Android versus iPhone.
Mac versus PC.
Marvel versus DC.
There is no shortage of banal divisions to which people will attach themselves and defend (surprisingly) to the death. And with it being an election year, we have the extra privilege of also seeing our society become slightly more divided along the lines of (in essence) “how did my parents raise me” and “do I agree or disagree with them.” Yippee.
Though the emphasis on choice involved in politics can seemingly raise the stakes, historically there is a lot of overlap between the two major parties - AKA the only ones that will conceivably win an election in the foreseeable - in what they will actually do in office. Though they may differ on fiscal policies and social issues, there is realistically only so much any executive can and will do due to the constraints of the office.
Because of this overlap, politics has remained relatively civil for most of my (admittedly short) history of active political involvement. Though it isn’t exactly what you want to talk about with that uncle from Kansas and that aunt from California over Thanksgiving dinner, there was this unspoken understanding that we as a country would be okay regardless of who got elected.
Then this election happened. This shit-show of an election.
As someone studying politics, one of the things that we’re taught to focus on is the fact that someone’s vote does not really tell you who they are. People who you consider “good people” can disagree with you on keystone issues because of their viewpoint, and that’s fine.
But this election has pushed that ideology to the limit and for many people snapped past it.
It causes a PROFOUND amount of cognitive dissonance for me when I’m trying to look on the good side of people who are actively advocating for a candidate who has talked callously about not only women as people, but also mistreating and STRAIGHT UP ASSAULTING THEM.
I find it incredibly hard to believe that someone is a good person when they nod in joyous agreement as a candidate says that hard-working immigrants are “rapists and thieves” and that we ought to bomb an entire region of the world into oblivion or ban people based on their religion.
If you say that you champion freedom and the rule of law but choose to ignore a candidate's multiple rape allegations and threats to jail his political opponents, I cannot find it in myself to believe you.
In short - and I want there to be no mistake about this - if you are still an avid Trump supporter at this point, then I truly do believe that you’re a terrible person. And if you'record someone who doesn't necessarily support him, but thinks that he's the "best for your interests," you're delusional.
There are a lot of ways I'very heard the latter category try to rationalize that viewpoint: Trump will bring back jobs? Nah. He has spent his entire life screwing over the American working class by either outsourcing labor to other countries or running businesses into the ground and then filing bankruptcy.
He’s going to be a more honorable president than Hillary? Please. He’s constantly tied up in litigation regarding one scam, rape, or another. He, like so many others in his position, is only concerned about things which can help him get ahead, regardless of who he has to step on.
I honestly have more respect for those that are honest about the fact that they are only voting for Trump because the hate Hillary, but even so you have to understand that this type of vendetta-vote puts your own hate above the agency of millions of minorities, immigrants, or LGBTQ people who are simply hoping to reach the American dream.
So no, I can’t “understand where you’re coming from,” and I, like many others, will still be questioning the type of person you are once this election is said and done.
I hope your hate is worth it.
