I’m an unabashed hater of DT and make no apologies for it. And, I now recognize and admit freely, I have judged those who support him. And judged them deeply, without regard for why they may be buying the “outsider” line, why they tolerate, repeatedly, the ugliness of this man and how he walks in the world.
I’ve had three profound experiences in the last three days that have shown me that mirror. I cannot recommend two episodes highly enough from the podcast On Being, one with Ruby Sales and one with Eboo Patel and Natasha Trethewey. That was day one and two. Day three is this. I’m a huge fan of Van Jones; I think he is smart and courageous and says what I want to say better than I can say it. Here, today, is what he said. “We raise our children on ‘Liberty AND Justice for all’…Those who have a love for justice and those who have a love for liberty, have to work together. We need each other.”
DT is racist and misogynistic and xenophobic. His supporters? I am starting to understand they are not all that way (although some clearly are). They are in pain. I do not agree with them and will never agree with them in the casting aside of DT’s lack of a moral compass most especially because he incites vitriol and feeds their pain with poison. In December. he is going to court to discuss charges of child rape that have been levied against him. CHILD RAPE. No, I will never support him and I will never understand why others do. But the fact that they do, regardless of whether I understand, it is not my place to sit in judgement of them.
Hillary Clinton has earned my vote because, despite the “poop on her shoes” she speaks my language about women and children and justice. She listens and serves and uses her power for the betterment of all. (Including herself. And including some rich bankers who are funding her campaign. I see and smell the poop just like everyone else.) She’s walked the talk as an activist and an attorney and a public servant. She is completely prepared for the duties and responsibilities to be President of the United States.
Others disagree. That does not mean I get to judge them. I need my folks who fight for liberty to balance my deep and abiding desire and fight for justice. I pray that Van Jones and this film clip inspires more of us to have these kind of conversations, where we won’t agree and we don’t hurt one another because we are different. Where we don’t hate one another because we are different. Where we won’t judge someone’s pain because it is not our own. Where we will recognize our shared humanity.
Liberty and Justice for all.
Leave a Reply