What Are You So Afraid Of?

There has never been a reaction like this to an election in this Union. Oh, sure, there were people holding demonstrations after GWB won (and he did win) the 2000 election, at least through September 11, 2001. Television news personalities and others covering the 2016 election were clearly upset, and you've seen all of the people, and you certainly know some (or maybe you ARE one) who have done everything from cry to engage in rioting as they insist that DJT is #NotMyPresident. People have been talking about how afraid they are, fleeing to "safe spaces" that are like preschool nursery rooms for alleged adults, talking about "dark times", and shunning people they'd claimed as friends and even family who not only "admit" they voted for Trump, but that are even suspected of voting for Trump because they haven't loudly decried his election. Hollywood celebrities and others appeared in a futile video to implore the Republicans in the Electoral College to become "faithless electors", there are still people hoping Congress won't certify the results and for some other shenanigans to prevent President-elect Trump from taking office. Protests are being planned for Inauguration Day.

What are you so afraid of? Why are you so upset?

Let's go over the things I've heard/read one-by-one.



"But Hillary Won the Popular Vote So She Should Be President." - Sorry, folks, the popular vote is a hoax, as David Benkof so brilliantly pointed out. The Electoral College is right there in the Constitution. We're not a pure national democracy (if we were, legal marriage would still be restricted to bride+groom couples and there would be far more restrictions on abortion, and there's a good chance the highest tax bracket would be a lower percentage). The popular vote is irrelevant. Think of it this way: Major League Baseball games track runs and hits. One team can get far more hits than the other and still lose on runs. In the National Football League, one team can have possession of a ball for much more of the time and get many more First Downs than the other, even score more often than the other, and still lose.  The candidates knew the rules and they campaigned based on those rules. If the President was elected by a direct, national democratic vote, they would have campaigned differently and it is likely Trump could have gotten a majority of the popular vote. Many of the voters who abstained or voted for a third party candidate or wrote someone in would have voted for Trump. Also, how many the votes for HRC were fraudulent?

We are a Union of states, not a pure national democracy. That's where the Electoral College comes in to play, and without it, the candidates would spend most of their time in California, New York, Texas, Florida, and a few other states, and ignore the rest. The New York and Los Angeles areas would pretty much run the country. Less densely populated areas would likely be unfairly exploited for the unjust benefit of our largest cities. With the Electoral College, candidates have to build a broad base of support to get elected. For more about the Electoral College, watch this and this.

As far as the election being "hacked", read this.


"A Woman Can't Get Elected." - The majority of voters in most, if not every, state are women. A woman will be elected President when a woman who isn't such a bad candidate with so much negative baggage runs and is better at campaigning than the other candidate. DJT's successful campaign was the first that was headed by a woman. That is historic. Many Governors are, or have been, women. There isn't a glass ceiling in this regard.

"Now Women Won't Get Equal Pay." - It has been the law for many decades that men and women who do the same kinds, level, quality, and quantity of work get paid the same, and guess what? They do,  and they will continue to. This isn't something Obama invented, or Clinton was going to further. Riling women up about a mythical pay disparity was a political ploy. See this if you don't believe me.


"The Minimum Wage Won't Be Raised!" - According to Politifact, Trump's stance on the minimum wage hasn't been consistent. States and even local governments can have their own minimum wage over and above what the federal minimum wage is. However, what's the problem with people negotiating their own pay? People ASK for their jobs, after all. You know what would increase wages? NOT flooding the labor market with immigrants and illegal aliens, but of course Trump is bad for saying we're going to build a wall, right? For more about the minimum wage, see here and here and here.


"The Rich Are Going To Get Richer And Get More Tax Breaks! Income Inequality Will Increase!" -The the rich can get richer and, at the same time, so can everyone else. Yes, that is possible. It's not a problem if people, including rich people, are allowed to decide for themselves how to invest, donate, or spend their own money, as long as government budgets adjust accordingly. The rich already do, and will continue to, pay a lot in taxes. As the economy grows, the spectrum between the richest people and the relatively poorest people in the USA will usually expand, and that's not a problem.


