Long
ago my dad told me, “Only believe half of what you hear from the news and none
of what you hear from a politician.” Good advice. My grandmother gave even
better advice when she said, “Show me your friends and I’ll tell you what you
are.” Assuming my dad was correct, it is safe to say that we cannot accurately
assess this year’s presidential candidates, (and yes, Donald Trump, by
definition is a politician) based on what they say or how they are presented in
the media.[1] Now, if we juxtapose supporters
and the candidate into my
grandmother’s advice, we are left with, “Show me your supporters and I’ll tell
you what the candidate is.” We are now left with the proposition that we can
only assess the qualities of the candidates based on the words and actions of
their supporters. That being said, let’s take a look at Clinton and Trump
supporters.
Clinton Camp:
I’m
starting with the Clinton supporters as it will be a relatively short
discussion. On my internet search I was unable to find any substantial single
video or compilation of videos of Clinton supporters at rallies other than
those cheering Clinton and booing Trump. There are of course, many still photos
showing diverse crowds that appear to be engaged and actually listening. This
brings me to my essential point about Clinton supporters; they are a diverse group
who appear eager to learn. Note the woman in the lower left corner of the above
picture. She is looking directly at Clinton and is actually listening. More
than that, she is hearing and digesting the words. She may even have gone home
and thought about what she heard and drew her own conclusion without the aid of
her phone or the television.
I
have absolutely no doubt that thousands of people are supporting Mrs. Clinton
simply to conform to party politics. Many others may be voting for her because
she is a woman or because she is the Anti-Trump. So many other voters; however,
who define themselves as independent ̶ ̶ the lowercase “i” is intentional ̶
̶ and those of either major party who
read and research the issues in order to make their own informed decisions,
seem to be leaning toward the Clinton camp. In sum, through an admittedly small
sample, Clinton supporters present as diverse, thoughtful, and willing to
learn.
Trump
Camp:
Ok,
let’s take a look at this picture. First and foremost, all of these supposed
patriots are desecrating the American flag. According to U.S. Code Title 4,
Chapter 1, §8, Paragraph G: “The flag
should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any
mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any
nature.”[2] See the full code cited
below to understand the remainder of the violations in this photo.
Next
is the issue of diversity. I do in fact spot some brown skin but also see the
corner of the Arizona flag on the left side of the photograph. Speaking as a
Zonie (a local name for Arizonans) I can assure you that even blue-eyed Irish
girls have brown skin. In fact, I am very thankful for my blue eyes as I live
in the SB-1070 state. Another blog for another day.
Finally,
look at what they are doing. The man in the center is looking at his phone, the
woman with the child strapped to her is either at a bad angle or falling
asleep. The man in the blue shirt and white pants is either really
concentrating or thinking about going out for a cigarette. The assessment to be
made from this analysis is that the self-proclaimed patriots have no regard for
the flag, which is symbolic of the country, diversity is very questionable, and
the audience does not seem to be listening to what is being said. This is what I
find to be most problematic; no one is processing any of the information they
hear but rather, because they are unsatisfied with their current situations,
they simply believe what they hear and give into fear instilled through
propaganda. See, Germany 1933.
What
follows is the link to a disturbing video compilation created from various
Trump rallies. The language is at best troubling. What is even more disconcerting
is the blatant and willful ignorance displayed by these people.
- To the man who says “Muslim is not a religion it is an ideology,” WHAT??? A Muslim is a person who follows the religion of Islam. A religious ideology, as defined by Dr. David Satter of the Hudson Institute and Johns Hopkins University, is when "man-made dogma is treated as infallible truth.” Hmmmmm.
- To the man who shouts, “Heil Sieg,” the customary greeting used by Nazis meaning “Hail Victory,” is Sieg Heil. See, Germany 1933.
- To the man who says, “Kill her,” I might remind you that she is a former FLOTUS, Senator, and Secretary of State. Be thankful that you cannot be identified as the Secret Service takes statements such as yours quite seriously.
- Finally, to the woman who boasts of wearing a t-shirt that displays a man’s testicles, proudly decorated as the American flag and claims that people are too sensitive and need to “grow up,” I don’t know what to say. Perhaps I am just not as grown up as you.
[1]
Per the Oxford English Dictionary, Politician
is defined as “A person who is professionally involved in politics, especially
as a holder of or a candidate for an elected office.” OR “chiefly US, A
person who acts in a manipulative and devious way, typically to gain
advancement within an organization.”
[2]
For the full Code, see Cornell University Law Library, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/4.
Brilliant!
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