Half the Country Wants This, Whatever This Is
There are roughly 335,000,000 people in this country. Under 75,000 of them voted for the Republican candidate for President. That figure was, as of Sunday, November 10, 50.5% of those who voted.
I bumped into something that changed what I was going to write on this subject. The detour is first:
American veterans deserve better than they are getting. They return to us, some injured, some with PTSD. Many are now addicted after being given opiates for their wounds. Many are homeless. Good Morning America tells us that they can have free pancakes today. If we really honored veterans, we’d lobby the new Trump administration to fund and support the Veterans Administration and its hospitals. Here’s the man to write to: Robert Wilkie.
Every American “owns” the American flag
My father enlisted in the Air Force as he left high school during World War II. Most men of his generation were either actively fighting or working to support the American economy. Older men stayed longer at work; women filled in for the labor shortage. I learned a lot of that history along the way in school and after.
I also learned how to handle an American Flag. I was taught to never fly a dirty flag. I was told to bury a damaged flag.
Not protest, just carelessness:
So, in 2001 after 911, it felt like my neighbors were dissing America by flying tattered plastic flags from their cars. A tattered flag flown during the Vietnam era would have symbolized just that. Now, American flags end up on people’s butts, with its colors changed, and with people’s names on it. All of this is wrong, according to the US Military.
In protest:
Just because we have a Constitutional right to misuse the American flag for protest, it seems harder to tell when people are protesting and when they don’t know how disrespectful they are being.
What I came here to say today
What I wanted to say today is somewhat related. Honor American democracy (with that little D).
If you are part of the 50.5% of the voters who chose the Republican, hold him accountable to fix the economy and serve all Americans (as he said in his victory speech).
If you are part of the 49.5% of the voters who chose the Democrat, work to support the things most important to the America you value.
- Pick your battles.
- Do not run after each negative story you read. You are not the only person who sees this problem. See number 1, above.
- Hold onto your allies.
- Support people doing the work.
I am fortunate to live in a community represented by Elizabeth Warren. Listen to her. She was there in 2016. She persisted.