"Women's Health Will Suffer!" - Let's drop the euphemistic dung. You're talking about a possible decrease in the possibility that a woman will be able to force someone else, such as an order of nuns, to pay for her abortions or contraception. There will be no law preventing a woman from convincing other people to pay for these things. Also, if Roe v. Wade were to be simply overturned by the Supreme Court, the matter would go back to the states, and plenty of states would still allow you to electively slaughter an inconvenient human being.


"I Need Obamacare and Don't Want It To Go Away!" - Let's be clear that insurance is for the unknown. We don't know whether or not our automobile will be stolen or involved in a crash, we don't know if our house will catch fire. When we have a serious medical condition, that's not unknown. But OK, the government now forces other people to cover your health care expenses, and that's very important to you. Even if the ACA is modified or "repealed and replaced" there's practically zero chance people are going to be left without "insurance". Big Government almost never rolls back anything once it is given; rather, the system itself may diminish under the weight of increasing costs due inefficiency, fraud, opportunistic dependency, and regulation. But hey, it will take a while for that to get really bad, and in the meantime, you'll be "covered".


"I Will Have to Pay For My Own College Education!" - HRC outpromised DJT on this one, sure. Democrats will always promise more "free" stuff than Republicans. Believe it or not, attending college is voluntary. People ASK to be admitted. If they don't like the terms, they are free not to go. Yes, employers often demand job applicants and promotion-seekers have college degrees and certain degrees in particular, especially from the "right" institutions, and in many cases, those requirements are unnecessary or a discernment between applications could be achieved by testing them or asking for samples of their work, or allowing past experience to be counted as much as a degree would. That's an issue employers need to recognize and address. This is especially so that now that technology has made it easier to educate yourself than ever before. Still, people can be successful and even become extremely wealthy without a college degree. There have never been more options. You can still go to college if you are determined.

The more government involvement, the higher the real costs of college will ultimately get. Meanwhile, colleges pay high salaries to "diversity coordinators" and other superfluous staffing that doesn't do much to educate and train students. Some universities are sitting on enormous endowments in the billions of dollars. See this on why college is so expensive. Why should taxpayers, including tens of millions of people who never went to college or whose children will not go to college, be forced to pay even more for strangers to attend college? Most universities have now become Leftism indoctrination centers, hostile to diversity in thought. I can understand why Democrats want to get more people to be indoctrinated in Leftism, but universities need to get back to focusing on pursuing and passing down truth and preparing students for dealing with reality, not leave them whining for some imagined utopia they will never experience.


"I'm LGBTQQUIAAPCDEFHJKLMNORSTVWXYZ and I'm Worried About Losing My Rights!" - DJT is arguably more liberal on LGBT issues than President Obama was when he took office. He was welcoming of LGBT people during his campaign and since being elected he said he's fine with SCOTUS having ruled on imposing neutered marriage on all states. Even if he appoints more conservatives to SCOTUS, the likelihood that SCOTUS will 1) have the opportunity to reconsider Obergefell v. Hodges is extremely small and 2) even if they did, conservative respect for precedent makes it extremely unlikely it would be overturned. Even if it was overturned (which it won't be), the issue would go back to states and a lot of states are going to keep neutered state licenses."But Pence!!!" I refer you again to David Benkof. And as far as the rest of the cabinet, keep in mind the President sets the Administration's policy.


"He's a Racist Who Hates Mexicans and is Going to Round Up and Deport Immigrants!" - Let's take a look at what DJT actually said:

"When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.

But I speak to border guards and they tell us what we’re getting. And it only makes common sense. It only makes common sense. They’re sending us not the right people.

It’s coming from more than Mexico. It’s coming from all over South and Latin America, and it’s coming probably— probably— from the Middle East. But we don’t know. Because we have no protection and we have no competence, we don’t know what’s happening. And it’s got to stop and it’s got to stop fast.

