A Sunday Reflection on Wednesday! 

Earlier this year I witnessed intense bigotry and hate. These people had no tolerance for any view but their own and enjoyed harassing people who felt differently about issues. Some of the same people paid money and waited in long lines during the primary to see early candidate Trump. My opinion of the narrow thinking that I witnessed was, “Why can’t people live and let live” each side with its own perspective. That is the core of American freedom, something missed in the nationalist movement.

During much of the campaign that followed, I debated with friends and my son (who already voted for Trump). Despite our disagreements,  I was driven by the concept that the hallowed American Democracy will proceed as usual, and may the best candidate win. My mantra: I don’t agree with you but that’s okay. That is what happens at election time.

I have changed. I don’t want to hear your sorry excuses that support an inexperienced reality TV-star candidate who abuses women, hates other races…. ad nausea. I don’t want to even consider you could have a valid candidate after we have been warned by economists, two living presidents, faith leaders, and numerous other leaders (Condy Rice, for example) from his own party. True, things are no longer so smooth within our Democracy. Gridlock. Politicians have drawn extreme lines. Gridlock. We need change. No doubt. That does not mean we should choose the first half-crazed person who says he will make America great again. Think. Breathe. This is our President. If you were hiring, would you employ a hot-headed man-baby? This is not the time for knee-jerk reactions in the name of change. Check out history if you want to see how that turns out (start with Russian history and proceed immediately to the Third Reich). If you are finally going to wake up and do something, after living with blinders on for decades, do something constructive. Don’t tear down the house.

So, even though I too am all for reform in Washington, obviously, I am a bit disgusted by Trump’s candidacy, which poses a huge personal dilemma. Most of my guy friends and my son support Trump. I want to tell them, “You are no friend of mine. I cannot tolerate someone who supports Trump.” Oops. What about the tolerance I talked about when the “other side” was dogmatic about and judgmental because of their conservative views?

But, when is tolerance like keeping silent in the face of atrocity? Can I just turn my head the other way, humor the men in my life who I feel are making a disastrous choice?   The election seems to be coming down to men vs. women. I don’t want the potential victory of having a woman president be shrouded in a war between the sexes. I do not like the men I care about thinking that anything is better than a woman president.

Ha-ha. Live and let live. Weeeeeee- this is fun, American democracy.

So what to do? I am working towards unconditional love and acceptance . That is what I preach and what I generally practice. This is a hard one, though, and I am working on it.

copyright, Jane Willis, 2016