When the country’s partisan division invades your friendships or acquaintance-ships, it begins to hit home even harder.
Example? Well, these blog posts for one. I typically post this blog on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Medium. I do not try to market the blog beyond that.
I write it to release thoughts I have, the way I was trained to. That training came from being a journalist for many years before entering politics. And while I appreciate everyone who reads it, I don’t write it to “gain eyeballs,” or to “build my brand.” I write it because I enjoy it. If others enjoy it, that makes me feel good too.
Honestly, though, I enjoyed it more when I didn’t write so often about politics. I wrote about our culture, our use of language, politics, sports -- whatever I felt like. The past three plus years I haven’t felt compelled to write about anything but Donald Trump and politics.
Why?
Because I consider his presidency a threat to our culture and system of government. He may not intend for his presidency to threaten anything but, intentional or not, that’s what he’s doing.
I shouldn’t be so focused on Donald Trump – but I can’t help myself.
I post things on Facebook, too. I’ll post pictures of my grandkids now and then. I’ll post funny stories I come across. And, yes, I’ll post articles of interest focused on Donald Trump.
Here’s where the hard-to-understand part comes. I have friends/acquaintances who support Trump’s presidency. That’s fine with me even if I don’t fully understand why. They certainly have that right and the right to express that support.
Some, though, accuse me and others of “hating” Donald Trump. I’ve never met this President. But I have friends who not only have met him but work with him on issues of mutual concern. Some tell me he is “charming” and not what he presents as his public image. Some of those folks support him and some don’t, except for the issue that crosses interests. That’s fine too.
Honestly, though, Donald Trump doesn’t have the bio of someone I would “like” or hang out with. He’s gone bankrupt multiple times. That’s his legal right. But he has taken along with him, seemingly not really caring, hundreds of small businesses who made a bad decision – going into business with him. And, yes, some of those went into business with him being fully aware of his history of deserting his previous business partners. That’s on them.
But I don’t like a guy who does that to people – leaving them hanging or destroying their businesses as he gets away with ruining one of his own but, in the long run, winning by getting out of financial obligations.
I also don’t like anyone who utters racist or anti-Semitic comments. Even if he says they aren’t racist or anti-Semitic. They are.
But mostly, I don't like his character. I don’t like that he supports a cause only if it helps his popularity with his base. While I do like that the coronavirus briefings are making a return, I don’t like that he’ll continue to host them because his track record of making fantastical comments does not deserve much support. I just want the facts from the experts.
There are reports today that Trump will be the sole briefer. Not helpful. As much as he likes to say he knows more than the doctors (or generals or whoever), he doesn’t. No one expects him to either.
I did not support his candidacy the first time and I certainly don’t support it this time. But I don’t “hate” him as some allege. I'm sure I don’t like him. But hate is something I really try to keep out of my life, as difficult as it can be at times.
I posted an article on Facebook this morning that reported Trump is considering sending federal troops into Chicago. He’ll say it’s because the “liberal Democratic mayor” isn’t doing her job, nor are the Democrats in other big cities doing theirs. He’ll find a way to hang his decision on the threat or damage to federal buildings. And, he’s right to protect those buildings if they are under threat. That may be how his spokesman defended the potential action at her briefing today but it’s now how it describes it.
Trump claims he’s considering sending in troops to stop the shootings and killings going on in some of our largest cities. He has no right to do that unless the federal government assistance is requested by local authorities. None. Don’t believe me? Read the Constitution.
And, even if it was within his rights to just invade a city, why the heck hasn’t he done it before now? Killings and shootings were going on before this moment in history. If he was so sure he is right to go in and “fix what the Democratic mayors and governors can’t,” why now?
It might have something to do with the November election and the White House’s new push to make Trump the “law and order” president. To scare the pants off of people. At any cost. He wants to say a vote for Joe Biden is a vote for more killings and bloodshed in your home town.
No one supports violence or shootings in their city or anyone’s city, for that matter. But most will rely on the local authorities who they elect and pay to do that job. If they don’t do it, they get voted out. At least that’s been my experience.
The man or woman who becomes president isn’t supposed to adjust the system to their liking. They're supposed to adjust to the system. And our system has lasted hundreds of years. And while there are complaints and there are changes that need to be made now and again, it’s working just fine even with its imperfections.
What’s my point today? My badly made, long-winded point is that it’s a shame friendships and families are being broken apart by Donald Trump. He didn’t create this problem in the country, but he sure does his best to leverage it to his advantage.
Me? Maybe I do hate him. Because he has created loss of friends and acquaintances for no reason at all other than they seem to think they have to hate me to love him.
