Trump is a psycho killer and if you’re a Trump-supporting Canadian, I ESPECIALLY do not want to hear from you on this matter
Two posts in one day.
Out of control, I know, but I made some progress packing, and I really just have to pop off for a second about politics, particularly politics on Social Media (FB, Insta, Twitter, et al).
So when I’m referring to Social Media, I’m referring to any place where people might interface, online, about politics or the amazing sushi they had for dinner at this new, little, hole-in-the-wall place . . .
On Social Media, I posed the question (an honest, if not urgent American question):
can no one stop Donald Trump from trying to stage some fuckin’ military coup?
Most people, who are smart people that know things, replied “no.”
I didn’t like that answer, but 2020 has been full
of a lot of answers and questions
I have not liked at all.
One of the saddest things I’ve recently had to do on Social Media is de-friend my former HS biology teacher.
Like she was an amazing fucking person.
Changed my life. Taught me tons of shit about animals.
Very New York. One of the smartest, wittiest fuckers I ever met.
Always played classic rock when we were coming into the room to start class. She was someone I really admired, and then she started posting all this pro-Trump shit on her Social Media and
unless she was always secretly conservative and I just didn’t know it,
I’m going to blame her irrational shift in political convictions on Florida, where she now resides with her husband.
Like, I never recall hearing a racist or homophobic thing out of the woman’s mouth.
The Trump love was all about money and this irrational fear, it seems, that Joe Biden was going to take her and her husband’s teacher pension away.
(And I’m sure it was a nice, fat pension — they were public high school teachers in a rich suburb of Chicago in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Good time to be making some actual money as a public school educator.)
Anyway, I’m pretty fucking sure Joe Biden is not twirling his mustache in preparation to steal teacher pensions.
On the contrary, from what I can tell just by living here in Arizona, a Democrat president, right now, would be a good thing.
And money should never
motivate you to support
a fucking racist.
Get. A. Moral. Compass.
Worried about money? Well, guess what, so is
every fucking American. We need money to
survive, but money is not
what we survive for.
(At least it shouldn’t be. And
if it is, for you, I am so sorry
about your grotesque emptiness.)
And here’s the thing, something I want to make abundantly clear:
I know, love, still have relationships with people who voted Republican
in the past.
Shit, my wife once voted for Bob Dole.
Fucking Bob Dole.
But the difference between Bob Dole and Donald Trump is that while Bob Dole and I disagreed, I did not think that Dole
was a narcissistic sociopath with designs on being a dictator.
Dole was just a cranky old man who didn’t understand “the gays” or “ladies” or “Afro-Americans” (he said that, right? Am I confusing him with someone else? Too lazy to fact check.)
So my problem is not with a person voting Republican.
My problem is voting for a racist-homophobic-misogynist-immoral/amoral-money-obsessed-psycho-idiot who is surrounded by sycophants
that will do ANYTHING in order
to have access to all the power and
all the money. Shit,
as COVID has proven,
they’ll even kill your ass.
As a member of the LGBT community, as a woman, as a person who struggles with mental health and loves people who struggle with mental health, and, and, and, I have a ton of problems with Reagan and his policies/legacy— but the man wasn’t a psycho.
A racist? Yes.
A homophobe? Most definitely.
Greedy motherfucker? Hell yes.
But I think he had a relatively solid core — even if I didn’t appreciate
everything roiling around
inside that core.
Same goes for Bush I & II.
Had huge problems with them politically,
but never thought either man was a straight-up psycho killer
(count the dead from COVID: Trump IS a psycho killer of his own citizens.)
How is Trump better
than any leader/president/dictator in any “far away country” that does things
like, oh, I don’t know . . .
gas their own people. (I mean, if we’re getting nit-picky, Trump LITERALLY
gassed his own citizens who were holding
a peaceful protest, so he could hold a Bible upside down
in front of a church he’d never attended . . . )
Yes, yes, the accidental Trumpian reader, I know Obama
did things that were wrong and I know that Carter
made mistakes and I know that JFK fucked some shit up, too, but
it’s 20fucking20. I am NOT about equivocating —
Trump is the president (until January),
and JFK is fucking dead.
Drop it.
Move along.
