I agree (almost) entirely with Charles Blow. There is no reasoning through this. Like Mr. Blow, I have tried. With my own brother. My brother is a racist, there is no reasoning around that, and Trump supporters are racist (and all of those other things) and there is no reasoning around that.
I did not see this coming. I do not recognize my country. It does not seem real. I never thought it would end this way. That America would come to an end from within, implode just like the old Soviet Union did. Never saw Trump and 2016 coming.
I did not know that this virulent racism was sooo prevalent in America. Besides my brother, I do not know another Trump supporter. They are there but I do not recognize them, not even now! They think they recognize me as one of them but I have never looked at another American and even thought, "Bet he's a Trump supporter." NEVER.
They live among us but I do not recognize them. The man who screamed "JEW.S.A.!" is a house painter in Arizona. If they all wore "Hillary for Prison 2016" shirts all the time I would recognize them. But they don't. When that guy paints your house he isn't wearing that shirt. He isn't screaming "JEW.S.A.!" He's wearing painter's pants and saying "I'll be done today if it doesn't rain."
The guy who shouted "Fuck that nigger" at mention of President Obama's name at a Trump rally in Cleveland doesn't show up for work each day saying "Good morning, fuck that nigger Obama."
The lady who gave the Nazi salute at another Trump rally doesn't answer the phone "Heil Hitler" as everyone did in Germany at the time.
"Go to fucking Auschwitz"-guy.
Trump supporters were not just imported to this country. We know that but we have to remind ourselves as we blink and gape. They have always been here. Were born here. Grew up here. Work here. They work right alongside us, live right next door, go to church with you. They are our friends. Or our family members! "Excuse me, do I know you?!"
How many of us knew? I don't think many. I bet NONE of my brother's former co-workers knew of his racism. I bet none of his neighbors know. I know few of my brother's neighbors know he voted for Trump in the primary and will vote for him on Tuesday! He didn't advertise it. No yard signs, no bumper stickers, didn't tell but one neighbor that he was voting for Trump in the primary and probably no one else because she walked off in disgust. She actually claimed to have known: "I figured as much," my brother told me she said (which is also consistent with her being surprised as well as disgusted).
My brother has never yelled "Fuck that nigger" in his life. Doubt he has even said it. Has used the n-word with me. Called my parents one time, he unexpectedly answered the phone. "Dad, it's Ben, the nigger lover!" It was fun-making, see? Ho-Ho-Ho. Went to only one Klan rally when a young man, only one, and just because he wanted to "check it out." See? Just to satisfy his curiosity. Nothing more than that. Doesn't make him a racist.
In his late 40's maybe early 50's argued with me and the second unfortunate Mrs. Harris for hours and long into the night and in the presence, for a time, of his second wife, our third brother and our parents, maintaining For on the proposition, "Black people are genetically inferior intellectually." Doesn't make him a racist.
All in the family. My brother kept it all in the family. No one else knew. He didn't shout it in public, he didn't advertise it. Didn't wear a white hood. Didn't wear a swastika tie clip.
It is the same with all of them. They have always been here among us and have always been racist but haven't shouted it from the roof tops or worn it on their sleeves. They didn't want anybody to know, were kind of sheepish to say it, sort of embarrassed, and we didn't know!
And then along came Trump. We didn't hear the dog whistles. They did. Even when we knew, as I did with my brother, I couldn't believe. Called him. "Are you really voting for Trump tomorrow?"
They are us. We have met the enemy and they are us.
I now recognize who we are.
It matters who wins on Tuesday, it matters a lot, but I diverge from Charles Blow: America does not have "a chance to defend itself" on Tuesday. Whoever wins on Tuesday will win by a margin of 1% or 2%, 3% or 4%, maybe 6%. Whoever wins on Tuesday will get about 65,000,000 votes; the loser will get about 60,000,000 votes. Final score: Pitt 65, Opponent 60. Better than the alternative! But, "How 'bout that "Panther" defense!" No. That is an embarrassing win. America has no defense to Donald Trump getting 60,000,000 votes. That is an embarrassing victory over an opponent who had never played the game before. Who is the most unqualified candidate ever.
In a democracy there is never any doubt: the people are responsible. They get the leader they want and the one they deserve. Win the presidency or lose the presidency, 60,000,000 racists have not been
defeated.