Example? Well, these blog posts for one. I typically post this blog on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Medium. I do not try to market the blog beyond that.
I write it to release thoughts I have, the way I was trained to. That training came from being a journalist for many years before entering politics. And while I appreciate everyone who reads it, I don’t write it to “gain eyeballs,” or to “build my brand.” I write it because I enjoy it. If others enjoy it, that makes me feel good too.
Honestly, though, I enjoyed it more when I didn’t write so often about politics. I wrote about our culture, our use of language, politics, sports -- whatever I felt like. The past three plus years I haven’t felt compelled to write about anything but Donald Trump and politics.
Why?
Because I consider his presidency a threat to our culture and system of government. He may not intend for his presidency to threaten anything but, intentional or not, that’s what he’s doing.
I shouldn’t be so focused on Donald Trump – but I can’t help myself.
I post things on Facebook, too. I’ll post pictures of my grandkids now and then. I’ll post funny stories I come across. And, yes, I’ll post articles of interest focused on Donald Trump.
Here’s where the hard-to-understand part comes. I have friends/acquaintances who support Trump’s presidency. That’s fine with me even if I don’t fully understand why. They certainly have that right and the right to express that support.
Some, though, accuse me and others of “hating” Donald Trump. I’ve never met this President. But I have friends who not only have met him but work with him on issues of mutual concern. Some tell me he is “charming” and not what he presents as his public image. Some of those folks support him and some don’t, except for the issue that crosses interests. That’s fine too.
Honestly, though, Donald Trump doesn’t have the bio of someone I would “like” or hang out with. He’s gone bankrupt multiple times. That’s his legal right. But he has taken along with him, seemingly not really caring, hundreds of small businesses who made a bad decision – going into business with him. And, yes, some of those went into business with him being fully aware of his history of deserting his previous business partners. That’s on them.
But I don’t like a guy who does that to people – leaving them hanging or destroying their businesses as he gets away with ruining one of his own but, in the long run, winning by getting out of financial obligations.
I also don’t like anyone who utters racist or anti-Semitic comments. Even if he says they aren’t racist or anti-Semitic. They are.
But mostly, I don't like his character. I don’t like that he supports a cause only if it helps his popularity with his base. While I do like that the coronavirus briefings are making a return, I don’t like that he’ll continue to host them because his track record of making fantastical comments does not deserve much support. I just want the facts from the experts.
There are reports today that Trump will be the sole briefer. Not helpful. As much as he likes to say he knows more than the doctors (or generals or whoever), he doesn’t. No one expects him to either.
I did not support his candidacy the first time and I certainly don’t support it this time. But I don’t “hate” him as some allege. I'm sure I don’t like him. But hate is something I really try to keep out of my life, as difficult as it can be at times.
I posted an article on Facebook this morning that reported Trump is considering sending federal troops into Chicago. He’ll say it’s because the “liberal Democratic mayor” isn’t doing her job, nor are the Democrats in other big cities doing theirs. He’ll find a way to hang his decision on the threat or damage to federal buildings. And, he’s right to protect those buildings if they are under threat. That may be how his spokesman defended the potential action at her briefing today but it’s now how it describes it.
Trump claims he’s considering sending in troops to stop the shootings and killings going on in some of our largest cities. He has no right to do that unless the federal government assistance is requested by local authorities. None. Don’t believe me? Read the Constitution.
And, even if it was within his rights to just invade a city, why the heck hasn’t he done it before now? Killings and shootings were going on before this moment in history. If he was so sure he is right to go in and “fix what the Democratic mayors and governors can’t,” why now?
It might have something to do with the November election and the White House’s new push to make Trump the “law and order” president. To scare the pants off of people. At any cost. He wants to say a vote for Joe Biden is a vote for more killings and bloodshed in your home town.
No one supports violence or shootings in their city or anyone’s city, for that matter. But most will rely on the local authorities who they elect and pay to do that job. If they don’t do it, they get voted out. At least that’s been my experience.
The man or woman who becomes president isn’t supposed to adjust the system to their liking. They're supposed to adjust to the system. And our system has lasted hundreds of years. And while there are complaints and there are changes that need to be made now and again, it’s working just fine even with its imperfections.
What’s my point today? My badly made, long-winded point is that it’s a shame friendships and families are being broken apart by Donald Trump. He didn’t create this problem in the country, but he sure does his best to leverage it to his advantage.
Me? Maybe I do hate him. Because he has created loss of friends and acquaintances for no reason at all other than they seem to think they have to hate me to love him.
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