Then and Now, *A reflection of an unpublished post from 2016*

 *Originally typed shortly after 2016 Presidential Election, but not posted*

HATE WON - FEAR WON - TRUMP WON  

Most of us according to the popular vote were let down Nov. 8th, 2016. I like many Americans sat back and watched the polling coverage with certainty that when the urban area reported in Pennsylvania, Michigan and the Latino vote was reported in Florida that Clinton would have a commanding lead. I assured my wife, who was watching nervously along with me, that everything was okay. I explained the electoral college and how that Trump didn't have a numerical path to victory. 

          When they called Florida for Trump, I was surprised but not disheartened. It never occurred to                me that he would win. There wouldn't be enough of "them" to vote him in. By "them" I was                    referring to the uneducated, white, rural voter. I believed that the evangelical vote would be split              between good hearted Christians who wouldn't support a man like him and the other half set in                their views on saving the unborn babies from abortion. 

          Then North Carolina, Pennsylvania and the rust belt fell. How? She was clearly the best and
          most qualified person to EVER run for the office of president. She won all three debates. She 
          talked about her policies and his lack of policies. She pointed out his misogyny, his racism, 
          his incompetence and his horrible temperament. He's orange! He attacked all of those women!
          He is being accused of child rape! Melania stole Michelle's speech! Obama is so cool! Mike 
          Pence is a horrible man, who believes in conversion therapy for gay people. Pence sounds like
          an evangelical minister. I'm terrified of them! 
  
          I thought that our country as a whole had created a new standard of civility. A society that was 
          now reflected in the Campbell's soup ads portraying America, gay couples, interracial couples,
          Latino families, multi-generational families all sitting down for meals together. Gay marriage 
          was no longer talked about by political parties as needing to be overturned. They had moved on 
          to protecting religious liberty instead. Although still homophobic, I saw it as a fight that "they" 
          had conceded. Women were CEO's of companies, heads of state in our world. A woman was
          at the top of the ticket for President of the United States. Wow, we had come so far. 

          I saw Trump as the "last stand" of the old, white, 1950's America. He was the product of eight
         years of the Republican party's obstruction to Obama. The hateful response to the first African
         American President. "They" were scared of the browning of America and wanted everyone to
         know. Progress doesn't pull everyone forward. It was leaving some behind. I thought it was 
         because they didn't jump on the progress train. I never realized that the train to progress never 
         even passed through their town. 
   
         I've lived through worse times than these. I grew up as a gay girl in a small southern town. I had 
         a fortunate situation of two parents, two incomes, a roof over my head, good education, never
        went hungry. I lived through the Reagan administration, AIDS crisis, the Challenger explosion, 
        both Bush presidencies, Monica Lewinsky scandal, 911, the Iraq war, Jerry Falwell, 

        and James Dobson with his hurtful books on disciplining children. 

        Through the bad times there was also a lot of progress and bright spots. Television began 
        placing more women in nontraditional roles. Societal issues were discussed on television shows
        and talk shows like The Golden Girls, Donahue, Oprah, Seinfeld, and Friends. MTV debuted, 
        and with them, cultural change was happening. So many numerous iconic musical geniuses                      arrived on the scene, with MTV and the major television as their stage. The ones that influenced              my young life were Madonna, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, nearly all the 80's hair bands,            but mostly Aerosmith. Music defined my generation with videos that pushed society's comfort                zone on religion, sex, gender roles and women's rights. Trump can't take that back. ~Off to bury 

        my head in the sand for four years. 


    Today I write a reflection of my unpublished post above. Sadly, Trump was elected again. America 

    didn't learn from her past. Rather, the Trump camp, after a disastrous first term, learned exactly 

    what they would need to do to take another election and strategically, created a plan and were even

    willing to allow it to be made public. Project 2025. It reads like a manifesto. Thought up by the 

    destructive Heritage Foundation, it is an outline of their dreams of how to bring their terror 

    into reality. To assert authoritarian control over education, religion, immigration, women's rights, 

    LGBTQ rights, climate control and taking away the power of the people and from government. 

    Despite his vile, misogynistic, transphobic, xenophobic and racial slurs, his supporters love him. 

    Maybe because he says whey they think, but can't say themselves? Why else? He stands up for the 

    little guy. Yes, little you are. This second term has wars, more assassination attempts, more 

    vile one liner's and him showing everyone the worst of who he and the conservatives can be. 

    This term is a brazen attempt of the white nationalists, fueled by racism and hate for anything that 

    isn't white, male and heterosexual and MAGA Christian to be removed from society. 

    Yet, there is something else happening. The system that used him to build this resistance is crumb-

    ling around him and looking for their next chump to exalt to power. Where will they find another 

    serial narcissist like Trump? They will! Maybe Hegseth? Maybe another right winger who thinks 

    he is chosen by God to take down the sins of the world and bring about the resurrection. It is not              untrue that Trump was chosen by God. Of course God chose Trump. He chose him to show everyone 

    the sins of greed, lust, gluttony, pride, envy, wrath, and sloth. He chose Trump to show what the              devil is not, he is not humble, charitable, pure, kind, patient, diligent or demonstrative of temperance. 

  

    He also chose Trump to reveal the Christians who also do not practice these same Holy Virtues and        those Christians that do. Look for the latter. You will know them by their fruits. Helping the poor, the      homeless, welcoming the immigrant, helping the sick, the elderly. Preaching God's love to the                marginalized, the ones who Jesus spent his days in human flesh ministering to. Look for the helpers,      the kind ones, the ones showing grace, humility and patience. Look for the peacemakers, the humble.      There you will find Jesus. 

HATE LOST - FEAR LOST - GOD WON

    In these trying times, with pure evil in the most powerful position in the world, do not be afraid. 

    Do not fear. God is in control; this is his plan. The story has already been written, God Won!