Emphasis mine. What are the facts here? It is a fact that some people coming into the country illegally are troubled, are bringing illegal drugs, are committing additional crimes, and are rapists. That's a fact. Notice he never said that all Mexicans are criminals, or expressed hatred of Mexicans. Immigrants are people who are here legally and haven't become naturalize citizens (yet), and the only way an immigrant is ever going to be deported is if they're convicted of very serious crimes, and even then it isn't for certain they'll be deported. Illegal aliens are not immigrants. They are people who have come here illegally or have stayed here beyond their legal visit. If they commit serious crimes, they are far more likely to be deported than immigrants. President Obama's Administration has been doing this.

If you have come here or stayed here illegally or someone in your family has, you might still be fearful, but as long as someone here illegally doesn't commit serious crimes, the likelihood they'll be deported is close to nothing. Such people may long for amnesty or dare to demand citizenship, but we can't keep rewarding people who "cut in line" ahead of legal immigrants, or it will perpetuate and grow the problem.

I certainly understand why some good people come here or stay here illegally, given the hardships in places they've fled. This is one of those areas of life that just isn't fair, but the priority of the President should be protecting our borders, citizens, and legal residents and guests.


He Hates and/or Wants to Depot All Muslims! - He's never said anything like this. At a December 2015 rally after the San Bernardino, California mass murder, he announced "Donald J. Trump is calling for a complete and total shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on." You might not like that. It's not even practical and instead it should be a nearly complete shutdown of all immigration until we have better screening. But it isn't a call for deportation or hateful towards anyone. Immigrating to this country is not a right for anyone. Our immigration policy should benefit the Union, not cater to the demographic cravings of one political party or another.


He's Not Going to Fight Climate Change! - If you're convinced that climate change has us on a course towards catastrophe that can be most effectively prevented or minimized through further centralizing power in the federal or an international government, significantly increased forced limits on personal liberty, and forcibly reducing the use of fossil fuels, nothing anyone says is likely to assuage your fears because you have something akin to a religious doctrine burned into your mind. However, we do have a record of failed climate change predictions, that, if you have an open mind, should cause you to question if perhaps things aren't so urgent or can be addressed through voluntary associations and interactions, and that fossil fuels are not a villain.

Please consider the truth about carbon dioxide and wind and solar energy, the truth about what scientists are and aren't saying, what you might not have heard, and maybe you won't be so fearful and you'll realize climate change isn't our biggest problem.


He Mocks the Disabled! - Although this is something that even many Trump supporters still believe, it's doubtful that is what was going on. I write this as someone who is very close to, and loves individuals with neurological disabilities.


He Insulted John McCain and POWs! - I'll grant you that he said something he shouldn't have. It was a bad choice of words. But what really matters is where the rubber meets the road, and it appears he's committed to improving how our veterans are treated.


He Sexually Assaults Women! - I sure hope not. There hasn't been any proof. And no, the comments he made over a decade ago in what he thought was a private conversation (which I will not justify) specifically said women "let" rich/famous men like him kiss and grab them. Let means consent. His statement is was crude, but sadly true. If this precludes him from being a good President or "your President" then I really want to know your thoughts on three of previous four Democratic Presidents, JFK, LBJ, and Bill Clinton, the first two of whom constantly made passes at women and the last of whom was credibly accused of sexual assault by more than one woman.


He's Not Stable and Will Lead Us Into War! - I remember when Ronald Reagan was going to lead us into war and nuclear annihilation. Instead, his Administration led the way in ending the Cold War and the Soviet Union. Trump has been a successful CEO, has chosen to marry three times when he could have just played the field and had his pick of countless women, doesn't drink or smoke, has raised children who appear to be great people who are not hostile to him but are close to him (and that's saying a lot, given the two divorces). Most of his announced appointments/nominations are excellent and can serve him (and the nation) well.



