I Am Still Me

Good Morning, Dear Friends. I kept my posts non-political all day yesterday and I think it was good for all of us. But I feel compelled this morning to respond to something that I have seen over and over in the last couple of days. I will quote from a FB meme that I keep seeing. "Its not just about Trump for me. What scares me is knowing that I live in a country where the majority is OK with racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia and sexual assault." Horsehockey!!!  Let me be a one-woman truth squad and clear up a few things.

1. Yes, it appears that Hillary did win the popular vote, But according to the most recent vote totals (and these are subject to change) she only received 202,340 more votes out of a total of 119,425,696 votes cast. If you do the math the vote comes out Clinton 50.08% Trump 49.92 % for a difference of .16%. This is neither a vindication that "most people in the country support Hillary and her ideas" or that "Donald Trump has won a sweeping mandate." It shows again that we are a country that is deeply divided politically. There is no overwhelming majority for anything.

2. Now to the idea that all Trump voters believe in the things stated above. The vote for any party's presidential candidate is not monolithic. Not everyone who voted for Hillary were big fans. Some are true believers and really wanted to see her as President. Some were reluctant Benie supporters who were convinced that it was important to put aside the primary and vote for the party's candidate. And some simply saw her as the lesser of two evils. Well, the vote for Trump was equally complex. Again some are true believers. Many supported one of the other 16 Republican contenders and voted (as one Dear Friend put it) for the platform not the person. And again some saw him as the lesser of two evils. So to say that all Hillary or Trump voters believe any one thing is an absurd simplification.

3. In regards to the specific concerns about racism, sexism, etc. the answer is also complicated. Undoubtedly, some of the people who voted for Trump exhibit some appalling prejudices and attitudes. There are racists, chauvinists, white supremacists, homophobes and Anti-Semites among his supporters and I find them (yes, I am using the word) deplorable. But thay are by no means a majority. I am a Republican. Before you ask, whom I voted for is my business and is not relevant to this discussion. The other Republicans that I interact with on a regular basis are generally public-spirited, G-d-fearing individuals who truly believe that what they are doing is in the best interest of our country. We don't agree on everything. We never will. But (just using my own specific demographics) I feel no animosity toward myself either as a woman or a Jew. So stop demonizing those who voted differently than you did.

4. This election has brought to the surface many feelings that  have been submerged. They didn't just show up because Trump ran for President. He didn't cause them. Not all of them are pretty. But they are real and need to be dealt with. But let's not get carried away. This is not the end of our Republic. There will be no public lynchings. Sexual assault will not become acceptable. I understand there is fear out there. But let's keep in in perspective.

5. The best idea I've seen in the last couple of days is the "Shabbat Dinner" approach. The story in a nutshell is that a young white supremacist was moved to change his views by being invited to join a group of Orthodox Jewish students for their Shabbat dinner group. They talked. They got to know each other. They got to see each other as individuals, not ideologies. So reach out. Talk. Debate. Another Dear Friend posted yesterday asking her FB friends to explain why they voted for Trump so she could try to understand. For those of you who are local, I would be proud to host a dinner to bring together some Trump and Hillary voters  to begin the dialogue.
Well, there it is. I hope you read it all the way through and I hope it has a positive effect. I am just one person. But that is the point. I am not part of some monolithic "other." I am an individual with a wide range of beliefs and attitudes. I don't fit in any one box. And I don't think any of you, my Dear Friends, do either.