Saturday night, as I sat here watching President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris come out on stage in Delaware and address the nation, I confess some tears welled in my eyes. My chest swelled with pride as Biden spoke to the “folks” about healing and unity. He is kind and decent, and good.
(I want to add that as much as I respect Joe, I love his wife Jill. She’s a force to be reckoned with! I would’ve been just as happy to see her run for office and win.)
Anyway, as Jill Biden & Kamala’s spouse Doug (heh) joined them on stage, I felt some uneasy stirrings in my stomach. I’m not the type to pray but I did say quietly, “God please watch over them.” There are 70 million Americans who did not want this, and that’s a very frightening thing.
I laid in bed that night and thought “This would’ve been so much better if it had been a landslide.” Not to gloat to die-hard Trump supporters, but to show Donald Trump our country had come to it’s senses.
America had seen thru his barrage of hoaxes and conspiracies, and villifying entire countries like Mexico or religions like Islam.
But it turns out, half of us hadn’t. Trump has more supporters in 2020 than he did in 2016. 71 million. How? He’s never hidden the awfulness of who he was.
I think I understood better this morning, when (taking a break from the news) I watched Star Trek V: The Undiscovered Country. Bear with me!
In the movie, Klingon’s moon Praxis explodes (from years of excessive mining of it’s ore). This ore is what powered their ships & homeworld; in months they will freeze to death, if they don’t starve first.
(I see the Klingons as Trump supporters, and their moon Praxis is... Fox News.)
The Federation (Democratic Party) wants to help, and sees this as a chance for unification. They order Captain Kirk (Joe Biden) to escort the Klingon Chancellor to peace talks on Earth. Kirk complies, but is unhappy about it. He is NOT a fan of Republicans—I mean Klingons. But after meeting the Klingon Chancellor, Kirk second guesses his feelings; the Chancellor shares the same dreams for unity & peace as the Federation.
A reader of Earth’s Shakespeare, the Chancellor compares their future to Hamlet’s “Undiscovered Country”.
Tragically, the Chancellor is assassinated. The Klingon Empire blames Kirk and the Chancellor’s daughter takes her father’s place at the peace talks on Earth.
Soon, chaos erupts—and the Chancellor’s daughter and President of Earth are close to being killed. When it’s discovered that a small group of humans AND Klingons (Democrats and Republicans) conspired to murder the Chancellor and cause this mayhem, the Chancellor’s daughter is outraged, mystified—“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF ALL OF THIS?”
Captain Kirk tells her “People can be very frightened of change.”
And that’s what I choose to believe, maybe not for all but for most. How else could so many avert their eyes from Donald Trump’s hatred these last 4 years? All we can do is hope more of his followers try to see that Captain Kirk—I mean President Biden—is on their side, and join the rest of us in looking ahead with hope.
Man, I am such a nerd!
Reading any more about the election is exhausting. Cannot handle the verbiage that is part of the America air.
ReplyDeleteWell Susan, I think I'm done... for awhile, at least :)
DeleteLove your ST description of it. I think that series has a lot to say about situations where people's cultures and world views are diametrically opposed. I also am furious and disbelieving over those millions who knowingly voted for Trump. I fear of the threats from the far right and even our own politicians to invalidate or violently protest this legal election. I want to be happy and celebrate instead!
ReplyDeleteMargaret, like I've said before, you have a way with words--everything you said here, agreed, agreed! Thank you!
DeleteNo "of." :)
ReplyDeleteHaha--got it :)
DeleteYou are amazing, Doug. This was so much fun to read. You know I feel as you do. I know people (friends and relatives) who voted for Trump. They see just one thing (abortion or whatever) and have blinders to everything else. I worry. We are deeply divided as a nation and Trump has encouraged all the worst inclinations in people. Sigh...
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Favorite Kay--I very much appreciate your input and yes, YES--"blinders to everything else"! I see that same thing in a couple of my "Trump leaning" friends! And sadly, I agree about Trump's awful encouragements. I'll match your sigh... but at least I've gotten to know and become friends with great people like you :)
DeleteI haven't watched Star Trek in decades, but that scene does sound vaguely familiar and rather appropriate for these times.
ReplyDeleteI don't think lives are in danger though, I think people will come to their senses before it comes to that.
Thank you River, I VERY much hope so...