The fate of the Republic is on OUR shoulders and whoever wins on Tuesday that fate is likely decided: America as we have known her began her death rattle in 2016. She will be pronounced November 9 or she may hold on a little while longer but ultimately there is no defense against 60,000,000.
I did not see this coming. I do not recognize my country. It does not seem real. I never thought it would end this way. That America would come to an end from within, implode just like the old Soviet Union did. Never saw Trump and 2016 coming.
I did not know that this virulent racism was sooo prevalent in America. Besides my brother, I do not know another Trump supporter. They are there but I do not recognize them, not even now! They think they recognize me as one of them but I have never looked at another American and even thought, "Bet he's a Trump supporter." NEVER.
They live among us but I do not recognize them. The man who screamed "JEW.S.A.!" is a house painter in Arizona. If they all wore "Hillary for Prison 2016" shirts all the time I would recognize them. But they don't. When that guy paints your house he isn't wearing that shirt. He isn't screaming "JEW.S.A.!" He's wearing painter's pants and saying "I'll be done today if it doesn't rain."
The guy who shouted "Fuck that nigger" at mention of President Obama's name at a Trump rally in Cleveland doesn't show up for work each day saying "Good morning, fuck that nigger Obama."
The lady who gave the Nazi salute at another Trump rally doesn't answer the phone "Heil Hitler" as everyone did in Germany at the time.
"Go to fucking Auschwitz"-guy.
Trump supporters were not just imported to this country. We know that but we have to remind ourselves as we blink and gape. They have always been here. Were born here. Grew up here. Work here. They work right alongside us, live right next door, go to church with you. They are our friends. Or our family members! "Excuse me, do I know you?!"
How many of us knew? I don't think many. I bet NONE of my brother's former co-workers knew of his racism. I bet none of his neighbors know. I know few of my brother's neighbors know he voted for Trump in the primary and will vote for him on Tuesday! He didn't advertise it. No yard signs, no bumper stickers, didn't tell but one neighbor that he was voting for Trump in the primary and probably no one else because she walked off in disgust. She actually claimed to have known: "I figured as much," my brother told me she said (which is also consistent with her being surprised as well as disgusted).
My brother has never yelled "Fuck that nigger" in his life. Doubt he has even said it. Has used the n-word with me. Called my parents one time, he unexpectedly answered the phone. "Dad, it's Ben, the nigger lover!" It was fun-making, see? Ho-Ho-Ho. Went to only one Klan rally when a young man, only one, and just because he wanted to "check it out." See? Just to satisfy his curiosity. Nothing more than that. Doesn't make him a racist.
In his late 40's maybe early 50's argued with me and the second unfortunate Mrs. Harris for hours and long into the night and in the presence, for a time, of his second wife, our third brother and our parents, maintaining For on the proposition, "Black people are genetically inferior intellectually." Doesn't make him a racist.
All in the family. My brother kept it all in the family. No one else knew. He didn't shout it in public, he didn't advertise it. Didn't wear a white hood. Didn't wear a swastika tie clip.
It is the same with all of them. They have always been here among us and have always been racist but haven't shouted it from the roof tops or worn it on their sleeves. They didn't want anybody to know, were kind of sheepish to say it, sort of embarrassed, and we didn't know!
And then along came Trump. We didn't hear the dog whistles. They did. Even when we knew, as I did with my brother, I couldn't believe. Called him. "Are you really voting for Trump tomorrow?"
They are us. We have met the enemy and they are us.
I now recognize who we are.
It matters who wins on Tuesday, it matters a lot, but I diverge from Charles Blow: America does not have "a chance to defend itself" on Tuesday. Whoever wins on Tuesday will win by a margin of 1% or 2%, 3% or 4%, maybe 6%. Whoever wins on Tuesday will get about 65,000,000 votes; the loser will get about 60,000,000 votes. Final score: Pitt 65, Opponent 60. Better than the alternative! But, "How 'bout that "Panther" defense!" No. That is an embarrassing win. America has no defense to Donald Trump getting 60,000,000 votes. That is an embarrassing victory over an opponent who had never played the game before. Who is the most unqualified candidate ever.
In a democracy there is never any doubt: the people are responsible. They get the leader they want and the one they deserve. Win the presidency or lose the presidency, 60,000,000 racists have not been
defeated.
The fate of the Republic is on OUR shoulders and whoever wins on Tuesday that fate is likely decided: America as we have known her began her death rattle in 2016. She will be pronounced November 9 or she may hold on a little while longer but ultimately there is no defense against 60,000,000.
