Bridging the Gap

BY RUTH ANN SATCHFIELD

The other day there was a rude Republican troll commenting in a group to which I belong. One of the things she said, made me think. She was trying to insult another member, and she said she lived in Spokane Washington for a year and she hated it. She called the people hateful. I lived there for six years, and found the people to be warm and friendly. To her and others of that ilk, I would say sometimes you get back what you put out.

That got me to thinking. Many of the polls are saying that the USA is starting back left. We want it to continue in that direction, so maybe we need to work hard at being nice to people with which we disagree in politics. I am not talking about the hateful Republican trolls. It is easy to think of all Republicans as like those trolls, but they are not. Many are Republicans because the NRA has them convinced that the Democrats are coming for their guns, or is banishing God from wherever they wish him to be. Republicans are all about control. If you have dealt with people who have been abused, they are about control too. They are afraid because one time they were abused, and had no control, so that becomes very important to them. The Republicans in this country are controlled by fear. We have watched their leaders use fear to get them to vote the way the leaders wanted. Some of their fear is irrational. For instance, no one is coming for their guns. Yet many on the right still believe they are. They believe it so much, that they won't even support reasonable gun laws. They don't realize they have lost control, and are being programmed by the NRA.

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Some areas are very difficult. We lived in Mississippi part of last year. I made a friend, that warned me not to let anyone know I was a liberal. She said they would ostracize her, but she did not know what they would do to me. Let me ask you, what are the chances that I would meet the only other liberal in that small Mississippi town? How many others were there, but afraid to come out of the closet, so to speak? We must figure out a way to make it acceptable, or preferable to be a liberal Democrat in every part of the country. I spend quite a lot of my time in a small Louisiana town. I have made good friends there, and occasionally will let people know where I stand on things. Most people assume I am a Republican, until I open my mouth. At times people look at me differently, or treat me different, but this has not happened often. Remember the Atheist who was interviewed by Wolf Blitzer in Oklahoma. Speaking up was a brave feat for her. We must all have the courage to speak up. 

To me a liberal is someone who just wants justice and fairness for each and every person. I don't care about people just because they are white, or just because they are religious, I care about every single person. A Democrat is a person who wants the government of the United States run by the people for the people and not for the corporations. If we could just make them understand that by voting Republican they are voting for the corporations maybe we could chip away at their resolve. A Democrat actually cares about the constitution, not just says they do like the Tea Party who only cares about certain parts, and usually misinterprets them..Yes I have problems being nice too. My point was that we don't want to be like that Republican troll, and put out hatred and discord, so that we get that back in return. Republicans can be good fair people, when they are informed. Some of the older middle of the road Republicans are speaking out, and I think we need to get their message out there. Some Republicans may not realize the party to which they belonged no longer exists. Maybe we should show them that is true. The Republican party now belongs to the radical right, and there is nothing any of them can do about it. 

As for those of you on the Radical right, keep up the good work, we welcome ex-Republicans who have seen the light. 

What do you think? Any ideas?