DeleteI worried about President Obama's safety when he was first elected, Doug. Now I'm a little concerned for president-elect Bidden. However, along with kind hearts, they are both made of brave and stalwart stuff!
ReplyDeleteThanks Florence, I love "brave and stalwart". I just hope they're EXTRA careful for awhile, at least...
DeleteI think a lot of people liked the images of his wealth, the clothing, the homes, etc.
ReplyDeleteWell, he inherited his fortune, he's not a self-made man... he's also 400 million in debt and probably in bigger trouble than we know. I just see a gold-plated bully and loser, Gigi.
DeleteNow you make me want to watch that movie again. Been a while. I have found a lot like Kay that a bunch of Republican voters were single issue voters and kind of ignored the vessel it came in. Those who were blindly loyal to Trump above all issues do worry me.
ReplyDeletePatti, it seems like I'm seeing that more & more too. People who have ONE item on their agenda, as long as it's being handled, grin & bear the rest. That's a godawful compromise of values... as Kay would say, sigh! I wish I had more answers.
Delete“If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, you ain’t black.”
ReplyDelete"There are probably anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of the people out there who are just not very good people, but that’s not who we are."
“People who support the president … really support the notion that, you know, all Mexicans are rapists and all Muslims are bad and … dividing this nation based on ethnicity, race.”
“There’s about 100,000 of them who are the predators. 100,000 of the kids you read about on the front page of the newspaper every day.”
These quotes and many more by President Elect Biden are why I now take his "healing and unity" statements now with a large grain of salt. I guess it will take some time for me to believe that the Biden speaking now is not and won't be the Biden I have heard speaking for the last two decades. As an political independent, I seem to remember these sorts of things while staunch supporters of both political parties are quick to overlook them.
The 100,000 quote is taken out of context--all you have to do is google it. I already get that you're neither party Ed & I respect that, but the fact is Trump is a godawful piece of shit monster on heroin and Biden is a real human being who's made some honest mistakes.
DeleteI don't know how to respond to that statement. To me, wanting healing and unity is not calling someone a piece of shit monster on heroin, no matter who they are. I'm new to your blog and I like your passion for Biden but perhaps my different view points aren't really welcome. I'm sorry if I offended you.
DeleteEd you haven't offended me, and I don't want to offend you--but I'm not going to sit here and say ONE POSITIVE THING ABOUT DONALD TRUMP. He IS a monster. But I see no comparison between Trump & Biden. And I don't want my blog used as someone else's platform to cast doubt on Biden's character. I'm sure I asked for this, posting my respect & appreciation for Joe Biden. All I know is, Trump LOST. Joe Biden is our new president. And I very much hope New York dump's Trump's corrupt ass into prison.
DeleteBiden is infamous for putting his foot in his mouth, but the fact is that he can value unity without believing that he's going to reach every fascistic moron out there. For starters, being reached requires intelligence, openness, and goodwill, qualities that are lacking in Trumpian true believers.
DeleteWell, you certainly have gotten a whole lotta comments over this one, Doug. I too am worried about the country, and I did watch that Star Trek years ago, and believe that good will win out, as it did in the movie. But it may take a good long while before our world returns to something close to normal.
ReplyDeleteDJan I certainly have, and a few unintended ones as well. But as a Democrat, I’m not feeling very victorious right now, more worry than anything. But I do believe good will win out too, I liked you said that. :)
DeleteLike you, I teared-up while watching Biden and Harris, and I was as discouraged as you by the number of people who, even after four years of daily outrages, voted for Trump. I was also discouraged by the fact that his supporters tend to be white Christians who are undeterred by ANY amount of hypocrisy. However, it's mystery to me how people who hate change, would vote for a man who thrives on chaos, a man who often fires people within weeks hiring them, a man for whom nothing is ever once and forever settled, a man for whom everyday marks an unprecedented low in stupidity and immorality, a man whom has done his utmost to destroy our 250-year-old democracy. All I can conclude is that such people believe his BS about Biden putting an end to religion and turning the country into a Communist dictatorship. I know that the average Trump supporter LOOKS like you and I, but I also know that the average Trump supporter is a poorly educated racist and xenophobe who keeps his dial on Fox. Still, it's a mystery to me that 71-million people would vote for a dictator wannabe in the name of restoring America to a state that never existed, but that came the closest to existence back when white men ruled and everyone else was screwed. This is surely more than a coincidence.
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