(Like I SO adore those Trumpers/neo-conservatives who say shit like,
“Well you homos should be happy you don’t live in [insert whatever middle eastern country the Trumper/Conservative can name] where they throw homos out of windows and burn them in public.”
Oh. Thank you so much for giving me the DISTINCT HONOR of not being thrown out a window or burnt in the public square for marrying a woman instead of a man. So generous.
Get the fuck outta here.)
Anyway, on Social Media, I’ve rid myself of anyone who supports Trump. Probably should have done it the first time around, but
I wanted to give friends and family the benefit of the doubt.
Maybe they were just like my wife who once made a bad decision and voted for Bob Dole. (I do tease her about this, but in a kind and loving way.)
BUT unlike BOB DOLE we will never know if my wife, as a young adult,
made a “bad decision” because BOB DOLE
NEVER BECAME PRESIDENT, but fucking Trump DID.
And now we know, or should know,
that was a really fucking bad decision.
And if you’re dumb/mean enough to vote TWICE for Trump, I don’t need you peering in on my life (for a person of my vintage, I am quite active on Social Media).
So I opined on Social Media, to my trusted 700-something buddies, in so many words, “Why is no one stopping Trump from doing all this scary shit? Why hasn’t that bitch conceded yet? What is going on?”
And here comes a Canadian relative that LOVES TRUMP.
I don’t know her well.
I’ve met her probably 2 or 3 times.
She seems like a genuinely decent person, but she LOVES TRUMP.
And whatever — she’s Canadian, so thankfully, she couldn’t cast a ballot for him.
Most Canadians I’ve met seem pretty cool and rational.
This Canadian is no exception, but
she LOVES TRUMP.
I don’t understand.
So she slides on my Social Media post about “Why the fuck is no one stopping Trump right now”
with some shit about Nancy Pelosi and Russians trying to impeach Trump over him trying to bribe the Ukranian President (it was some non sequitur bullshit like that)
and so I replied on Social Media to Canadian Cousin,
“This man is trying to stage a military coup.
Why are you defending this man?”
Her response?
Basically (again, paraphrasing)
she’s defending him because we (the American people)
have been “ripping on” (her words) the man since he was elected.
(Well, Canadian Cousin, most people know beyond much doubt that he wasn’t elected but INSTALLED by foreign powers — likely Russia. Also, he’s a public figure and a grown ass man. We are ALLOWED to “rip on” him.)
And then she said she loves what America represents
and intimated that Trump
represents the best in America.
Like what am I . . .
How do I . . .
What . . .?
As an English Teacher (™) I’m into SUPPORTING EVIDENCE
— primary or secondary —
from CREDIBLE sources
when you make an argument
that’s rooted in lived perspective rather than, say,
hard science. (Like my cancer cells don’t give a fuck
if American life feels rocky right now. Those cancer
cells are detected and treated by SCIENCE. My feelings
about the cancer cells would be most convincing
if I could provide concrete evidence
to back those feelings up.)
So based on SUPPORTING EVIDENCE alone,
here’s what Trump stands for:
— Living off your daddy’s/family’s money. (What about those of us who don’t come from money?)
— Assaulting women (and bragging about it)
— Equivocating on things that are plainly WRONG: “Fine people on both sides” — in reference to white supremacist groups. (No. A neo-nazi group is NEVER FINE.)
— Refusing to denounce hate groups. (If you so much as hesitate on the question of “Will you denounce hate groups?” you are a garbage person.)
— Stoking racial tensions in order to earn votes (far more evil than licenses-for-bribes, which I discussed in an earlier post) — you are evil. To the core evil. Maybe even irredeemable.
— Distortion of truth and/or plain, unremorseful, lying (if you don’t like truth, get out of politics, healthcare, and education)
— Attempt to gaslight the people/nation you swore to protect and defend. (Seriously fucked up on so many levels.)
— Allowing people to die of a controllable disease by making masks (which could curb said disease significantly) a political statement. Like, that would be akin to politicizing chemo. “What? You’re going to take that Ibrance, ya pansy. Don’t you believe in Jesus? Don’t you care about miracles?”
I could go on, but I won’t.
I think I’ve made my point.
