It’s true that I do live in an area where almost everyone around me has similar political leanings. If yesterday’s post wasn’t an indication of that, I can’t image what is.
Honestly, if I had known that people of different political persuasions, ESPECIALLY people who still support Trump, read this blog, I would have written that differently. I would have asked those people to please explain to me why they still support him. Maybe if I could understand I wouldn’t feel so much anger.
Because I do feel anger. And yes, sometimes I feel hatred. Mostly the hatred is directed toward the actual lawmakers who are making the actual decisions. But I will admit, I don’t have a lot of understanding or empathy for people who support lawmakers who are doing everything they can to destroy the American Dream (and our planet) for all but a very narrow swath of the population (white, male, wealthy).
And as I recognized in my last post, I’m not proud of that. It’s not who I want to be. Martin Luther King Jr. said we have to love our enemy. I want to be able to do that, but I don’t know how. And I don’t know why I should when they are creating policy that destroys our planet, and people’s lives (and they’re doing it so a few white, wealthy males can be more wealthy).
Having said that I recognize that widening the divide with vitriolic language is not productive. I was ranting to an audience I believe was like minded. I was being honest about how I felt, recognizing that it wasn’t how I wanted to feel, and expressing my disappointment in myself for those feelings.
Trump supporters might say they don’t hate me, that they are the tolerant ones, but in my mind they support a man who embraces white supremacy, who enacts bans of people of a different religion, who calls all people from a neighboring country rapists and keeps their children in cages, who has shown no grief for the hundreds of millions of Americans who have died from a virus that he again, just recently, declared was nothing to be worried about. I don’t understand how they can do that without hating the people white supremacist hate, without hating the populations that are so deeply hurt by his actions. Maybe someone can explain that to me?
I know we say that the divide is too large, and maybe it is. But if we refuse to try we are a part of the problem. I was part of the problem when I wrote that post. I’m trying to correct that.
For all the people who were aghast at my last post, who felt their own hate toward me for voicing those feelings, I invite you to please explain to me why you still support Trump and the Republican party. I’m not talking about what the Republican Party used to be, because I believe when they officially failed to offer any policy platform besides “support Trump” (who has not articulated any specifically policy of his own, except to embrace white supremacy and fill state and federal courts with conservative judges) in 2020 the Republican Party of five years ago ceased to exist.
So if you can put aside your hatred of me to try to explain it to me, I would listen. If you can tell me actual policy that Republicans are pushing that you support, I would love to hear what it is. Of course you don’t have to engage here, after I proclaimed what amounts to my disdain for the people you support, and my lack of understanding toward you specifically. I would understand if you refused. But if you do want to help me see your point of view now, I am willing to listen.
Ugh. Trump supporters should be ashamed to admit they support him or they should stop watching Fox News which lies and pushes insane propaganda. Trump spent yesterday on Twitter in all caps demanding his political opponents be arrested. Trump supporters are pro-fascist and fascism is not an American value!
Trump supporters in my neighborhood don’t pick up after their dogs. One of them regularly floods my colleagues garage after he changed up his yard and refuses to get it fixed. They’re trying to take over our HOA because they’re mad the current board didn’t open the pool until they could protect themselves from lawsuits.
You can try to be a bigot whisperer but I’d rather focus my energy on the minorities who are being hurt and disenfranchised (and put in concentration camps and given unwanted historectomies) so that Trump voters have to keep quiet about their racism in polite company again.
If their feefees are hurt by your post yesterday then maybe they should learn some empathy for other people, even those with brown skin.
Which is to say: I DON’T live in a bubble and it’s even worse.
Did I mention that they refuse to wear masks indoors because covid isn’t real and shop owners are too afraid to enforce the law? So every errand is dangerous?
No, make trump voters ashamed so they at least behave well and keep their fascist racist selfish views to themselves. OMG. I can’t believe we’re still trying to save them. Maybe empathy can be taught to adults but who has time to try when there’s so much going wrong for people who aren’t fascist bigots.
