Parting Shots: 11/01/2016

Monday, November 21, 2016

Now What? - (This is all political stuff, so you are welcome to ignore it.)

Well, it can and it has, hasn't it? I'm not the only one who thought America had more sense, but was proven wrong once again. I truly don't know what to say about the results of the election a few weeks ago, although that hasn't stopped me from posting stuff on various social media platforms. In that way, if no other, I'm like the President-elect.

Demographically I should have been part of those who supported Trump from early on. I'm a white, Baby Boomer who was raised in a small, town that was 90% or more white while I was growing up. It wasn't until I was in seventh grade and began attending a larger, middle school in the nearest large city that I had any Black classmates. I didn't personally know of any Jewish students until I was in high school, although I suppose there had to have been some in middle-school, but not among my friends.

I'm also a veteran and a one-time gun owner, so there should have been something about the Trump agenda to have appealed to me. The scary part, is that so many of the people I currently know (mostly neighbors in our senior community) were indeed voting for The Donald. Even while saying they scorned or objected to some of the things he said, it was their dislike and distrust of Hillary that seemed to be the main reason for their decision. That and how much they appeared to dislike, if not outright hate, Obama.

Maybe it was the non-judgmental, pro-Union, Roman Catholic upbringing, most from my mom, but also my father (from whom I get my non-believer genes). I never heard either ever say anything derogatory about another race or religion. Well, okay, my father did love Polish jokes.

Another thing that I can't understand is how those in my age group, who also lived through the Sixties, ended up going so far to the Right on so many things. Geez, we were the Peace & Love generation who wanted 'No More War' and mourned the death of Martin Luther King as much as that of Robert Kennedy. What the hell happened to all that?

It's going to be an ugly four years and unless what's left of the Left an the Progressive movements can get much of America off their asses in two years to make some changes, it will be interesting to see what this country I fought for will look like by 2020. I hope I'm around to find out, but I'm not sure I'll be very happy about it.