Don’t Hide Behind Love
Whatever it is you’re seeking won’t come in the form you’re expecting. ~Haruki Murakami
Trump house Youngstown, PA 2016
I believe, respecting the opinions of others is the first step to living in peace and understanding. I’m not saying accepting morally wrong choices and actions, or approving criminal activity. No. Those are simply wrong and should not be tolerated or even considered. There are many opinions and different ways of handling situations, some better than others. Everyone working for the betterment of the people with truly good intentions, needs to be given a chance. Let’s face it, the best way to handle a problem is to work together to find a solution, not create more problems.
Sure everyone has a right to protest and speak their voice, but when it’s done as a temper tantrum with complete disrespect, and then done alongside criminal activity, it’s simply wrong. It’s abuse of a right. Naturally, I’m referring to all the riots surrounding our President Elect Donald Trump.
The protesters are speaking for women’s right, immigration reform, and healthcare issues, among others. At least that’s what their signs say and it appears on the surface. Yes, those are some problems plaguing our country and certainly hot topics. Agreed. However, those topics are going to be addressed from our new president, at least that’s what’s promised. It’s certainly not going to happen through violent and anger.
When it comes down to it, the protesters are displaying a complete lack of respect for our voting process, its citizens, and the American way. Let’s cut to the chase, the protesters, are only mad because their candidate didn’t win. End of story. There wouldn’t be any riots if the outcome were different and yet, we’d have the same problems. In fact, no one was rioting regarding those issues with our current administration. These problems didn’t just surface. They’re the same issues our president elect will be inheriting because our past administration didn’t address the problems properly or successfully. Donald Trump didn’t cause them. Sure his solutions seem a bit unconventional, but maybe that’s what we need turn our country around.
To make things worse, Trump supporters have been attacked and physically beaten nearly to death. Is that right way to handle your opinion? No. That’s taking those voters’ rights, and their right to basically live freely in the United States, the land of the free. That’s just plain wrong. Now to add more to this injustice, the protesters are looting and destroying personal and commercial property. This is insane. How are those actions solving any problems? It’s not. It’s only creating more problems without solutions. Common sense needs to be reviewed and noted. Those actions are hidden under one reason, but are really for selfish, destructive and disrespectful reasons that resemble anarchy, not what this nation stands for. Get the irony?
The sad part? Many of the protesters interviewed didn’t even vote! What is wrong with these people? Fighting for rights is good. Leading with emotion is not wrong, but it is when it takes over common sense and breaks laws. The protesters are basically saying my vote was not important, and only their opinion should be heard. That’s also saying those that give respect and obey laws shouldn’t have a vote, or be bullied for different opinions? I thought we lived in a Republic and not a dictatorship? That’s not only disrespectful for the winner, Donald Trump, who won fair and square, but it’s also insulting to those who supported and voted for him, which was the majority.
It’s also a shame that we live in a society that doesn’t know how to loose and take it gracefully. Basically, a society that’s never been told NO. They think they have the right because they can scream and shout, throw a punch and steal at random. No one is benefiting from their wasted energy, and they’re only showing they’re a bunch of spoiled brats. I personally know those types of people, that throw a tantrum when they’re told NO or proven wrong. They’re also the type that needs to be humbled and never given power, because if they do, they abuse it.
Personally, I didn’t vote for Obama, neither time, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt, both times. I was willing to work with our new leader for the betterment of our country. There wasn’t major chaos when he was voted in, and yet he wasn’t liked by everyone.
A few months ago, I read the book The Girls by Emma Cline. Just to give an overview, it’s a fictional book interweaving a young girl, Evie, among the actions of the Manson family. Really a neat twist. It’s told through Evie’s eyes as an adult, recollecting those days. I’ve also read Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry. Both books tell the accounts of the Manson family and their facade of being peace loving children. However, what really happened? That love was disguised as pure hate and selfishness. Manson came across as loving and free at first, yet his underlying true nature slowly worked its way out, in the form of hate, resulting in murder, control and abuse of youngsters. If Manson got his own way and became a rock star and was praised in the media, like he wanted, then possibly history would’ve been written differently. Instead, Manson threw a temper tantrum, an extreme one, and he was the louder voice to recruit others, who followed him without using common sense. Sound familiar? Mason wanted attention like a child and wanted his own way.
The American flag standing proudly. Taken in Texas, 2016
Instead of wasting energies for negative rioting, vandalism and violence, use it to support a good cause, comfort someone who lost a family member or friend to a terminal illness, adopt a pet, volunteer with the elderly, or spend your Saturday mornings picking up trash to make America beautiful and clean instead of being the cause of the trash.
Our soon to be president is already moving in a positive direction. It’s no secret our country and it’s people are in a financial rut, to put it mildly. Donald Trump has already announced he will take office without a salary. That alone says a lot to his true purpose of wanting to help our country. The stupid, and I meant that, rioters should be happy. Mr. Trump is already becoming a solution. Did any other president ever deny a salary? It’s not like Mr. Trump was pressured, he voluntary gave up it up. The rioters are so self-centered, they don’t even want to hear positive aspects of our future.
I’m not a very loud person, figuratively speaking. (I can be loud when talking and joking around.) I prefer to show my stance through actions, not words, ironic since I’m writing this. (I totally see the humor). But it’s true, I’ll support a candidate or a cause, I’ll join The Race for the Cure and I’ll join any fundraiser, as long as my actions help a cause. I don’t ever want to be a problem or the cause of a problem. I try to make a difference through my actions, which do speak louder.
I’ve said this before the election, it really appears that history is repeating itself. These events remind me when Abraham Lincoln was voted into office. Not that I was alive during that time, but I’ve studied the Civil War in depth in college and I’m a big history buff. The south did the same thing, with riots, vandalism, violence and even disrespecting our great country enough to secede. Let’s learn from our past. It didn’t end well for anyone back in 1860s, and if this action continues, it won’t end on a positive note for anyone presently.
President Obama and Hillary Clinton have both stood up and publicly and sincerely announced they are standing behind the vote of the American people. They’ve all asked for a stop to the violence. This goes to show those rioting simply want to have something to yell about with no respect to anyone, even their candidate. They want to say something, but don’t have anything to say. Is this generation so attention starved?
What is unfolding before my eyes is exactly the behavior I’ve always taught again with Kyle. However, I started to teach him these lessons when he was a little tyke. Maybe, the protestors need to be schooled and scaled like a child.
When it comes down to it, I’ve always said a prayer for our president elect, and for the people of the world. I’m not blind to know he’s just a man, who’s made mistakes and will continue to do so, but he does deserve our respect until proven to not act in our best interests. I bet a moment of silence and prayer would move more mountains than yelling and destroying.
God Bless the U.S.A.!
