NSFW THE TRUMPOCALYPSE

[MadamSarcastra]

But can't I respond and still take the high road if I choose my words carefully?

You do whatever you feel is right, hon. Only you can decide what's right for you.

I've gotta say, though.... I've had to silently repeat that simple yet eloquent phrase printed in purple (below) to myself more than a few times recently.

 

[MadamSarcastra]

Ya know, exactly seven days (tomorrow) after the "election results" I am scheduled for another filling at the dentist.... and I'm quite certain that will be the LEAST painful thing to happen this week. LOL

 

[KLS52]

Ok I'm going to try and "let it go". I will let you know how I make out.

 

[Calliegirl]

Here are a few excellent posts I've seen in the past few days. One of them might be helpful when dealing with friends/relatives on Facebook?

By an unknown author:

First, if you voted for Trump, I completely understand and respect your right to exercise your voice in the political process. But realize, that your choice now has PERSONAL consequences and responsibilities. Listen very carefully to what I'm saying. A vote for Trump is BY DEFINITION, a vote in support of...

#imwiththeKKK
#imwiththegunlobby
#imwithviolenceagainstwomen
#imwithviolenceagainstblacks
#imwithreligiousintolerance
#imwithLGBTQhate

...if any of these hashtags make you uncomfortable and do not represent who you are PERSONALLY or do not reflect your personal beliefs, just understand that the groups who DO embrace these ideas view you as their ally.

Whether or not you think of yourself as racist or sexist or homophobic is irrelevant, because the people who ARE actually hate-filled, openly racist, proudly homophobic, blatantly sexist, proudly violent, see YOU as being associated with them and their ideas of misogyny and hate. They see YOU as being ON THEIR TEAM.

So here's the deal. If you voted for Trump for "economic" reasons, or as a "rejection" of the system, that's fine...BUT my expectation is that you PERSONALLY will be the MOST vocal, the MOST outspoken, the MOST ardent defenders of peace, love, respect, tolerance, and diversity. When the hate crimes start, you PERSONALLY will be on the FRONT LINES calling for justice. When people's human rights are stripped, you PERSONALLY will lead the charge against inequality.

I need you to PERSONALLY prove to me that your vote for Trump was not ALSO a validation of social inequality, injustice, violence, prejudice, and hate. But you need to prove it to me through your ACTIONS.

Many people said they didn't want to voice their support of Trump because they feared social backlash...this is true because intelligent people of 2016 do not believe black people belong in the fields picking cotton, they don't believe in beating gay people to death, they don't believe in grabbing women by the genitals. And if you also do not believe in these things, BUT you voted for Trump, then you have a PERSONAL responsibility and obligation to sort out this incongruity, because right now you are, by default, in bed with the KKK, gun kooks, fundamentalists, wife-beaters, Muslim beaters, gay bashers, and a ton of other people you ALSO consider acting in deplorable ways.

So, the ball is in your court...prove to me that you are not aligned with these things.

~ Unknown Author

Okay, so some folks are challenging me on why I ask people not to tell me to calm down. They argue that calming down helps decrease the chances of bad things happening, that people need to relax if we are going to get through this difficult time in our nation's history.

Here's my answer:

(1) Bad things have already happened; we elected an unstable, wildly ignorant, bigoted, sex offender to the presidency, who is surrounded by more unstable bigots who will create policies over the next couple years that will roll back many progressive changes our nation has courageously and proudly accomplished.

(2) "Calming down" is a recipe for complacency. It does nothing to help organize the needed response to bring back decency and equality to a nation that claims on paper that those things are vitally important. There is a famous quote by philosopher Edmund Burke that goes (and I will de-gender his wording), "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing."

I am finding that there are too many people comfortable with doing nothing other than criticizing those of us who are dedicated to doing something.

This one was written by a white male, and no, he isn't including ALL white males. Just the ones telling the rest of us to calm down.

To those of you who are minimizing the damage of a Trump presidency, I have noticed that the vast majority of you are not women, are not a person of color, are not gay, bi, or trans, are not Muslim, are not a rape survivor, are not a person with a disability, and are instead white, heterosexual, and male. You don't view it as being as horrible as others are saying, because you have the white, male, heterosexual privilege of not having to deal with the fallout, or at least believing that you don't. I suggest you look up the word 'empathy' and take an honest look at yourself rather than scolding others for their anger and fear.

 

[Second Summer]

But can't I respond and still take the high road if I choose my words carefully?

Yes! Do it! Don't let this go unchallenged! Remember, while this particular person may be beyond hope, there may be others reading who can still be won over.

 

[Calliegirl]

And some history on the Electoral College. Not everyone knows it was based on slave ownership.

The Troubling Reason the Electoral College Exists

 

[Calliegirl]

A beautiful, and heartbreaking, tribute to Leonard Cohen and Hillary Clinton on SNL.

 

[Katrina]

Just out of curiosity, I've been hanging out on another site and reading the political thread, which has a large number of Trump supporters voicing their opinions. While I'm able to understand SOME of what they say (eg they don't appreciate being attacked just for who they voted for) I felt uneasy with how angry some of them still are. They got what they wanted, and they are still angry.

