are so entrenched in their belief they won’t consider any alternative. Scary indeed.
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Is this Bob Fields we’re talking about? Another good reason not to go back to LaGrange. In SMA you blessedly have mostly liberals. Same in Ridgway and Tucson. It does make us dulled to the mindset of the Trump supporters, but it keeps us in touch with the larger reality. Most Americans do want the man impeached!
Nina and Jon have come and gone. Don and I drive around town, checking out neighborhoods and restaurants, getting in some walks. The weather forecast says this is the last day in the 90s—hallelujah! Meanwhile we’ve narrowed down the part of town we want to live in—if we decide to buy something. We’re looking at a house today.
Enjoying my courses and meeting interesting people at the classes.
I think the struggle for freedom, inclusiveness, and anti-authoritarianism is never-ending. Tendencies in our cultural heritage and perhaps our DNA drag us back into the muck if we aren’t forever resisting it. Trump has managed to strike that chord and rouse an ugliness that smolders in the human heart. Our job is to keep the other torch burning.
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No, not preachy at all. We all need to voice our frustration as loudly as ‘they’ shout ‘lock her up’. Dangerous stuff!.
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Oh my, this does sound preachy. Sorry about that.
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I had this awakening some time ago – very scary, very sad. I have intelligent, Christian (at least to a degree I guess) friends who voted for Trump because they didn’t like Hillary – to my way of thinking, they should have not voted for a presidential candidate rather than what they did. Now – the man dismays them, but I believe they would vote for him again, and their solution is to ignore. Ignore! Do they not realize the damage he is doing? Do they not realize it is our responsibility to speak up, out, against? We don’t discuss it. Sadly. In another instance, I had friends I see rarely but we were also friends on Facebook – after far too many discussions going over the same points, I finally just “unfriended” them because there is no changing their ideas, their thoughts, and it was making me sad, stressed, and angry. I doubt Pence is better, but perhaps less vitriolic.
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Oh Carol, it is an uphill climb that has no peak! We won’t change them, and they will never change. Too bad. Pence is not better, and may be more dangerous because he may be less public.Both need to go. Vote, vote and then vote some more.
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I stay astonished because no matter what he does, his supporters say it’s “fake” and lies . . .
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and the economy is better than it has ever been. Amazing, isn’t it?
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It’s comforting to know there is people from US that thinks like you. Sometimes when I’m here in the US and talk to people, they’re being nice but I wonder, is that true or in the inside they’d prefer me not to be here? Am I not welcome? I feel fear to live here but I wish to move as soon as I can. There are other countries who appreciate foreigns but being the majority who voted from Trump, I don’t feel welcome here anymore:(
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