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I'm still on the fence about who I'm going to vote for (I was a Cruz girl. then he went and dropped out. rude.) but I desperately hope I'm not going to be forced to vote for the orange menace.
I dislike him for one very simple reason; he does not honor the constitution. I'm a libertarian. I value our nation's honorable document very seriously. It's the bible of how to run the country and Trump, for being a republican, is awfully blasé about heeding it. There are other reasons, but thats the big one.
Despite all of that, I feel it is wrong to point malicious fingers at those who plan, wholeheartedly, to vote for the Don.
They are painted as xenophobic, black/Hispanic/Asian haters who probably want to crucify anyone in the LGBTQ community.
Sure, I imagine you have some people like that. You have Very Bad People in any group. Bernie supports can be honestly good people or they can be communists. Hillary supporters may back her for the women's rights they are trusting her to protect. Or, they can be those who want to see our country sleep beside Rome in her ruin.
When this whole presidential mess started out, I laughed because "I mean, who would really support Trump?"
a lot of people, it seems.
I was flabbergasted, I fell into thinking that Trump supporters were disastrous monsters.
A car ride changed my mind.
In March, as part of my job, I ended up taking a train to a city that was a good hour and a half away. It was great and a lovely experience and I had a wonderful news story to write the next work day about it.
But I didn't have transportation back. I had left my car at the station, my brothers and dad were working and my mom couldn't leave the little children to come pick me up.
This was a strange town, and I only had a notebook, a camera and my purse on my being.
Like an angel, however, a local Pink Lady (our local all-female hospital auxiliary group calls themselves 'The Pink Ladies') came to the rescue. Her husband was coming to pick her up and I was more than welcome to hitch a ride with them. I'm a generally cautious, reticent person, but I accepted since I'd met her multiple times and trusted her.
On the ride back, as it often happens when adults are stuck together for anytime period, she, her husband, and two of their other passengers began talking politics.
To my greatest astonishment, I was riding with Trump Fans. These were good people, kind people. They cared about others. She spends so much time volunteering her time until her schedule is packed.
However, as I listened to their discussion, something became clear.
Trump supporters aren't all monsters, they don't have Hispanic people or black people or people in the LGBTQ community; they are afraid.
The truth is, aren't we all? Don't we all feel a twinge of fear over the direction we are going as a country?
According to a story from MintNewsPress.com, the leading aspect that determines who is a Trump supporter isn't race, education or what part of the country you are from it is authoritarianism followed by fear. It is fear of terrorism, fear for our national security and people are, history has shown so often, sheep.
People are sheep and when they are afraid, they run to the strongest, tallest, biggest shepherd with the heaviest staff to beat up the big bad wolf.
"Authoritarianism is not a new, untested concept in the American electorate. Since the rise of Nazi Germany, it has been one of the most widely studied ideas in social science. While its causes are still debated, the political behavior of authoritarians is not. Authoritarians obey. They rally to and follow strong leaders. And they respond aggressively to outsiders, especially when they feel threatened. From pledging to “make America great again” by building a wall on the border to promising to close mosques and ban Muslims from visiting the United States, Trump is playing directly to authoritarian inclinations," writes MintNewsPress.com editorial writer, Matthew MacWilliams. (read full story HERE. it is a very good read. I recommend it.)
Can you really blame them, though? Aren't we all voting for the person who we honestly believe will do the best at keeping our country as it needs to? Sure, we all have different opinions on who to vote for and who will do the best job.
But the point of the matter is, no matter who they vote for, I'm quite certain that at least 90 percent of the voter population (because there ARE, like I said, Very Bad People out there who may not be) are voting for the person who they honestly, truly believe are the best candidate to keep themselves and their families safe.
Trump supporters are scared. We are all scared (though, for some of us, Trump is the reason to be scared...) and they are responding in the only way they know how; running to the shepherd who plans to take on the bad Things that frighten them.
Since my ride with the Trump supporters that got me thinking, I have also spoken to another Trump supporter who is a very influential national businessman (yes. I actually got to interview a person like that. My job is pretty cool ok. everyone should be a journalist. its great fun) and while he wasn't a outright Trump supporter, he did mention that Trump was "like a rock star" at a rally the man attended; that he respects The Don for his firm views, his fearless politics and the way he supports the American people.
