Since the 2016 election, I've been saying that electing Trump was akin to setting a fire in the forest to clear out the deadwood and let new things grow. I think it's functioning that way. It's been revealing. For years we complained about corrupt aspects of government and society but, deep down, we didn't believe it. We needed this magnifying glass on the leaf pile to see the ugly truth of what our country has become. The trick will be to fill the vacuum that will occur whenTrump leaves with positively. We don't start that by gloating, we start that by reaching out. I encourage everyone to make random acts of kindness a priority. The fault, as Shakespeare said, is not in our stars, but in ourselves. We all need to focus on loving our enemies and on being better people. That's a pretty good starting point.
Denise, that's a beautiful sentiment. That said, I don't expect people who were wronged to love their enemies. I wouldn't expect black men to suddenly love the white cops who kneel on their necks and shoot them for no reason other than race. It has to start with an apology, and likely at government level. When the government says "we did you wrong" that's as good a first step as any, I think. Whether or not that happens is another topic. But, the rest of us, the ones caught in the middle watching -- we can make some efforts to change the tone that permeates public spaces.
What surprised me the most wasn't the lack of a landslide, it was how surprised and disappointed other people were. The reason he was elected in the first place is still there. We might have managed to find enough support to change the leader but the moral core of the country remains divided. I feel very sad for the woman in the small town. It will take empathy to heal these rifts- empathy that might not be available to some. Thanks for your thoughts. I always read your posts.
Since the 2016 election, I've been saying that electing Trump was akin to setting a fire in the forest to clear out the deadwood and let new things grow. I think it's functioning that way. It's been revealing. For years we complained about corrupt aspects of government and society but, deep down, we didn't believe it. We needed this magnifying glass on the leaf pile to see the ugly truth of what our country has become. The trick will be to fill the vacuum that will occur whenTrump leaves with positively. We don't start that by gloating, we start that by reaching out. I encourage everyone to make random acts of kindness a priority. The fault, as Shakespeare said, is not in our stars, but in ourselves. We all need to focus on loving our enemies and on being better people. That's a pretty good starting point.
Denise, that's a beautiful sentiment. That said, I don't expect people who were wronged to love their enemies. I wouldn't expect black men to suddenly love the white cops who kneel on their necks and shoot them for no reason other than race. It has to start with an apology, and likely at government level. When the government says "we did you wrong" that's as good a first step as any, I think. Whether or not that happens is another topic. But, the rest of us, the ones caught in the middle watching -- we can make some efforts to change the tone that permeates public spaces.
What surprised me the most wasn't the lack of a landslide, it was how surprised and disappointed other people were. The reason he was elected in the first place is still there. We might have managed to find enough support to change the leader but the moral core of the country remains divided. I feel very sad for the woman in the small town. It will take empathy to heal these rifts- empathy that might not be available to some. Thanks for your thoughts. I always read your posts.