Yeah, I know we can’t. But wouldn’t it be nice?
Trump vs anti-Trump. Alt right vs far left. Conservative vs liberal. This vs that. It’s all adversarial, with no common ground in sight. I don’t think they’re even looking for common ground, actually.
I’m more of a middle-of-the-roader. I have views that are liberal and I have views that are a bit conservative. I don’t really fall into any one category, so I guess I have a more unique view of the two warring parties. Kind of an outsider’s perspective into the world that has gone to shit in the span of a couple of weeks…politically speaking, that is.
Now, I’m trying to keep an open mind, but so far I haven’t seen any actions from the new POTUS that have me thrilled. Then again, I’m not super thrilled at the reactions of the opposing side. Millions of women marching on the same day–great, but what did it accomplish? It ended up looking like a mass hissy fit. Nothing changed. Nothing improved by this protest. Yeah, it was the largest protest in US history…but what, exactly, changed from it? Nada, that’s what.
Speaking of nada, what’s with this wall crap? I thought it was a joke by Trump before his election, but he’s actually serious about it. Uh, dude, do you remember when there were two Germanies? Because young as I am, I still remember. East and West, man. Look it up. That wall didn’t exactly make things better, and I doubt yours will either.
This whole immigration fiasco is out of hand as well. We’re a country made of immigrants…immigrants who trampled over the native people. We’re not exactly all “American” here. If I had the genealogical tendencies that my mom does, I could tell you exactly where my family came from. (I don’t, so I’d have to ask her. I personally don’t much care where my family came from, because what matters is who I am as a person, not who my great-great-great-whatever was. I am me, and that’s that.) To be honest, most of the current-day immigrants are better people than the settlers who came here a few hundred years ago to plunder and steal. I mean….no, that’s pretty much what they did to the American Indians. Native Americans. Whatever the PC term is today. Regardless of the term, we fucked them over, and that’s not cool. Now, yeah, some of the “immigrants” are people who don’t have the US in their best interests–but those are in the minority. Can’t we just let those who are trying to escape a bad situation come over here and find a new home? A little Google-ing showed me that this is what our good ol’ Statue of Liberty says to newcomers:
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Yeah. So those are the exact people who are trying to come here right now. Let’s have a bit of compassion here, huh?
And speaking of diversity, people need to lay off the LGBTQIA community. I don’t fall into any of those categories, but guess what–I don’t have to fall into one of those categories to support them. Do I think the liberal media (TV shows, etc) is kinda shoving the LGBTQIA themes down our throats? Yeah, a bit. I mean, does every same-sex friendship have to turn into a sexual relationship? Why does every TV show have to have a couple or two that represent the queer/homosexual side of things? It’s affirmative action all over again, with token gay couples as opposed to token black characters. Yes, you can put these gay characters in the show, but don’t go forcing “chemistry” where there is none just to appease the masses. Same goes for “traditional” relationships as well; don’t force a relationship where there’s just a friendship. Here’s a newsflash for TV and movie-makers: there ARE friends of opposite genders who STAY friends and never get sexual in their relationship. Quit trying to force things already. It’s blatantly obvious and not at all appealing.
This whole election and post-inauguration transition has turned into one giant you-vs-me clusterfuck that shows no sign of stopping. My news feed is flooded with angry posts from both sides of the fence, and neither side is convincing me that their view is the “right” one. Howsabout we try to, oh, I don’t know, agree on at least something?
So far my views appear to be on the anti-POTUS side of the fence, but I really am trying to keep an open mind. I don’t want to just hate everything he does across the board just because I don’t like the dude as a person. I mean, there are people who are terrible people that also have good ideas. So, y’know, I should give him a chance. As we all should.
People are spouting stuff saying that Trump and his camp are all about hate, but guess what, people–that stuff you’re spouting? It’s hate-speech, too. Nobody wins in this kind of game.
Let’s just try to get along, huh? I mean, we have four years of this ahead of us. Instead of protesting in vain, try working with sympathetic parties inside the government to actuate change if you really can’t bear to agree on anything.
Don’t just write to your local senator, though; write to a senator who shares your views. You write to someone who’s pro-Trump and you want to get Trump thrown out of office, that dude’s aides are just gonna shred your letter without even reading the bulk of it. Okay, they might read it…so they can laugh as they shred it. Same for letters to the White House. I guarantee you Trump doesn’t see any of those that aren’t pro-Trump. He has aides who have aides who have aides who filter through that stuff, checking for anthrax or plague or whatever other dangerous biotoxins or chemicals may be on the envelope/letter before they’re even read, and c’mon, do you really think Trump is going to read them if they’re bashing him and threatening revolution? No. He’s not going to. He’s going to be fixing his combover in the mirror before his next photo op.
In closing (because I need to stop ranting and rambling): get over yourself. Everyone. Just get over yourself. We’re here, we’re stuck with what we’ve got, so quit whining and quit lording it over the whiners. Just find a way to survive the next four years without creating an irreparable divide in a country that has survived over 200 years and one civil war. Let’s not test the strength of our nation by causing another one. Let’s just chill and hold hands and sing “Kumbaya” and shit.
Let’s us all just try and get along, okay?
AJ Mullican, Author 