Questions for a Trump Supporter
May 23, 2019
Share:BY: Loretta Hise
I listen to people who support the current administration. I read what they write on social media. I look at their memes. I have to admit that I am really confused about a lot of what they say and profess to believe. I guess that I have questions so here they are.
I look at the refugees at our southern border and I think, “How desperate would I have to be to pack whatever belongings that I could carry and walk with my children thousands of miles just in hope for a safer and better life?” Then instead of Americans welcoming them, we separate their children from them and place them in cages. But, what I hear from the far right is, “Build that wall.”
I see the starvation and devastation in the Middle East. I am moved. Now the right says, “We need to take care of our veterans, our poor, and our homeless.” but they then vote to reduce VA, Medicaid, food stamps, and other social programs. My question is this:
“Where is your empathy, your compassion?”
I am a second-generation American. My husband’s family can be traced back to revolutionary times. The point is that unless you are a full-blooded Native American you came from somewhere else. We are all descended from immigrants. Most were uneducated and poor, possessing only a strong work ethic. Some were criminals. Some were indentured servants. Some were slaves. So, my question is:
“Where did you come from?”
We have a president that lies even when telling the truth would work just as well. He has cheated on every woman that he has ever been involved with, and not just his three wives. He has cheated in his businesses. His charity turned out to be little more than his private slush fund. The Mueller Report found him to have likely obstructed justice on multiple occasions. When faced with subpoenas, he either ignores them or files lawsuits. The same people who say that everyone deserves forgiveness will also berate Hillary Clinton for not divorcing Bill Clinton for his affairs. Or, they will “what about” any other Trump transgression to shine the spotlight on someone other than the president.
“Why don’t your Christian values apply to this president?”
The Republican Party used to claim to be the “law and order” party. These same people elected (via the Electoral College, anyway) a man who flaunts the law. In the White House, he has committed obstruction of justice. He has given blanket orders to ignore lawful subpoenas. He tells lie after lie. This is just what he does in plain sight. I can only imagine what he does behind closed doors or what his proxies are doing with his businesses. So, I ask:
“Why do people who believe in the rule of law support a lawbreaker?”
This administration passed a very large tax cut to corporations and the very wealthy. The lie that the right continues to tell is that the benefits will “trickle down.” They never do.
I work hard. I pay my taxes. But, many of the beneficiaries of tax cuts pay little or no taxes. Still, the costs of government and of society must be paid. Infrastructure must be built and maintained. The military must be maintained and supported. Personnel must be paid, not just wages, but health care, housing, and medical care. Other government agencies must be funded. It takes a lot of money to run the government. All of these costs of government must be paid. Some on the right want to do this by decreasing or eliminating social programs. These programs are either paid for directly by the citizens (our Social Security and Medicare) or represent a relatively small part of the budget. The truth here is that we all, including corporations and billionaires, benefit from a well funded, functioning government. We all benefit when people are educated and healthy. We all benefit from good transportation. We all benefit when we are safe. We all benefit. What I don’t understand is this:
“Why do I have to subsidize corporations and billionaires?”
Since Reagan and his supply side economics, we have seen a widening gap between the middle class and the ultra-wealthy. The rich get richer and the not so rich struggle. It doesn’t seem fair or right that the people who actually do the work don’t seem to reap the benefits. CEOs have seen their compensation packages grow and grow while the worker struggles to keep up with inflation. At the same time, more and more of the taxes on the super rich are reduced or eliminated. They have tax-deductible private jets and gold-plated toilets. Their money sits in bank vaults drawing interest but teachers can’t even deduct the pencils and paper they provide their students. I don’t want to do away with the rich. We all kind of strive to be there. What I would like to see is a narrowing of the gap, a fairer distribution of wealth. It just makes me wonder:
“How much wealth is too much?”
A lot of people believe that the USA was established as a Christian nation. It was not. But, with that in mind, these people try desperately to inject Christian religion into schools, business, and government. They ignore anyone who does not share their views. They pass laws, or try to, that impose their narrow beliefs onto the rest of the country. Often these people merely tolerate or vehemently dislike Jews. But, they really hate Muslims. They speak out against religious community laws like Orthodox Jewish or Sharia laws. We can’t have that, even though these laws only apply to the Jews and Muslims within their own religious communities. Yet, these same people want to force their beliefs and practices onto the rest of the country.
“Why is it okay to force a Christian version of Sharia law on the rest of the country?”
In 2004, the Swift Boat Veterans Political Action Committee ran ads against John Kerry disparaging his service in Viet Nam. They did not like that he spoke out against the war after he returned from his two tours in Viet Nam. George W. Bush dodged the draft by joining the National Guard. It was a safe bet since only one National Guard unit ever deployed to Viet Nam. Donald Trump’s father paid a doctor to certify that Trump had bone spurs to keep him out of the military. Dick Cheney got multiple deferments while in college to stay home and when those ran out, his wife Lynn promptly got pregnant (another deferment). There are more stories of “chicken hawks” in government. In case you don’t know what a chicken hawk is, it is someone who advocates for military action while having avoided actually serving himself. This has me wondering:
“Why do so many veterans follow these chicken hawks?”
More and more I find myself trying to discuss current events with Trump supporters. They will pull a shallow or inaccurate meme off Face Book as support for their particular point. Once confronted with a reputable source, they will either dispute that source or totally ignore it. If Trump’s poor behavior is pointed out, I will get a deflection, a “what-aboutism” response. This administration ignores its own scientists (on our payroll) while establishing fantasy-based policy. It has even gone so far as to try to ban the Center of Disease Control from using “evidence based” findings in formulating policy. It seems that the people who support this administration just aren’t interested in facts. Trump has said that he loves the poorly educated. It takes one to know one. It seems that many of Trump followers are quite content in their ignorance, like the Know-Nothings of the 1800’s. I just have to ask:
“What makes your ignorance equal to our knowledge?”
During his campaign, Trump made a lot of noise about draining the swamp. In that same vein, many of his supporters clamor for term limits. I have yet to see any legislative moves to establish term limits. I’m not sure how that would work out in the end. There is, after all, something to be said for experience. As for Trump draining the swamp, he has installed his family members, industry lobbyists, and his cronies who were in the businesses and industries that they came from. These people in no way represent the best interests of the country as a whole. They, in fact, harm the country and make our future less bright. But if you really want to drain the swamp: ** **
“Why do you elect people that hire the same old swamp creatures?”
This list could go on, but I’ll leave it here. Answering these questions should give my Trump-supporting friends something to think about. I just hope they’ll start using their brains and thinking for themselves.
Readings
Share: