Deeply moving essay from wife of a Trump supporter.

[yellowstone123]

“Depending on whom you ask” is irrelevant based on the conclusion made prior.

My apologies for not being clearer, but I'm afraid you misread me: I offered no conclusion. I tried to explain how folks could perceive 'damage' that persisted after Trump's first term ended, which is the reason I included the phrase 'depending on whom you ask.' Perhaps it would have been clearer if I had put that at the beginning of the sentence? *shrug*

Thank you, Bret. No apologies needed. At times sentence derangement syndrome seems to occur when I’m reading a post. I need to slow down, reread, and see if there is something I missed.

[Some Schmo]

Everything you said made me roll my eyes because of what I know about the world. I don't see the point trying to explain it all to you. As this thread is about, why try discussing anything with such ignorant people? All of the evidence against your post is out there, but you've chosen to willfully ignore it, which is what willful ignorance is.

So what do you think of the extreme hyper-snowflake-ism that was showcased in the opening post?

I don't know what you're talking about. Everything the woman wrote in her article was perfectly reasonable. You think I'm a snowflake, Shades?

The question I wonder is what people think of the stupidity and hyper-willful-ignorance about Trumpism that led to him being reelected. That's the real mystery.

[Dr. Shades]

So what do you think of the extreme hyper-snowflake-ism that was showcased in the opening post?

I don't know what you're talking about.

I'm talking about the conduct that the woman in the opening post reported.

Everything the woman wrote in her article was perfectly reasonable.

I disagree. I think it's a symptom of hyper-snowflake-ism, especially considering how they lived through it once before and came out of it O.K.

You think I'm a snowflake, Shades?

That depends. Like her musician son and his songwriter girlfriend, did you quit creating? Like her nieces, are you terrified? Like her Ukrainian friend, are you petrified? Like her sister, did you have a panic attack and have to leave work? Like her student, did you reschedule an appointment because you just couldn't function?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above, then you're a snowflake.

The question I wonder is what people think of the stupidity and hyper-willful-ignorance about Trumpism that led to him being reelected. That's the real mystery.

Ask someone who voted for Trump and get the mystery solved.

[Kishkumen]

I certainly don't. All these people completely forgot that Trump was President once before, and the world didn't magically come to an end.

I feel like I have walked into a conversation about contemporary Neo-Nazism in Germany to hear, “Why are you freaking out? It’s not like Germany ceased to exist! There’s still a Germany, no?”

[Dr. Shades]

I certainly don't. All these people completely forgot that Trump was President once before, and the world didn't magically come to an end.

I feel like I have walked into a conversation about contemporary Neo-Nazism in Germany to hear, “Why are you freaking out? It’s not like Germany ceased to exist! There’s still a Germany, no?”

That's a little extreme. How much different is your life now thanks solely to Trump's first term (and no other factors)?

[Kishkumen]

That's a little extreme. How much different is your life now thanks solely to Trump's first term (and no other factors)?

Dude, I live in effing Florida. Trumpism has emboldened Republicans in Florida to attack higher education, which I happen to work in. So, my life, as privileged as it is, is a helluva lot more stressful and uncertain than it was. We have lost tenure, which we earned fair and square. We just found out that the Republicans don't think that Greek History and Roman History should be General Education courses, whereas Mythology should be. I mean, there is so much that is cockeyed and stupid because of Trumpism. There is a single nutcase in Florida, a private citizen, who has gotten 900 books removed from Florida public school libraries. I am not going to spend my good time educating you on something so simple as the consequences of rewarding and emboldening loonies.

The problem that I have with your attitude is that you can't see the principle at stake beyond what you see as the extreme. The loss of the principle leads to the extreme. That's the reason for bringing the extreme up--to show you where such things actually could lead. Do I think that Trump will be gassing Jews by the end of January? No. Indeed, he may never do that. But that is not the point of a comparison or analogy. The point is to try to show you the kinds of bad things that could very well happen. As for me, I see Bladerunner world being a more likely outcome than Hitler's Germany, but then I don't want that either.

[Some Schmo]

That depends. Like her musician son and his songwriter girlfriend, did you quit creating? Like her nieces, are you terrified? Like her Ukrainian friend, are you petrified? Like her sister, did you have a panic attack and have to leave work? Like her student, did you reschedule an appointment because you just couldn't function?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above, then you're a snowflake.

As I mentioned before, you remain daft. It's like you've been asleep from 2015 till now. Yeah, we survived his first term (although half a million didn't because of his bungled COVID response - just one example of his gross incompetence that should terrify everyone) but that was before he was emboldened by the Supreme Court with presidential immunity.

And your ignorance on the Ukraine situation is criminally negligent. It's like you've never heard of NATO or what its for.

Again, that's the most explanation you're going to get out of me (and I already regret explaining this much to you, because I know it won't register). There are many more reasons to be terrified by giving Trump that much power, but clearly, they are too complex and over your head.

[ceeboo]

My Husband And His Family Voted For Trump — So I'm Canceling Thanksgiving And Christmas

The husband needs to seriously consider canceling his marriage with you.

I I wrote to my young nieces, who were terrified, and told them I was there for them.

Affirming their "terror" isn't being there for young family members. It is complete failure to not react in a rational adult manner when such an adult is the very thing that is desperately needed FOR THE BENEFIT of our youth experiencing these types of troubling emotions/feelings.

I kept writing.

That's very unfortunate.

I received a message from a family member who told me her Ukrainian friend was petrified. Another message came in from an actor friend who said she was afraid that the damage that will be done in the next four years could never be undone. One of my sisters wrote and said she had a panic attack and had to leave work. One of my students rescheduled our afternoon appointment saying she just couldn’t function.

Were these messages dated September 11, 2001? Surely, these messages can't possibly be about the results of a recent Presidential election.

Later that night, I briefly glanced at my husband and found myself not wanting to look into the eyes I love. I hated this divide. I wanted to touch his forearms and feel our connection, but I also felt an urge to punish him and deny him my touch.

Yeah, he needs to seriously consider his marriage and who he is married to.

“I am sorry about the holidays, but I cannot bite my tongue like I did with Hillary,” I told him. “I don’t want to disrespect your parents or your brother and his family in their home, or our home, so it’s best this way. No scenes. You can go see them.

Your desire to not want to disrespect anybody is entirely irrelevant, you have completely and totally disrespected your husband and your husband's family. Such behavior is extremely selfish, unnecessary, and you should be confronted for acting in such a selfish, immature, and divisive manner.

Seriously — I will not be in a room of 15 people who voted for Trump.”

I would be willing to bet that these 15 people would be fine being in a room with you. That is an extremely significant contrast worth serious thought.

But I will not give thanks and hold hands in a circle with people......

If you have things to be thankful for - you should give thanks, period. If you love the people, you should be willing to hold their hands no matter what their pollical leanings happen to be.

[Some Schmo]

ceeboo provides another example of just how dumb your average Trump voter is. They think they should be able to do whatever they want and suffer no consequences, apparently. Thanks ceeboo.

[Kishkumen]

As I mentioned before, you remain daft. It's like you've been asleep from 2015 till now. Yeah, we survived his first term (although half a million didn't because of his bungled COVID response - just one example of his gross incompetence that should terrify everyone) but that was before he was emboldened by the Supreme Court with presidential immunity.

And your ignorance on the Ukraine situation is criminally negligent. It's like you've never heard of NATO or what its for.

Again, that's the most explanation you're going to get out of me (and I already regret explaining this much to you, because I know it won't register). There are many more reasons to be terrified by giving Trump that much power, but clearly, they are too complex and over your head.

I have to say I find a lot of Shades' political responses both disappointing and revealing. Whenever I feel prompted to ask how someone could be a libertarian, I should pull up Shades' contributions to these threads.