This. I'm tired of it. I was lucky enough to be raised by a man that sat me and my sister down early and told us that we were going to think for ourselves. We would watch the news together, talk about issues together. Read books as a family and talk about our different perspectives. We were never taught to hate people. Ever. We moved from Detroit to Las Vegas when I was about 8 and I had never seen or met a white person in my life. The first friends me and my sister made were white. It was never a second thought to us. My parents weren't in the house telling us to be stay with our own kind either. They just said be careful about people who aren't decent and they can come from anywhere. It taught us how not to be lead by ideology but by our own critical thinking. My father has since passed on and I miss that man. I owe so much to him.
Decency and respect is a huge thing in my family. My mom is the same way. We don't take **** from people. We stick up for other people. This is why I can't condone a lot of what's going on and I'm pretty disgusted that the President of my country conducts himself in the way he does. It matters. It's not helping the unrest that's going now AT ALL.
I truly hope that we are able to get past this moment without it staying fractured. We need these voices to be measured and balanced. We need everyone. There are serious skeletons in this country that need to be addressed and until we really do that without trying to blame white people for everything we won't get very far with it. (White people aren't a monolith either......I've tried to get alot of black people to look at this. We don't want to all be lumped together and neither do white people). Same with Republicans. If conservatives want a real voice going forward they need to separate themselves from a lot of this bigotry going on right now. I know it doesn't represent a lot of people but if you stay silent in the name of winning then it will come back to in the long run to bite you.
We can't blame cops for everything. We can't blame the media for everything. We can't even blame the government for everything. It can be really counter productive. I'm all for people having to answer for their behavior but there are people who are just thrown in a pile with actual horrible people and its just a witch hunt at that point. Liberals need to stop trying to police everything through the court of public opinion. Cancel culture and #metoo ect are not a catch all. People's lives are being ruined who didn't actually do anything wrong in some cases. Silencing people who are trying to be better and learn doesn't do any good either. Labeling people racist who aren't doesn't do any good. You're doing the same ****.
The leadership has been lacking greatly. We're at the point where we're willing to put anyone in charge as long as it pushes our agenda and that's dangerous. That's the point I've been trying to make here. Gotta hold people accountable.....even if it's someone that you think is doing a good job in your eyes......it's not ok if they treat people like garbage along the way to do it. It may not affect you personally but I guarantee you there is someone who is hurting because of it. If someone asks a question about someone or something that you support and has an issue.....deflecting to another person to justify your support is not doing that. Especially if were talking about the President. It's dismissive and it's callous.
I really enjoyed that post and seriously thank you for writing it. Sounds like your parents are/were amazing people and I commend them and you for that.
I have to take exception to one thing...as you speak of healing. You stated: "This is why I can't condone a lot of what's going on and I'm pretty disgusted that the President of my country conducts himself in the way he does. It matters. It's not helping the unrest that's going now AT ALL."
Had you said "all" politicians, I'd have given you an A+++ on your musings.
By singly pointing out Trump and not EVERY politician who acts like a jackass, who codones and incites violence, who insults Americans they disagree with, you aren't promoting healing, you're promoting division.
Why do I support Trump's inexcusable behavior? Several reasons, primarily because of what he gets done, but here's the other big reason - he fights back. It's ugly, it's not classy, but for countless many like me, we have had damned near enough.
See you say "it matters" referring to how they act. Absolutely it does, 100% agreed. What I think you are missing is the fed up part. We have asked for decency since Reagan, and waited for the tables to turn. Nothing did. I can remember how Reagan was treated by other Democrats and the media, simply because he wasn't one of theirs, and it was awful. It got worse with Bush and escalated in intensity. By the time it got to Bush Jr, the gloves were off. You can disagree with W, but he was a gentleman. And they were RUTHLESS in how they treated him - all of them. Look at how Clarence Thomas and Robert Bjork were treated. Condoleeza Rice. Ben Carson. Venom has been relentlessly spewed towards Conservatives for over 30 years and it gets worse by the year in that time span, there is no arguing.
We all watched. We all sat back and took it. We all saw the growing division and that the Left was never going to treat our candidates and us, "the deplorables," with any respect.
And now we have Trump. The Left and others can't wrap their heads around this idea...that THEY created Donald Trump. THEY are responsible for Donald Trump. Trump wouldn't have had a prayer of being elected 10 or even 20 years ago. But when he ran in 2016...and people saw he wasn't going to take the **** the Left and the Left's media was doing to every other prominent Conservative before, people said "Yeah, I'll back that. Democrats are never going to change and he will fight the fight the way they want to fight."
Rhetoric matters. It matters. Indeed. But until the Left and the media step up to the plate and begin to act like common decent humans and show respect to Conservatives, this will only get worse.
No one, and I mean no one can blame Trump singularly when DECADES of vile, disrespectful language and actions have been driven towards Conservative leaders in a concerted effort.
Until you and others are willing to step up and say Trump is wrong...and SO is Maxine Waters for preaching violence and hate and division - your cries of "Trump is mean and a bully" will fall on deaf ears because we've had enough. If the rules of decency don't apply to all, well then fight on Mr. Trump. We patiently took the high road waiting for 30 years for "decency" to be shown to Conservatives. It only got worse. So here we are - backing a fighter.