 

[MadamSarcastra]

Just out of curiosity, I've been hanging out on another site and reading the political thread, which has a large number of Trump supporters voicing their opinions. While I'm able to understand SOME of what they say (eg they don't appreciate being attacked just for who they voted for) I felt uneasy with how angry some of them still are. They got what they wanted, and they are still angry.

Yeah, it takes a special kind of mentality to be angry at everything & everyone, ALL the time.

 

[FortyTwo]

Still, if his underlings were to change the same-sex marriage law despite what The Donald has now said, then that would make him look a bit stupid.

I hate to be a big 'ol pessimist, but I think if the guy was terribly concerned with whether or not he looked stupid, we'd be in a very different situation right now.

The idea that Obama "failed" is a vicious Republican lie that's been fed to the masses who hate him for being black, because it gives them an "acceptable" reason to hate him. "I'm not racist, he failed and let the country down."

The truth is, HE DIDN'T FAIL. He turned the economy around, added thousands of jobs, and gave healthcare to millions of people who desperately needed it and had no other way to get it. The Republicans have downplayed and dismissed every single one of Obama's successes because they want people to think of him as a failed president.

Exactly. He got a lot accomplished and what he didn't accomplish is mostly due to the tantrums Republican legislators had every time he tried to do something.

Yes! Do it! Don't let this go unchallenged! Remember, while this particular person may be beyond hope, there may be others reading who can still be won over.

I agree with this. You should consider your mental health and well-being first, of course, but now more than ever is the time to call out peoples' hideous viewpoints.

A beautiful, and heartbreaking, tribute to Leonard Cohen and Hillary Clinton on SNL.

As much as I dislike Clinton as a person and as much as SNL as a program annoys me, this got to me something awful. The McKinnon/Baldwin skits were some of the best things to come out of the election season and really kept me going during the madness of it all. Combine that with Cohen's death and the fact that Hallelujah is one of my favorite songs, and, well... you get the idea.

 

[FortyTwo]

Just out of curiosity, I've been hanging out on another site and reading the political thread, which has a large number of Trump supporters voicing their opinions. While I'm able to understand SOME of what they say (eg they don't appreciate being attacked just for who they voted for) I felt uneasy with how angry some of them still are. They got what they wanted, and they are still angry.

Please, don't buy into their whining even a shred. They chose to attack the defenseless with their vote. Any backlash they receive from this will likely be a millionth of the consequence this will have on everyone who a Donald Presidency will affect the most.

Trust that feeling of unease. This is not normal.

 

[MadamSarcastra]

Just got the latest New Yorker in the mail.... here's the cover:

 

[Katrina]

Please, don't buy into their whining even a shred. They chose to attack the defenseless with their vote. Any backlash they receive from this will likely be a millionth of the consequence this will have on everyone who a Donald Presidency will affect the most.

Trust that feeling of unease. This is not normal.

I'm usually pretty good at playing the devil's advocate, but I give up this time. I feel deeply uneasy with their reaction to the other side. They're angry because they want the other side to just shut up and deal with it. Putting on a peaceful protest is "being a baby," and disliking the election results is "being intolerant." That's really messed up. This might sound like an inaccurate or overly dramatic comparison, but that attitude reminds me of how abusers treat their victims. "How dare you not like what I'm doing...something is wrong with you, not me...."

 

[FortyTwo]

What I want to know is, when Obama was elected - which was a very mild scenario compared to this dumpster fire, regardless of your political beliefs - where was that 'stop whining and accept the results' rhetoric they seem to be so fond of? Obama has faced so much needless and unwarranted opposition from even moderate Republicans over his two terms that this criticism seems absolutely ridiculous.

 

[kita]

I wouldn't waste my time. There is nothing you can say that will change her mind, or get through to her in the least, and you'll end up even more frustrated and angry.

I agree. There are many times I have just stopped responding to posts. I'll usually go one response and then that's it. It's not worth your own mental health dealing with these people. The best way is to not even read their last post. That's what I do.

 

[MadamSarcastra]

I agree. There are many times I have just stopped responding to posts. I'll usually go one response and then that's it. It's not worth your own mental health dealing with these people. The best way is to not even read their last post. That's what I do.

Well said. Yeah, I'll be livid for all the right reasons, not because some bigoted imbecile is trying to egg me on. LOL

 

[Mischief]

But can't I respond and still take the high road if I choose my words carefully?

You can. Just don't expect it to make a difference.

 

[Mischief]

Teacher Allegedly Threatens Black Students With Call to Trump 'to Get You Sent Back to Africa'

 

[Mischief]

How Trump Is Bringing the Alt-Right to the White House

 

[FortyTwo]

You can. Just don't expect it to make a difference.

This is unfortunately true. I am of the opinion though that unless you have something big to lose, fighting back is always worth it.

In essence - if you fight back in this way, don't expect it to change her mind, but fighting back does help create the necessary impression that this **** will not be tolerated.