All of us Deplorables

Coming out of Left Field      10^th day of November, 2016      1255 words

Are you happy now, America ? Well, a fraction less than half of us, should be.

All of you deplorables and I might add knuckle-draggers who are in a state of stunned jubilation should be. 

 And I want to thank you for your steadfast vision; a vision of America united by common values, strong, independent, fair-minded and closer to the original vision of our founding fathers, as well as Betsy Ross. That vision needs to be re-defined and agreed on by more than just half of us, for it is not totally shared by all at this point. But I am willing to work and I am commanded as an American to embrace our new President, President Elect Donald Trump.

I have maintained for at least ten years that an America divided was putting us in great jeopardy in light of everything going on in the world. I still feel that way for I am a son of liberty and I love the good and great things about the land I grew up in. But I am also well aware of how deep the divisions are which divide us.

Right now I would like to write a letter to Mr. Trump, “the Donald”, the “Trumpster”, a man who came out of left field himself, who we will address in the very near future as Mr. President. But I think he will be mightily busy and there is no reason why he would want or need to read anything which this old hippie could dream up. That is, unless he really means what he said in his acceptance speech about uniting all Americans and helping us to reach again for 'greatness'.

For if he can do this, he will do what all of us should want: an American Nation again joined by a sense of mission for our unique role in the world based on our heritage and our history. As I have referenced before in previous writings, there are many things which I miss about the America I grew up in. But there are also many things which we should all be willing to leave in the past as we go forward together.

There have been many battles which we have fought for social justice which we should continue to embrace if we would be truly united. There has also been the dark under-current of differences in many areas, such as how we acknowledge God, for we are a nation founded on a belief in the absolute divinity of God, as I have also referenced in all of my writings over the last ten years. 

Defending the rights of atheists to have no belief in a deity, no belief in anything supernatural about the world, would seem to have our founding fathers rolling in their graves, as it would seem to be contrary to the spirit of the whole founding of these United States, but separation of church and state, and freedom to worship the religion or the beliefs of your choice should still be one of our most cherished principles. 

For the one thing which has always made America great is that we believe nothing should come between each individual and their religious preferences. And for followers of faith traditions, our claim to greatness flows from the Creator.   And this abstract concept has served us well, for the most part, and also kept us a free people. And I think the primacy of a belief in religious toleration is essential to our continued success.

When we forget the right of an individual to find their own way to God or their own way to a sense of what is holy or even their own way to disbelieve religion, we violate one of the fundamental pillars of what has made us so unique in the world.    For we are a safe harbor for all and function best when we allow all varieties of belief to flourish. 

By the same token, it is the private business of each person to chose their sexual preference and to keep it private and not wear it on their sleeve, as it were. We may not like it, but isn't it something that should be private and between two willing partners and their God if they have one. I do not need to know a person's religion or sexual preference to buy a car from them and I would thank them to keep it their private business. Consenting adults should be free to choose these things.

Also, it would be disingenuous to say these have not been contentious issues. Those who embrace 'family values' may not agree with same-sex marriages. But I think we would be better served if we let those waters seek their own levels. All things seek their proper place. If a person wants to be gay or believe in No God, I do not have a say in their choice, as long as they are fine if I chose to profess a belief in a Creator or want only one heterosexual partner. To each his own. As long as I do not seek to impose my beliefs on you and you do not seek to impose your beliefs on me, I say live and let live.    Life is too short.  And we have wasted too much time already arguing about it.

What matters is how we live and how we treat each other. If we maintain a tradition of civility and respect, we are much further along the path to a functional society.

If we become intolerant of all our differences, and fail to be civil to each other, and to give each other respect, we have already lost what makes us great.

There are many other issues, but everything rests on what I have already mentioned. I I think it is the job of the American people to start to learn to talk to each other again, for every person has a contribution to make. We succeed only to the extent that we keep in mind we are joined in a great enterprise and a great experiment, the unique experience of whether, as Lincoln said in his Gettysburg Address:

 “testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. “

Isn't that the bottom line ? Whether the great American experiment can and will continue depends on our willingness to engage each other and deal fairly with each other and finally to work together. There is no place like home and there is no other place on God's Green Earth like the United States of America. I hope President Elect Trump feels the same way and he will foster an open dialogue and encourage all of us to talk to each other again. 

For I am just as deplorable as the most rabid supporters of Mr. Trump, and those of us deplorables on the liberal side, need to hear what has been said to us by those who have spoken up and voted for Mr. Trump. 

 And I am willing, America, to have a real conversation as long as we start using the same English language again and use our words to describe what is in our hearts, without the invective and arguments ad hominem and ad naseum. As one good Republican said, “if you give me respect, I will give you respect.” And I think that is a good starting point and a good bargain for all.