Politics and Friendship

[Alan]

I went to the big annual book sale this year at the state fairgrounds in mid February.....it's something I look forward to every year as it's basically Christmas for book loving introverts. Anyway, when I left I walked over to a bus stop outside the fairgrounds. I passed a booth giving out free t-shirts......there was a time in my life when basic clothes were very dear to me and I'm not one to forget this. But I passed up the free t-shirt. It said TRUMP on it and I couldn't justify wearing it, even if it was for free and even if I only used it for yard work or painting. Trump has just said too many scary things for me to take a freebie from his campaign, and given my economic background, that truly is an insult. Rob

I think there's probably just too many ways to arrange letters, we could use more very strict rules in that regard. If they're arranged improperly on our clothing or yard signs they're a threat to our well being and may even cause our neighbors to fear us.
The same should apply to symbols or images. I propose going forward we only allow images of Che Guevera on our t-shirts. His legacy is such a source of inspiration to many who fear that Republicans may line them up against a wall and execute them.

[rosarugosa]

I have friends that span the spectrum from Trump to Cruz to Clinton to Sanders. I guess I can live with a diversity of viewpoints, although I am squarely in the Sanders camp myself. I would never be able to vote for Hillary and I'm amazed she has done so well given her low ratings for trust and integrity.
The guy across the street has a Trump bumper sticker, but a few years ago I helped him rescue a bunch of ducklings that had fallen into a storm drain, and he risked serious injury to save them.
The folks I know who support Trump are frightened - of ISIS, of 9/11 type events, and Trump somehow seems to offer them reassurance and safety.
Hey Rob, there's some irony there, don't you think? A different take on The Fear Factor.
We are pretty complex creatures, and apparently candidates can appeal to different voters for different reasons.

[gimmethesimplelife]

I have friends that span the spectrum from Trump to Cruz to Clinton to Sanders. I guess I can live with a diversity of viewpoints, although I am squarely in the Sanders camp myself. I would never be able to vote for Hillary and I'm amazed she has done so well given her low ratings for trust and integrity.
The guy across the street has a Trump bumper sticker, but a few years ago I helped him rescue a bunch of ducklings that had fallen into a storm drain, and he risked serious injury to save them.
The folks I know who support Trump are frightened - of ISIS, of 9/11 type events, and Trump somehow seems to offer them reassurance and safety.
Hey Rob, there's some irony there, don't you think? A different take on The Fear Factor.
We are pretty complex creatures, and apparently candidates can appeal to different voters for different reasons.

Thank You. Your post has really made me think. I honestly had not thought Trump supporters could be also coming from a place of fear. Yes indeed I see irony there. And I can also understand fearing 9/11 events.....I don't find that out there at all. My fears as I've droned on and on....not being worth health care so those at the top can be yet wealthier. Not having enough money to leave the US so that I don't have to work until death. Fear of the police and their excessive unchecked powers. I wonder if there is any overlap with Trump supporters fearing the same? Rob

[gimmethesimplelife]

I think there's probably just too many ways to arrange letters, we could use more very strict rules in that regard. If they're arranged improperly on our clothing or yard signs they're a threat to our well being and may even cause our neighbors to fear us.
The same should apply to symbols or images. I propose going forward we only allow images of Che Guevera on our t-shirts. His legacy is such a source of inspiration to many who fear that Republicans may line them up against a wall and execute them.

I get the point you are trying to make here Alan though the problem is the name Trump is scary to some part of the population. It just is, like it or not. No rationalization or explanation will make this go away. Trump chose to draw lines in the sand that would attract some and that would repel some - consider myself and most people I know in the latter camp. No one forced him to draw these lines - that was his choice. And here is a consequence of that choice. Complete and utter disgust and distrust in the 85006 (and other Phoenix zip codes but yes I'll give you certainly not all). Rob

[Williamsmith]

True friends don't argue about politics. Hell, they don't even discuss it. Now acquaintances get in fights every day.

[gimmethesimplelife]

True friends don't argue about politics. Hell, they don't even discuss it. Now acquaintances get in fights every day.

I would tend to agree with you. Where I live it's assumed you are a Democrat and some bonding is done with neighbors and people you know and don't know all that well about the latest Republican faux pas (nice way of putting it, no?) Certainly trashing Republicans is not the only thing people bond over, though. And the people closest to me know very well where I stand on things so there's much less need to discuss politics. Rob

[dmc]

I saw this posted elsewhere:

1944: 18 year olds storm the beach at Normandy facing almost certain death.

2016: 18 year olds need a safe place because words hurt their damn feelings.

i guess it's just not the 18 year olds that have a problem.

[Alan]

Certainly trashing Republicans is not the only thing people bond over, though.

Probably not, although I'm sure it saves a lot of time and provides a great foundation for long term relationships.

[Chicken lady]

dmc, maybe it's like the allergen theory - Kids have more allergies because their environments are cleaner and their bodies had no real germs to fight.

i really like republicans. I would probably really like Alan irl, but I mostly don't agree with them. Otoh, many of the people "on my side" drive me nuts. I have the same situation with gender.

[early morning]

I like some people all over the political spectrum, but not ALL of them.... I get along well with people who actually THINK about their political stance and have well-developed reasons for their beliefs, even if I don't agree. People of all sides who just parrot crap from FOX of HuffPo and are led by fear of whatever - they drive me nuts, even if they're ardent supporters of the candidates I support. I don't like the "my way or get out" types of any sort - that's not what this country is all about. I am a liberal, and an atheist, although I keep the later under wraps most of the time - it's not a safe thing to be here. Liberal is much safer, lol. But this is a very conservative township - for a while, I was one of only 6 registered Democrats. Then my kids reached voting age, DH dumped the Bush machine, and we almost doubled that count, lol. Now there are more of us, but it's still very conservative. My yard signs are stolen or defaced regularly. I've been run off the road (and I'm NOT a pansy driver!) twice. But nothing more drastic than that. I get along really well with the old local farmers - I grew up with old farmers so we speak the same lingo, though we don't farm. They are good, hard-working folk, and we have a tacit agreement to ignore politics. Religion, not so much.