During my run today I connected some dots and realized a theme among Trump supporters. Note I said Trump supporters, not Republicans, not Christians, not gun lovers....that's not to say some of this doesn't apply to some of them, but I am trying not to generalize those groups of people, just Trump supporters. Because, at this point, if you STILL support Trump, I have zero concern for your thoughts, feelings, ideas, beliefs...whatever. Because I have zero respect for you. That said I THINK...just maybe I may understand where you are coming from. FEAR. and denial.
We all know I am not the most organized blogger (or thinker, for that matter). So bear with me as I try to piece it all together in written form.
My thought process started as I was running today and a cop car passed me. I thought "It's nice that the sight of a cop car makes me feel safer" and that led to all of the rest. I thought about how different of an experience a black person or an immigrant must have seeing a cop car, especially while running. I wondered why after reading an article about a nut job local cop who was trying to frame his ex-girlfriend and stalking her new boyfriend that I still was comforted by the sight of the cop, rather than immediately wonder if he was one of the good guys. I realized it isn't too different than believing in God, or believing that our POTUS has our best interests at heart.
Trump supporters love to preach. Trump supporters don't like anyone different than themselves. Trump supporters need their guns. Trump supporters claim patriotism at all costs. Trump supporters hate groups like Black Lives Matter. Trump supporters think it is disrespectful to question a cop's word over video or witness stories. Trump supporters don't believe in Climate change.
These things have something in common, fear. I believe the most religious among us are fearful people. They are afraid that this is it. They need the comfort of an afterlife to make death less scary. They need the comfort of a God to forgive them for their sins, to make sense out of senseless acts, to give them control when scared (they can pray and then everything will be ok, or when it's not, well then that's what God intended, he works in mysterious ways). They cling to their religious beliefs even when science and logic prove them wrong. They use their religions as weapons. And the hypocrisy (with all religions) of justifying judging or killing or discriminating against anyone who disagrees with their beliefs goes against most non religious people's ideas of common decency and humanity--but I guess God isn't interested in what seems the most decent and humane behavior if you violate one of the rules in his book (again whichever book you follow).
Trump supporters are so afraid of Muslims, immigrants, black people, poor people. Their reasons vary based on who it is, but it's all fear. The Muslims all want to kill us (contrary to facts that white males kill way more Americans than any Muslim ever has), immigrants are criminals and they want to take from us, they want free healthcare and welfare and our jobs (again no facts support any of this, but hey POTUS doesn't care about facts why should they?). Black people, well black people have just been scary since forever. They are killers, they kill each other, they want to kill us and those that don't, again, are just lazy bums using the system while we all work hard (yup, no facts to support this, but...but...but). Poor people, they are all lazy and they take from us hard workers. They are only poor by choice, they could work and have healthcare but they aren't any better than the "illegals" or the "blacks". It's all fear...fear that they are getting something that we (and you know by we, I mean, people who only consider white people true Americans, not actually ME!) aren't. Fear that they want to hurt us because we have it so much better.
They need their guns because they are so afraid. OF EVERYTHING! They are even afraid of the government they profess their loyalty so loudly to. They want their guns so they are prepared if they need to uprise against an oppressive government, and yet are too blind (or scared?) to see a dictatorship in the making. Their blind patriotism is fear, fear of admitting that our government isn't perfect, wasn't able to stop a cyber attack from Russia. If the government is vulnerable to that, what else might it not prevent? Better just to blindly believe the POTUS when he says it's fake news, even though so many non-news agencies are stating the attack did happen, and possibly with help from the GOP. They feared Obama would take their guns (he didn't), they feared he was a secret Muslim (he wasn't) with ill will planned for our country (and they still deny most of us are better off after 8 years than we were after the 2008 debacle)...but they refuse to see the Russian involvement, they refuse to even CONSIDER that Trump has only his interests at heart, even though his history shows otherwise. It is easier to believe that a woman with a history of helping others only had HER best interests in mind, even with proof to the contrary. This man has said and done nothing to show that it isn't all about him, but they still think he will do right by them. This man continues to prove he is a thin skinned bully who is not actually a man but a man baby and still they consider him a leader.
They fear groups like Black Lives Matter because the truth of how little regard there is for black lives from our society doesn't fit into their agenda. If the police really do discriminate, does it affect them? Even with evidence that it isn't just black lives, but also mentally ill people, still they refuse to accept that there could be bad cops, that one day it could hit close to home by affecting them or a loved one...it is too scary to think of the police as anything but protectors. That is why my brain still sees cops and wants to believe that means I am safe, even though that cop could be mad at an ex girlfriend and take it out on me. I want to feel safe, no one wants to feel afraid. No one wants to live in a society full of fear. That is why us non Trumpettes are getting tired. Tired of seeing the ugliness of bigotry becoming acceptable. Tired of tuning in to find out the latest outrageous, embarrassing tweet of the day. It scares us to think so many people still support and defend him and aren't willing to make him stop. We are scared of what the result of inaction will be. And we are growing weary of being fearful. We want to feel this is the same safe, free country that it always has been (in our lifetime). But what we aren't is in denial. His supporters fear fear so much they live in denial.
That brings me to my final denial point. There isn't climate change. Because it is terrifying to think of what would happen to all of us, if it is true and we do nothing. So rather than admit it is true and try to stop it or slow it, better to just deny it, then there is nothing to fear.
So while the rest of us are called snowflakes or crybabies, they are strong and "manly" and fear nothing. And will continue to watch as their healthcare is taken away, their freedom of speech is trampled on and their country is ridiculed by the world, all because they would rather deny what is right in front of them than to feel fear. Fear that the majority of us are right and are not being alarmists.
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