Discussions With Loved Ones in The Era of Trump Insanity!
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By Ron Signore
Politics have never really been a point of conversation with family and friends. In many cases, it still isn’t. This past year, however, has allowed for many things that were previously left unsaid to be spoken. Those horror stories of how the family dinner at Thanksgiving can be ruined by polarizing topics of discussion became a little easier to understand and comprehend. Though no one ended up throwing deep dish pizza this past weekend, I saw clear avenues of how we could get to that point.
It becomes interesting to hear other people’s views on the world and the condition of the United States. Sometimes that interest leads to the depths of frustration that cannot even be described. Other times, you find common ground. The clear fact that needs to be acknowledged is that having the exact same beliefs as someone else is difficult to find.
Many of us have the same beliefs in many topics touting the world today, and then there are some view we may differ on. I have come to find that I need to practice what I preach in that all (insert Republicans, Democrats, Law Enforcement…etc…) are not bad. I also must treat these discussions like I do any interaction I have daily in my professional world. This becomes even more clear as you ingest the information people formulate as an opinion when they do not really have all the right facts. My thoughts are always up for debate and discussion, I am open to that, while it is unfortunate that other people are not.
This past weekend, I saw some family and friends back in the Chicagoland area (masks and socially distanced of course). Shockingly, masks and the pandemic are the first line of discussion nowadays. The weather was beautiful in Chicago this past weekend. I much rather the cliché of “wow, nice weather we are having,” opened the social engagements, but alas, it is masks as the target discussion.
One family member, who works in healthcare, enlightened us with tales of being the “Opposite Karen,” as it came to mask feelings. We all see those crazy whack jobs who throw these fits about having to wear a mask in public or professional settings, and while most of us chuckle while shaking our heads in disgust, they continue to find the spotlight. I personally am waiting on the day I see these “Opposite Karen,” figures circling social media. These tales that made all of us laugh, no matter political ideology, were the idea of how someone reacts when someone is not wearing a mask. The imagery of waving someone away while saying do not come any closer (since no mask is being worn by the approaching person) or questioning how someone is not wearing a mask right to someone’s face. It is happening as witnesses attested to the events. It gave me a sense of relief that other’s can be so disgusted with the ignorance to not wear masks in public that they speak up to the point. The picture I saw was this form of bulldog driven by the shaming guilt only someone with maternal instincts can have.
In my older age, I for one have become far more mellowed out. Even though I have not been one to openly go start trouble, avoiding conflict has become just that much more important. Sadly, it’s probably more the paranoia of the stereotypical event seen on the evening news of how a disagreement turned into something more fatal. I grew up in Chicagoland, the news puts these images in your head. Here in Ohio, the chance of running into someone packing a rod are relatively likely. So, in my wimpy way, I shake my head in disgust and continue my way avoiding the mask-less. This type of mentality has helped shape me for the difficult discussions I would have to have with those who I know, love and respect. Any other form of execution in actions around these polarizing topics would lead to some very bad blood.
The topic of masks can never be addressed in a group alone. It always transitions into the pandemic and the theories surrounding it. This weekend was no different. The complaint by one on having to wear a mask, while ironically wearing it around some of the guests who were of higher risk from underlying factors, dove right into politics. The world may have been able to hear my sigh when this transition came to light. The claims burst like the effects a laxative has on someone. The idea that this virus is hyped by the mainstream media just to make Trump look bad was the first increase of blood pressure I felt. I should have gotten up and left the group, the conversation immediately went to defending Cheeto Man in his “successful” efforts on how he has handled the pandemic. The portrayal of effectiveness they gave Trump in this area would come to an exclamation point in the Trumpian view of the virus will disappear by November.
Every interaction these Trumpeteers have is an opportunity to defend Agent Orange with some sort of conspiracy theory. They are buying the Turbo Lax Bunker Boy spews out in his own narcissistic senile defense. I will be the first to say that I have very little trust, if any, in the media. The media has become a slant on any given topic. While I belief Fox News is the worst with this from even a credibility of the actual news standpoint, there is no clear source for consistently accurate information. But some of these theories MAGA supporters come up with are so far off the reservation, that they have crossed some sort of senile dimension of dementia with Deadly Don. Any alignment to the handling or beliefs of the pandemic through Trump’s eyes is a deadly alignment.
Misinformation or lack of information hit several topics. Arguably, the most controversial was around Black Lives Matter and Defunding the Police. These topics alone can be dangerous, especially when mixing generations of people. When people are misinformed or unclear on facts or purpose, they play right into the Fox News web. They become the prey of the paranoia driven agenda. It was made clear to me the concepts believed on the matter were nothing short of the fictitious nightmare world the right-wing agenda is orchestrating. The concern that defund the police means dissolve the police, drives the image of the paranoid message that people want lawlessness. Couple that with the clips shown from rivaling protests on the matter during a time where violence by way of shootings leads the national news for Chicago, it is easy to be swayed into that fear if you do not know more. The unfortunate truth here is that many citizens and voters are in this boat and geographically in Chicago, its easy to have the perception that these events have led to the increased shootings in the city and like any other topic, the leaders are the first to get the blame for fault. I am not going to say there is or is not any correlation between BLM and the increased shootings, but one could easily bring the argument that any less focus on Chicago’s finest could result in further anarchy. It all circles back. The lack of understanding of the goals of BLM can easily point out ignorance in someone.
For someone of the Independent nature when it comes to politics, the two proceeding topics drive right to a Trump or Biden vote. The path driven should really be carefully proceeded down. The information along the information superhighway could really lead you to a brick wall. Trump has not handled the pandemic well. If you argue that, I am sorry, but you are a moron. If you double down on his idiocy that this virus will disappear and is no more dangerous than the flu, you need a helmet in public along with your mask. I would encourage each of you to investigate your local, county, and state governments as to how they will broach the subject of defunding the police and what that plan is that tags along with it. The push from the right on Biden’s plan to this subject gets dicey for the uninformed. Looking at a national level can be hard within the Chicagoland viewership area, so the impact of events could easily drive someone the wrong way off the fence on November 3rd.
People are looking for these grey areas to try and keep them neutral in thinking, and in many cases, it allows for the visibility of seeing how people have views to the right and the left. It also gets to be understood how the shaping of these opinions came to be. My agreement or disagreement to their logic or their end opinion does not mean anything if they end up opposed to my vote in November. I see a clear disservice to the country if they vote Trump and we continue down the path we are on. Some individuals block out the other idiotic tendencies of the president in lieu of their 401K doing better than ever. At the critical ages of some and lack of interest in politics, that could make some sense. But these people who dig in on the democrats being the enemy and pushing for a world that is ruined and insufferable could be in for a rude awakening. Although, they are among the worst at being proven wrong. They ignore the damage they have done and find another area to inflict paranoia into. Make no mistake, if Biden wins in November, he will see a group resistance. That resistance will be met on the streets of our cities in the form of hate and the task Biden would have for course correcting this country will get harder before it gets easier.
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