And thats the ticket right there.
People are afraid.
People want to be protected.
People are tired of career politics.
People vote for someone who is the polar opposite of the rest of the candidates.
Its almost like the child who attends catholic boarding school, only to sneak out late at night to do drugs and mischief.
But in reverse.
Tired of the stress of their own freedom, the American People are now looking for a candidate who can take that burden away with his (or her) authoritarianism.
That, readers, is more frightening than any candidate can ever be.
However, as I listened to their discussion, something became clear.
Trump supporters aren't all monsters, they don't have Hispanic people or black people or people in the LGBTQ community; they are afraid.
The truth is, aren't we all? Don't we all feel a twinge of fear over the direction we are going as a country?
According to a story from MintNewsPress.com, the leading aspect that determines who is a Trump supporter isn't race, education or what part of the country you are from it is authoritarianism followed by fear. It is fear of terrorism, fear for our national security and people are, history has shown so often, sheep.
People are sheep and when they are afraid, they run to the strongest, tallest, biggest shepherd with the heaviest staff to beat up the big bad wolf.
"Authoritarianism is not a new, untested concept in the American electorate. Since the rise of Nazi Germany, it has been one of the most widely studied ideas in social science. While its causes are still debated, the political behavior of authoritarians is not. Authoritarians obey. They rally to and follow strong leaders. And they respond aggressively to outsiders, especially when they feel threatened. From pledging to “make America great again” by building a wall on the border to promising to close mosques and ban Muslims from visiting the United States, Trump is playing directly to authoritarian inclinations," writes MintNewsPress.com editorial writer, Matthew MacWilliams. (read full story HERE. it is a very good read. I recommend it.)
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But the point of the matter is, no matter who they vote for, I'm quite certain that at least 90 percent of the voter population (because there ARE, like I said, Very Bad People out there who may not be) are voting for the person who they honestly, truly believe are the best candidate to keep themselves and their families safe.
Trump supporters are scared. We are all scared (though, for some of us, Trump is the reason to be scared...) and they are responding in the only way they know how; running to the shepherd who plans to take on the bad Things that frighten them.
Since my ride with the Trump supporters that got me thinking, I have also spoken to another Trump supporter who is a very influential national businessman (yes. I actually got to interview a person like that. My job is pretty cool ok. everyone should be a journalist. its great fun) and while he wasn't a outright Trump supporter, he did mention that Trump was "like a rock star" at a rally the man attended; that he respects The Don for his firm views, his fearless politics and the way he supports the American people.
And thats the ticket right there.
People are afraid.
People want to be protected.
People are tired of career politics.
People vote for someone who is the polar opposite of the rest of the candidates.
Its almost like the child who attends catholic boarding school, only to sneak out late at night to do drugs and mischief.
But in reverse.
Tired of the stress of their own freedom, the American People are now looking for a candidate who can take that burden away with his (or her) authoritarianism.
That, readers, is more frightening than any candidate can ever be.
Very well written and thank you, Ashley. Also, that last sentence? I agree 100%.
ReplyDeleteI was slightly scared to read this post, but I've read every post you've posted since I started following you and I've agreed and been inspired/encouraged with each one. You did not let me down.
ReplyDeleteI could not agree more with the first third of the post. I am scared of Trump and what he could do to our country. I am scared that for the first time I get to vote.... and this is the election I get to vote for. Who I will end up voting for, I do not know. But this was a much needed read. Maybe I didn't have such strong views against the Trump supporters but rather confusion, annoyance, and yes maybe even anger. Why?? Why would you support such a man who doesn't even know what his views are?
But you've helped me understand them better, even if I still don't understand them wholly, you've but them in a spot in my mind that I can understand what their sinful flesh is craving for. Frightening though it is, its a fact. So thank you, Ashley :)
As a Canadian, I feel like an outsider looking in, but I was surprised at the amount of supporters Trump has. I wouldn't vote for him personally, but politics always feels like you are trying to pick the lesser of two evils.
ReplyDeleteI can understand this. I was a Cruz girl too. He was pretty great, as politicians go! But being forced to choose between Trump and Hillary is like being forced to choose between jumping off a thousand foot cliff or a 500 foot cliff (die faster or have the tiniest bit better chance to survive?) and you can't tell which one is which from the top.
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