The Overall Tone of His Campaign Was Frightening - Much of the fear you experienced was probably based on distortions and what some people were manipulating for ratings and fundraising purposes. They had an interest in scaring you, and scare you they did. Some of you have seen that your children were scared, perhaps by what you or a classmate or a teacher said. That's too bad. Yes, there was violence at some of his campaign events, most, if not all, of which was purposely stirred by people people opposing Trump. His campaign was different. You know who ran a campaign that wasn't frightening? Romney. Yeah, and he lost, didn't he? Trump did what worked. Notice that since Election Day he's been generous with his comments about the Clintons and has generally been positive and upbeat, meeting with a wide range of people, including prominent Democrats,  even those long out of power.


Racists and Other Bigots Have Been Emboldened By His Campaign and Election - Anyone who thinks that racists are welcome in the GOP doesn't have a grasp of reality. Unfortunately, fake hate crimes/hate hoaxes have been plentiful, and too much attention has been given to "white nationalist" or racists groups consisting of mere dozens of members and that have no connection to Trump or the GOP. Anyone can endorse anyone. It doesn't mean the person being endorsed welcomes that endorsement or shares in the endorser's hate. It is worth noting that there were people who said the election of Ronald Reagan was going to empower the KKK. Of course, people also said that the election of Obama riled up racist groups. Perhaps people are going to cry wolf either way? Fortunately, racists of the "white power" type are marginalized rather than accepted.

If you care to find them, there are African Americans who have worked and interacted with Trump who'll assure you he's not racist. Trump's daughter Ivanka is a Jew and his grandchildren through her are Jewish. Trying to paint Republicans as KKK-style racists is a tired tactic that appears to be losing effectiveness.


This Is How Hitler Started! - Oh yes, the similarities are inescapable, aren't they? Hitler was elected and Trump was elected! Chilling!!! Well Obama was elected, too. It is the Left that has gone fascist. Of course not every person on the Left is a fascist, but the overall movement trends towards Fascism. A classical liberal is probably going to be labeled a conservative now, and Leftism is definitely not liberal. The Leftists are centralizing power in the federal government, especially the activist judiciary, and doing just about anything they can to silence dissent. Disagreement is not debated; the person who disagrees with a Leftist position is smeared as a bigot. Just look at institutions of higher education. The Left not only controls those, but major media, Hollywood, many religious organizations and denominations, activist groups, and states like California.

Trump wants illegal alien criminals deported. This is exactly the same thing as invading other countries and sending people to death camps, right?

He's a populist and an opportunist, not an ultraconservative. Many conservative Republicans were and still are wary of him, seeing him as a liberal Democrat who happened to run as a Republican.

I'm a libertarian-leaning conservative.

I'm not a racist.
I'm not a xenophobe.
I'm not a white nationalist.
I'm not a white supremacist.
I'm not a white separatist.
I'm not into "white power" or "white pride".
I think the Nazis committed horrible atrocities including the murder of millions of Jews and millions of other people as well.
I think groups that denigrate, harass, or assault people based on their skin color or ethnicity are being evil.
I don't want to deny anyone their rights.

I want liberty, justice, and opportunity for all Americans. I'll be right there with you opposing any proposal that threatens the rights of Americans.


Trump's Presidency could be good, or it could be bad. We have no responsible choice other than to see what actually happens. He already did a good thing (and did the Democratic Party a favor) by preventing a Hillary Clinton Presidency and ending the hold of the Clintons over the party. He also prevented the Republicans from keeping the Bushes in control of the GOP.

Conservatives and Republicans were not happy when Obama was elected President. Did we riot in the streets or even demonstrate? Did we encourage each other to make employees, pupils, or family members feel unwelcome? Did we try to get the Electoral College to abandon protocol? I, for one, certainly did NOT say that Obama wasn't my President. I specifically wrote that he would be my President, at this URL, which, unfortunately, no longer leads to my old blog:

http://walrus.blogtownhall.com/2009/01/15/yes,_he_will_be_my_president.thtml

You don't have to like Trump. You don't have to approve of his proposals. You have the same means of advancing your priorities and values as anyone else, and you're welcome to participate. Undermining our Constitutional system isn't the way to go.