In fairness, maybe we shouldn’t blame Trump supporters so much as we blame Fox News and other rightwing media for the misinformation.
I came late to yesterdays post…..I can only say your president is the laughing stock of the world (I live in the UK and follow US politics closely). Never, never did I think I would ever see such a president of the United States. He has brought the great office of state to its knees. It’s scary watching this from afar. I have visited the US on many occasions over the last 20 years, not sure I’ll ever be back. Too violent, too broken, too many guns for me now!
I can’t actually get my head around how this happened – the most powerful country on earth reduced to this! The TV debate last week was shocking in so many ways.
All your commentators mention healthcare, it’s astonishing that you can’t get some system organised that provides basic healthcare for everyone paid for by a tax at source from earnings. I love America, I loved all the areas we have visited over the years and it’s so, so, sad to see the country imploding the way it is. The UK is not doing great either at the moment but thankfully our politicians, on both sides, have kept some semblance of dignity and respect for the position they hold and the duty they owe to the electorate.I wish you all well and hope better times are ahead.
You are way too gracious. There was nothing wrong with your last post. It was the truth.
This. One million times this.
Agree with Annie and Amanda. Your post was spot on.
Yup.
I am fearful to even post again. I feel my point of view is not welcome here and no matter what I write, it will be misunderstood but you seem to genuinely want to understand me so here goes… As someone who lives in a red state in rural America, the unrest, the looting, the lawlessness, the crimes etc seem to be occurring in large, Democrat led cities. Is it the fault of the Democratic party? Maybe not but it is hard not to place the blame there, especially if you vote differently given today’s us vs them mentality. I have read how you are worried that your vote doesn’t count, how a city far away from you will determine the election, how the “other” party discriminates against certain people and religions. I myself had said these exact same things only against the Democratic party. How is it that we are feeling the same things about two very different parties? From my point of view, the middle class feels like we have been abandoned. You read Joe Biden’s campaign promises and he wants to provide services to a socioeconomic class just lower than the one I am in. I make just a little too much to be helped but not so much that I have a lot extra to give. The rich from both parties will find a way to exclude themselves from the tax increases. The burden will be left on the middle class. I was raised to fear big government and government handouts; an understanding that we should be able to be self sufficient and not need the government to provide for us. From reading responses to my posts yesterday, I see how that may come across as arrogant or heartless and people assume I do not want to help others who have not been given the same opportunities. That is not the case. I genuinely am just trying the best I can to provide for my family. Am I proud of the current administration? No but I am not happy with the other party either. I was so disappointed in both sides at the Presidential debate. This can honestly not be the best we have to offer. If I vote one way, I am automatically labeled stupid, racist, uneducated, and bigoted but if I vote the other, it potentially threatens my entire way of life. How is either of this a good option? I read here because like you, I live in an area where almost everyone thinks like me. I could vote Biden and it wouldn’t make a difference. My state will always vote Republican regardless of who the candidate is. I don’t vote straight party lines. I prefer to research all the candidates. I am trying to understand how someone could vote so differently from myself and I honestly don’t know. I am fearful that there is no hope regardless of who wins. I have no answers for you. I am sorry.
Thank you for commenting again. I imagine it would feel fraught to comment here, so I appreciate that you did. I hope to respond to some of what you said in a thoughtful and non-judgemental manner.
To the point of riots and looting, I live in a Democratic city and there has been none of that. Some media outlets are portraying peaceful protests and riots and looting. And yes, sometimes when protests happen, people use the opportunities to loot, but they are not affiliated with the protesters – they are just using the protests as a distraction to steal.
As far as both of us being afraid of our vote not counting – the remedy that I would like to see happen, that the electoral college be abolished, would lead to fewer Republican candidates being elected president. Twice in the last 20 years the electoral college elected a Republican president who did not win the popular vote. Would you support ending the electoral college, so that your vote really does count? So that the candidate who was chosen by the majority of people in the country became president?
You’re right, that the rich on both sides of the aisle find copious ways to avoid taxes, and their civic responsibility. But the Democrats have successfully taxed the wealthy to fund programs that help all Americans. Republicans have only tried to help millionaires and billionaires keep their money.
