That sounds like a rough night.
Democrats have been dealing with rampant harassment for five years.
Imagine a large pickup truck trying to run you over when you're permitted to cross the street. You get sprayed with billowing clouds of peppermace, twice. Imagine just walking around in your hometown and along comes this caravan of Trucks waving American flags and Trump flags and paintballing anyone they come across with pepper balls as they laugh at you shouting "Got another one!"
Imagine Trump supporters planning murder then doing drive-by shootings at you just for living in a certain area.
Imagine being criticized for having the audacity to have empathy for others, to care about your fellow man, your fellow neighbor. Being called a "Snowflake" because you consider the perspective of others and see them just as valid as anyone elses. Imagine being called weak for that.
Imagine being called something so much and so often, you start to believe it. You believe it for a few years, until Democracy starts to kick in and you remember what you are. Imagine the rage that fills you up for people trying to take away your patriotism simply because you disagreed with them.
Imagine being laughed at for being educated.
Imagine being laughed at for simply being alive.
Imagine someone saying "A good Democrat is a dead Democrat." ... By another American. All the while claiming how "Patriotic" they are.
Imagine these same people who did all of these things simply cannot fathom why the Democrat party has started to hit back.
Imagine the catharsis they feel from this election. The level of satisfaction and validation that they feel. The vindication that tells them they are just as valid as those who voted for the previous president.
Yet, now that the tables are reversed, nothing changes. One would think the party that lost the presidential race would get some perspective. But they don't.
There are some nasty people out there on both sides. But they don't make up the majority of either party.
But I would wager for both of us, that we both have seen all of these things in each other. That the majority of exchanges with the opposing party, this is all we experience from each other.
So when does it stop? Does it stop when the opposing party stops? If both parties wait for the other to stop, it never will.
I'm ready to honestly and seriously talk about my involvement in this whole debacle of tribalistic party aggression and work to make change.
Are you?