I don’t think America stands for the aforementioned things.
I hope it doesn’t.
That’s ugly, dystopian nightmare shit.
Trump and his friends are ugly, dystopian nightmare shit.
Right now, I haven’t a clue what America stands for.
I only know that I have hopes and wishes for what it COULD be.
You do, too, I’m sure.
And we should all chat about this.
Also Canadian Cousin threw in something about how Trump was helping people achieve “The American Dream.”
Talk about English Teacher bullshit —
no American English classroom is without that unit on “The American Dream.”
I’m not knocking this.
We should examine this term.
Explore this term.
Question this term.
What is “the American dream”? Who is it for? Who has access to it?
Is it a good dream? Or a good dream for some and a night terror
for others?
See, here’s the thing,
what I like about America is it’s VERY REAL POTENTIAL
to be the kind of place where everyone can do JUST FINE
based on effort/ambition (right now “effort/ambition” have little to do with how well we, as Americans, do financially or otherwise — if you still believe in the “Myth of Meritocracy” 1) I am sorry and 2) read some books).
I like the idea that we can all be so different (sameness bores the fuck out of me) and value those differences and live alongside each other and
be friends.
I probably sound like a real naive American white lady.
Maybe I am. Still, I have never hurt myself, or anyone else
with a little good faith, realistic hope and optimism.
So yeah, I love America because I can see its potential.
I also see its missteps and mistakes and need to atone.
And I’m going to call America out on the latter shit. For as long as I live.
I don’t think that makes me unpatriotic.
I think that makes me someone
who is genuinely concerned with the well being of her country and its citizens. What’s more patriotic than that? Question your leaders.
Be a fuckin’ patriot.
Lastly, Canadian Cousin,
you don’t have to LIVE UNDER THIS BULLSHIT.
Ya ever had to fight on the phone with an insurance company so you could get medicine that might save your life?
What’s that? No?
Ever had to leave your community so you could receive appropriate healthcare? What’s that? No?
Ever had to worry that your marriage might be legally disintegrated by a person, or group of persons, that you’ve never met? What’s that? No?
I mean, I could go on, but Canadian Cousin will likely never read this and you, my actual readers will,
and you know where I’m going here.
I’m sure Donald Trump “feels fine” to some Canadians because his actions have/will have NO IMPACT on their ACTUAL LIVES
(guess again, though, Trump lovin’ Canadians —
you’re gonna have some Americans at your door
if shit goes south).
Most Americans (myself included) don’t obsess over Kim Jong Un
because his crazy ass has NO IMPACT on my daily life (unless it’s a day when he and Trump are fighting on Twitter about how they’re going to obliterate everything with nukes —
in which case it stresses me out).
But do you think the citizens of North Korea are happy under his regime?
I mean, sure, the rich people who are his most loyal supporters are doing fine. The rest? Not so much. For the average North Korean, like you or me, who
just wants a basically happy and peaceful life,
life in North Korea sucks.
Or, Canadian Cousin, why don’t you move to America.
Right now. Like this month.
Move here. Get cozy.
I mean, if you love Trump and hope the election is fixed in his favor,
start packing — move here.
Live the American Dream your American neighbors
are living
right now.
What’s that? No?
But I’m sure we could find a good job for you at Wendy’s
or Walmart or Target or a grocery store chain
where you will get minimum wage and probably
have to couch surf for the foreseeable future, but hey!
If you get that sweet cashier money, you will be
an essential worker which means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING financially,
but it means that you’re SO ESSENTIAL that even if a plague is raging
you still go to work (yes, for the same amount of money, you adorable hero, you!). Oh, and hopefully we can afford to get you on ACA because you’re probably going to be part time at Wendy’s and Walmart, at least initially, and
we wouldn’t want you getting sick and going into debt
on that crazy little amount of money you’re making working twelve hour days on your sore feet for corporate executives that decide elections and who
don’t know your name, much less that you even exist. Also,
Canadian Cousin, as I’m sure you’ve heard, we treat our migrants
extremely well. I mean, if you like cages and aluminum blankets . . .
Actually, as far as migrants go, you’ll be fine because you’re white
and not a brown woman, man,
or kid.
Respectfully,
Your American Cousin