As for the belief that we should be self-sufficient and able to support ourselves, I will admit that I used to believe the same thing. I have never been fearful of big government or government handouts, but I definitely believed that if people worked hard enough they could make something of, and for, themselves. I was wrong. I believed a lie that was created to make me think my financial struggle was my own fault. The truth is the system has been warped, from years of policy that favors corporations and undermines labor, and has created the greatest wealth gap our country has ever seen. The tiniest percentage of people in this country control an incredible amount of wealth, and they have out sized political power to affect policy so they can keep it. Even if the “you work hard for your own success story” were true once, for white, Judeo-Christian, cisgender people born into a certain socioeconomic class, it isn’t anymore, and it never has been for anyone who doesn’t fall into that very narrow population.
The countries that heavily tax their citizens, AND provide meaningful social services are the happiest in the world. Here in America we are drowning in debt and miserable. Why do you think our way is better? I understand you were taught to fear big government, but maybe if you researched what it can look like, when done well, you would be less fearful and less ready to reject it outright.
I believe Republicans have been selling the pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps lie for all these years because making people believe their economic insecurity is their own fault is the only way to get them to vote for a party that does not have their economic interests at heart. That, and playing to their xenophobic fears. Republican economic policy hurts the vast majority of its base. It hurts me and it hurts you. If you can point to one economic policy from Republicans that supports the middle class you are a part of, please tell me what it is.
It’s interesting that I specifically asked for policy that you support, but you only pointed to Democratic promises you believe won’t be kept. What Republican promises are you hanging your vote on? Clearly the status quo is not working for you, but you’re ready to vote for the party that intends to keep it. Why?
I hear you on feeling like your vote also doesn’t matter just like N feels. If you’re not in a battleground state, it can be disheartening. With that being said, I’d also be afraid to go to a straight popular vote system, because then the policies really would be determined by the city dwellers and what benefits them above all else.
As someone who grew up in a rural area, traveled extensively and lived in cities, but who now lives in a rural area (literally 1,000 people in my town), it’s a little shocking to realize how much is skewed to benefit the metropolitan areas (and I’m not talking republican/democrat, but city vs. rural issues, funding, services, etc). My county is basically a 50/50 split politically, and I think it’s given me a much better understanding of both sides of coin, so to speak. If I lived in SF in the bubble of that way of thinking, I’d also have a hard time understanding the valid concerns of people who were different than me.
Overall, I’m pretty liberal – I did the “isidewith.com” questionnaire and align over 90% with Biden – but yet I’m completely disgusted at our political system if we really think that Biden and Trump are the two best candidates to run our country. I mean, what the actual fuck?
At any rate, I agree that the middle class has been left behind. I do believe that the democrats are doing more to try to alleviate that (historically, Republican bills are the ones that have increased tax cuts for the ultrawealthy and screwed over the middle class), but we are a LONG way from good tax or healthcare law in our country. My husband and I work hard and make a decent living – better than most I’d say – and I’m 100% sure we have benefitted financially by having Trump in office the past 4 years. I still am praying that we can move forward with Biden as our leader, because I do believe that Trump’s presidency has allowed/normalized racism/classism/etc. and national healthcare needs to happen and more social/economic support for those who are struggling. I run the medical center in town and work with insurance companies every day – it’s incredibly disheartening to realize how many people are uninsured (like myself!) or underinsured because of the way our current system is set up and how many people don’t get treated until too late because of a fear of those bills.
What a mess. Thanks for contributing to the conversation.
Hi, Victoria – I may be an outlier here, but I wanted to say to you that most of the people I know just want what you want – to be able to do their best for their families and be left alone. What you see as government intervention, a lot of people see as just leveling the playing field or being more efficient or getting the government out of our way.
