PRESIDENT TRUMP???

I feel extraordinarily sad today.  A man, a strange orange man who had a reality TV show has been voted into the office of the presidency.  A reality star.  A man whose words are disgusting, vile, shameless, unintelligent, disrespectful, racist, misogynistic.  A man whose business practices are unethical.  Who is an adulterer and a sexual predator.  A man who many evangelicals voted for.  Good Christian people ... which I cannot understand.  It appears that America has spoken and they want a misogynistic, racist with no real plan for the country to be president and the leader of the free world. Incredible.  



It is now 1:00 pm and I still cannot process this.  My heart is heavy.  I feel disappointment, sadness that so many Americans are so angry that the only way to send a message to Washington was to vote for a despicable man.  A man who finally gives them the permission to say and act out loud their most deeply held prejudices.  Mexicans - LEAVE!  Muslims - LEAVE!  Build a wall, don't let anyone in, get out!  HATE HATE HATE.  It's shameful.  It's un-American.  It's heartbreaking.



But I guess it isn't that hard to understand when you consider that America has become one big reality TV show and the uninformed Trump supporters, who love a cage fight, voted for their favorite cage fighter ... Donald Trump.  He fights like they do, thinks like they do, talks like they do, and communicates like they do.  With ugly words backed up by no facts.  Just rancor and vitriol.  When did people stop thinking?  When did Christians forget the truths they were raised on?  There was a time when a good, honest person could not overlook the glaring unethical character of a man like Trump.  And now they've just voted him into the presidency because they hate Hillary Clinton so much.  Well ... now he's the president. 



And I understand the voters wanted to send a message.  I really do.  That is why I voted for Bernie Sanders.  But this message?  A man who openly degrades and objectifies women?  Who would not rent to African-Americans?  Who dodged the draft at a time of war and cheated his employees and business vendors?  THIS is who you want to run the country?


But you know what?  I feel no rancor or contempt.  I really don't.  I feel no compulsion to go off on one of my usual "rants" because I am just so damn sad. Sad over the whole thing.  The entire election and politics in general.  The name calling, the lack of civility and graciousness.  There is a huge divide in this country and it's something we have not seen in decades.  Real ugliness.  And I feel shame.  Shame that this is what we've become.  Instead of common goals for the good of the country and her citizens, we are miles apart in ideology and beliefs.  Capitalism and greed vs. The Will of the People.  The Little People.  Perhaps if we were invaded by aliens from another planet the world would come together ... short of that, capitalism won.  Big business won.  Big Pharma won.  And so on.  The worker, the middle class, those of us that basically do all the work and pay all the taxes lost yesterday.  And we lost BIG. 


The ideals of America that we once believed in, the dream of a future with possibility, owning a home, getting a good education, raising our children in a safe environment was once possible for everyone ... it really did exist at one time.  But it hasn't existed now for many decades and the divide just grows wider and wider still.  I don't know what Trump will do for the country.  I can only hope he does some good.  But I am really fearful of what he might do in the event of a catastrophic event like 9/11.


And unlike most "Christian Evangelicals," this Catholic woman does not believe that God cares who I vote for.  I think God cares who WE are as individuals.  How we love others.  How we treat others.  How we forgive others.  And as far as Evangelicals go, my judgment, yes my judgment, is that a lot of these folks are so blinded by their hatred toward Hillary Clinton they would have cast a vote for Satan if he were running against Hillary and feel perfectly justified and vindicated in doing so because they really believe that God is on THEIR side and that God sent Donald Trump to redeem America.  And this makes me sadder still.  Good people willing to overlook a character like Donald Trump and all his horrible deeds and words.  It is hypocrisy on a colossal level.  But again, it is what it is. 


So, with all that said, I will go to bed tonight and hopefully sleep well.  And I will get up tomorrow morning and get myself to work, put in my 8 hours, catch my bus home, do my marketing, my laundry, celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas, celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, wait for the birth of my next grandchild, pray for my family, and live to the best of my ability with my God and my neighbor and try to grow in love and grace.  As flawed as I am, I really do try to live my life with a clean heart. 


God bless all you who come to visit and read my blog.  I hope you have work, shelter, family, friends and love in your life.  Because in the end, that is ALL that really matters.