I don’t think that the Republican Party deserves support after the way they have behaved since 2010 and particularly since 2016. The Democratic Party is not something I love, but as a coalition party (as opposed to an ideology), I feel it has the flexibility to change. And I feel that it is my patriotic duty to participate: to show that I oppose the cruelty and corruption I see at the heart of the Republican agenda and to push for a better future where people of all kinds can just do their best without being treated like they are less than because of the color of their skin or what is in their pants or their religion. Every direction I look, I see the Republican Party opposing truth, justice, and the American way of life.
This is getting to book length, so I’m hoping someone else will address your concerns about lawlessness in Democratic cities, etc. Suffice it to say, you might not be getting the most accurate news.
I agree with you about the middle class. This is a huge problem with Obamacare. There is a huge jump in subsidy once you qualify for medicaid. If you don’t qualify for medicaid, you pay more for less generous coverage. And then there are people who make too much to get any subsidies. I still think it is better than the previous system, where people who needed healthcare the most could not access coverage, but ideally we need to end the link between employment and healthcare coverage since it creates so many distortions in the system. I do think Biden really does care about the middle class though. I think he represents their needs far more than any republican.
Eh, it’s hard to stay positive, and I get it. One party lies and projects and tells you the sky is green and the grass is blue, that COVID isn’t a real disease even as 210,000 have died of it in our country. And for the commenter above, yeah, if you want to believe you can’t make a difference, then you can’t, but if you wanted to vote for Biden, you should do it. I live in a “blue” city in a “red” state and our big problems are poverty and violence, and helping those out of poverty and making it harder to get guns for everybody would help those issues, but our “red” state leadership refuses to do even the minimum and prefers to spend their time trying to overturn the will of the people because they have managed to gerrymander a super majority that doesn’t reflect the closer to 50-50 split our state is. Then again, I live in a “blue” city and I feel safest at home and in my city, because when I go in the more rural areas I am afraid, I am afraid of getting shot by an angry right-winger, I am afraid of getting COVID from somebody who doesn’t think it’s a real disease, so I’ll stay in my “crime-ridden” “blue” city. If we shrug and say, the rich will never pay their fair share, and screw the poor because I have needs too and what if they only help those needier, then we have given up. I choose hope. I think Joe Biden will bring more people together than he pushes apart and I believe he means well and will do his best for the country, unlike Trump who does not mean well and will do his best for himself. That’s the fundamental difference, and it’s a no-brainer for me. I choose to support people who want to support the country, not people who want to withhold COVID relief until after they are “reelected.” I mean, really. No one is forced to watch Fox News, and no one is forced to vote a certain way because they always have, or because their parents did. They choose these things, over and over.
I haven’t read all of the comments so….but I’ve been reading your blog long enough so I believe you already know and maybe are only trying to be respectful or maybe truly find some information that you may not have already heard?….dunno.
But initially I remember thinking “she doesn’t need to apologize for her opinion “. Because you did, apologize at the end of your post. And what you said was completely relevant and appropriate considering the circumstances so you did not need to apologize for expressing this opinion on your blog or anywhere! But then people started posting shit and unnecessarily insulting you and it seemed like you needed to give in…..don’t!! I won’t use lame words like vulnerable and brave that we tend to use when women speak up…..you spoke the truth, your truth and it was from an educated, thoughtful view. Don’t apologize!! And don’t let someone’s low dig about your work get to you. A proclamation of all of those degrees and business management but Continued support of a small minded moron obviously points to what a waste that education was. All of that education should open one’s mind not close it, which appears to have happened here. Again educated, wealthy peeps still buy into the Trump garbage.
Also some are blogging but ignoring the US dumpster fire because maybe they feel like they don’t want to be political or lose followers….
Keep talking it is extremely important!!
The silence and avoidance are more infuriating to me…
Anon
I have friends who live in Portland, including an EMT who works there. The protestors were peaceful and dispersed at nightfall in the majority. A few people would do graffetti and some of those were NOT from protestors but were people from the far right trying to incite violence. The police at night were extremely aggressive. Federal agents, without identifying themselves, at night would randomly pick people off the street who were trying to get home from night shift work and detain them without legal counsel and with no phone calls and their phones confiscated and not returned. Victims of these random detentions were terrified they were being attacked by ‘extreme militia civilians’. The federal government was asked to not do these actions and to withdraw and insisted on staying and behaving like terrorists to fit a particular story line they were trying to create. Were all cops/protestors ideal? NO. Was a lot of negative action done by rightwing militia? YES. Did federal interference increase protesting when it was fading away and create terror? YES. Would you have a way to know what really was happening? Well, I only do because I knew/know Portland residents and asked them.; so very likely, NO. PS: Rightwing militia have repeatedly come in groups from outside Portland looking for a fight, bullying people and waving guns and pointing them at others in an undisciplined fashion. I do not think this is what ‘well-regulated militia’ meant. Some disagree with me.
Have you seen the Netflix movie “The Social Dilemma”? It’s been awhile since I watched it so I won’t attempt to describe what I wish I could other than to say I found the part of the movie graphically depicting the widening divide between Republicans and Democrats (particularly over the last decade) incredibly interesting. I was “raised” Republican and still largely identify with the party – as you described in this post – of yesteryear but do not like/support/abide Trump in the least (dare I say I hate him?). I think he’s a terrible President and person. I’m not alone – I would say the vast majority of Republicans I personally know want nothing to do with Trump… but that doesn’t necessarily mean we want to vote for Biden either. This doesn’t feel like a safe enough space for me to get much more personal other than to say I think our two-party system is outdated/the divide between parties is too large and that far, far more Americans are more middle-of-the-road than either party appeals to. It would not surprise me in the least if there’s a larger non-voting or third-party voting population this election than ever before.
I haven’t seen it yet, but I mean to watch it. I’m not on social media, but I’m interested enough to watch a movie about it.
I understand you don’t love Biden. I don’t love him either (probably for very different reasons that you). I was really, really bummed out when it became clear he would be the nominee. I cried actual tears. I also think the two party system is broken. Even with acknowledging that reality, it’s what we have right now and this election could determine the fate of our planet. If Trump gets four more years any chance we have of even slowing climate change is over. Is Biden really so bad that you’d risk that possibility? Even outside of whatever policy the Democrats would like to enact for out country, what about our world? Republicans don’t even acknowledge that climate change is real and one of Trumps biggest goal is to double down on fossil fuels. We are too giant, and wealthy a nation not to lead the way in enacting policy that protects the planet. I just can’t fathom what misgivings you have about Biden – who is the least progressive of any Democratic candidate that ran – to risk that by not voting.
I didn’t say I wasn’t voting; I didn’t even say I wasn’t voting for Biden (excuse the double negatives).
Your statement is, again, lumping all Republicans together. I have (again, historically) identified as a Republican but I believe climate change is real.
I’ve read your blog for 8+ years now (I’ve lost count) and one of the things I’ve most appreciated about you is your willingness to try to look at things from another perspective. Generally I think you even keep an open mind while doing so/are open to adjusting your position based on what you learn. However, in this particular instance, although you title your post “I’m ready to listen” it seems to me you’re only willing to listen but NOT to consider that anyone else’s viewpoints/what matters most to them may be as valid as your own. It seems clear you’ve decided you’re right/”we” (this very diverse group of people you are lumping together) are wrong.
You asked earlier: “Does this make me close minded? Am I the one who is failing to embrace empathy and understanding? Am I as bad as them when I say (and feel! – truly feel!) things like that?” My response is (on this particular topic)yes, yes, and yes.
But I will continue to read because you challenge me to consider things from another point of view. My east coast self likes hearing your west coast perspective, even when – especially when? – I don’t agree with you, though honestly that’s fairly rare. I actually think if we met we’d get along pretty well (you know, if you could overlook any of my Republican leanings). 😉 If nothing else we could talk about how terrible Trump is!
Sorry I made assumptions about whether or not you were going to vote. I am tired and should have read your comment more carefully. (Three hours of listening to a board meeting about how everyone wants us back in the classroom was exhausting and disheartening.)
I think one of my problems is I say “Republicans” and I’m referring to Republican lawmakers. I’m talking about the people who are writing policy (or dismantling it). I don’t believe all people who are Republicans don’t believe in climate change. I need to start being clearer about that.
(Though I do wonder how someone who does believe in climate change can vote for people, or a party, that publicly dismiss it.)
And you’re right that I won’t be persuaded by Trump supporters to support Trump. And I probably won’t be persuaded by Republicans to ever vote Republican. But I would be interested to talk about policy if someone ever brought it up. But no one does. No one ever talks about policies when they talk about voting Republican anymore. They especially don’t if they talk about supporting Trump (or being willing to vote for him even though they don’t love what he’s doing).
I used to have plenty of friends that were Republican. Back before Trump. I had interesting conversations with them about policy. I didn’t always agree with their preference for small government, and there belief that we should all pay fewer taxes and have fewer social safety nets, but we could talk about it.
Now I feel like the most people will do is talk about the Democratic proposals they don’t support. Which is half the conversation, I guess. But it’s not very persuasive to just disregard something and not offer anything else in it’s place. (Not saying you’re doing that, just speaking generally.)
When I said I was ready to listen, I invited people to tell me about the Republican policies they supported but no one did. They just talked generally about how they want to live their lives, or about the Democratic policies they couldn’t or wouldn’t support. Which doesn’t feel like the same thing to me. But maybe that is the disconnect, where I fundamentally don’t understand.
I really appreciate the conversation and especially the input from Republicans. I am grateful those who’ve spoken up and responded and risked backlash, because it genuinely is helpful to hear other perspectives from thoughtful, intelligent, interested people. I’d love and encourage those who support Trump specifically to explain what about him, his leadership style, record, policy, etc. they find appealing, helpful to them, helpful to others, or – perhaps most of all – preferable to Biden or the Democrats’ positions when that is the only alternative.
Maybe this question was addressed to me in part, I don’t know. I certainly haven’t done a good job of explaining myself. Most of the reasons I don’t vote Democrat are because I don’t support their policies. It feels like their policies will more be more detrimental to my family. Take climate change for example… Let me try and partially address that in the only way I know how, by telling you about my life… A few years ago, I read about how you saved up for your expensive bike and were able to use it to take your kids to/from places. In was in awe. I spend so much of my life in my car shuttling kids around and the thought of not having to do that would be amazing. That however, could never happen here. We live in the country miles and miles from everywhere. There are no grocery stores here, no other stores either really. We do have one small convenience store. There aren’t even any stop lights. There is no public transportation. No buses, no trains, nothing, unless we drive to the city. We can’t even mail a letter overnight from our small post office because they don’t send the overnight truck down to us. We have to drive it over to the next town. We are a mile and a half from the elementary school and five miles from the junior high and high school. (Fyi, My kids are also dual immersion Spanish like yours. I dream of taking them to a Spanish speaking country in the summer like you have with yours). There are not buses available for my kids. Even if I did want to pile them onto a bike, I have too many kids to fit on one bike anyway. Our family does not fit in a car. I drive an 8 passenger minivan generally but on the days I do car pool, I either need my husband’s 9 seater Suburban or a 15 passenger van. All of these are gas guzzlers but necessary to get our family where we need to go. I have acres and acres of land and many animals to take care of. This requires a lot of equipment. We have several work trucks. We have a dump truck in the driveway with a plow because there is a lot of snow to remove in the winter. To bail the hay so our animals can eat, we need tractors, and rakes, and bailers. Most of which are also also gas guzzlers but they are necessary for our way of life. We have ATVs that our kids use to drive to the very end of our property to take care of the chickens, even more gas required… When we see on the news that Governor Newsom, for example is requiring all electric cars by 2030 or whatever year it is, that worries us. What would we do if our Governor passed that here? We don’t know. I am not aware of farm equipment that is electric. Maybe there is. Are there dump trucks that aren’t diesel? I don’t know. I do know that replacing all of the equipment would be a huge financial burden for my family especially since every thing we own is paid for outright. So, yes we care about the climate but simply converting to electric cars is not an easy option for us. We spend hours and hours of back breaking work running our land but when lawmakers pass laws to aid in pollution of the big cities it effects us, even if we are not affected by the smog that they are trying to stop. Yes, we could move to a city for more conveniences but we like the country life. I live less than a mile from where I grew up, which is three houses away from my grandparents, and a house away from my great grand parents. My family has been here forever working this land. Most people in this town are family or families that have also been here a long time like us. This is how I want to raise my kids. We live an entirely different life than you so maybe that’s why we have such a hard time finding any middle ground. A lot of the Democratic policies on climate change would make life so much harder for us. You look at the Republicans as not fixing the problem of climate change. I look at the Democrats as creating a problem for me that I don’t need fixed.
Thank you for explaining that. I appreciate the perspective.
Do you worry about climate change affecting your farm? About more extreme temperatures, or drought followed by heavy rains? Or are the affects of climate change not something you worry about?
We think about it every day. We had extreme temperatures this year and will be short on hay for the animals this winter. We had hurricane force winds blow over trees and kill a large amount of our chickens. My kids had hatched a bulk of them and were devastated. These animals are our life. It is not that we don’t want to protect our environment. It just mainly feels like the people making the policies are so far out of touch with our particular problems that our concerns are never addressed. It feels like that with almost every issue, though.
So, as I understand it, Democrats don’t understand what you need, and are offering something that won’t help you, so you’d rather vote for policy (or a lack thereof) that does nothing. Because just figuring it out on your own, without government interference, is better than the policy that forces you to do thing you can’t afford to do. Is that an accurate assessment of what you’re saying?
Virginia, I appreciate your detailed description of your life and vehicles. I think you misunderstand something fundamental about Newsom’s proposal though: it is that sales of *new* cars must be electric from 2035. You would not have to replace your existing vehicles with electric ones (until they wear out down the line and you need to buy a new one); moreover sales of *used* gas cars would still be allowed [and I would be surprised if there weren’t exceptions for non-car vehicles like farm machinery and dump trucks – though I do not know for sure]. Not trying to nit-pick, and I think you have a very valid point about how your life and needs differ drastically from those of people in cities but a different example might make your point better.
No, that is not what I am saying and I certainly hope that a one size fits all sweeping policy or nothing are never our only options. My point was rural American is facing different issues than the cities and to maybe get you to see why someone would vote differently. Maybe this is also an argument for States rights and letting each area decide for themselves as our country is so big and too diverse to have one policy fit all.
Got it. Thanks for clarifying. I really am trying to understand but obviously I’m bringing all my biases which is probably why I struggled to understand so much in the first place. Again, thanks for engaging on this. I really have learned a lot. I appreciate you taking the time to help me understand better where you are coming from.
I live about 2 hours from you in the reddest county in California. In my area being liberal I’m *clearly* a minority, so the people around me (especially in my very small town) do not share my values. Until it was mandated by the governor only a tiny handful of people around me wore a mask, and looked at me and would point. I’ve lost “friends” over the last 4 years, but to me, it’s no longer a matter of differing political views- we’ve always had that and I’ve had friends of both parties, and a few minor parties. Live and let live. But it’s now become about morals. And values. And the hypocrisy! Oh the hypcrisy- I will never be okay with separatating kids from their parents, putting them in cages. I will never be okay with a president who thinks calling to lock up his perceived “enemies” without any evidence of a crime- just because he doesn’t like them- is okay. I will never be okay the response to a pandemic and “it is what it is.” 220,000 dead Americans is not something I can just say “oh well” about. I simply can’t fathom rejecting science at every turn (pandemic, climate change, etc). Four years ago it was so important to wait until the “new president” was chosen to fill a Supreme Court seat it had to wait 8 months for election, but now they have to ram through a thoroughoughly unpopular choice 3 weeks before the election to destroy more? And can’t be bothered to help the millions of Americans devastated by the pandemic? And, if being in power is more important than the rule of law, free speech, all the fundamental tenets of democracy on which our country was built? Well, to me that says a lot about a person’s character of lack thereof. I won’t apologize for believing we the people deserve better.