Let it Go?

Sometimes these things almost write themselves!

      This initially relates to an individual with whom I served briefly (he did 4 Navy years, qualified in Submarines and then, leaving the USN, did 10 Army years and then mysteriously left the military 6 years short of retirement! I have no idea who or what may have prompted this action, but it is a relatively odd sequence of events. He reacted to the Anti-Shumer meme above (produced by a group styling themselves the “USA For Christ” by describing a “flood of illegals, ruining our country” and that it was the “President’s job to keep our borders safe.” (conflating the relatively small number of illegals  coming across the Mexican border with, supposedly all immigrants. It seemed to allege that these were a threat to the Nation’s security. I would print his post verbatim here, but I won’t use names and I blocked him.    

I responded with: "Yes, XXXX,  and almost no borders are walls. Travel and learn something. Are the Canada, Gulf Coast  and Atlantic and Pacific Coast "walls" the next big fight? Six states account for 58% of unauthorized immigrants: California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey and Illinois. You should note that four of these states don't border Mexico. There are those pesky facts again, huh? But individual states have experienced different trends. From 2007 to 2016, the unauthorized immigrant population decreased in a dozen states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Oregon. In three states, the unauthorized immigrant population rose over the same period: Louisiana, Maryland and Massachusetts none of which abut Mexico! Since the Great Recession, more illegal, undocumented immigrants have left the United States than have entered it, and illegal border crossings are at the lowest levels they have been in decades. Goodness, you people are ignorant! About 40% of illegals come by air, more by sea, and many more are visa overstays or persons who entered legally and became illegal.

What you don't know and refuse to learn makes you support a hideous man who wouldn't piss on you if you were in flames. The meme above comes from a group named USA for Christ. Do you really think Jesus was a wall builder? You can't be a Christian and believe that he was, but you can be a hypocrite and pretend to believe both. Everything we think we know about Jesus flies in the face of everything Trump has ever done. Wake up.  He's not a Christian, the biggest threat to our nation is not the "flood (which isn't a flood) of illegals. In fact, Obama sent far more of them back than Trump has; so did Bush 43. The job of the President as you decided it to be is nowhere in the US Constitution. I'm sorry for whatever has happened to you."

At this point I blocked the original poster since we were never going to have a reasonable discussion (do we ever on FB?) Then I was presented with this, by another person, unknown to me, also, as I later determined, an ex navy guy, who also quit short of retirement. Below is his post, verbatim:

"Dorman you are one ignorant bastard! You are a Trump hater and you just can't keep your fucking mouth shut when you should!!! I can see you are one of the weak little Liberals that want to change my country from what it was built to be into a socialist giveaway Nation! Screw you asshole!!"

I know, I know I should have been the adult and ignored this, but sometimes you just can’t, as Elsa famously said, “Let it Go.” So…..

" Actually XXXX, I'm a 26 year retired Master Chief Petty Officer, Submariner Nuclear Power designated,who then taught high school for another 20 years. I am many things - proud navy retiree, average golfer, father, husband of 54 years, and incurable punster but I am not ignorant. In fact, I hold an advanced degree in several areas, because, apparently unlike you, I took advantage of educational opportunities the Navy offered. I politely declined the offer a MCPON (Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy) nomination to go teach school. What I can do is specifically list the things I dislike about Trump, starting with he's a serial philanderer and almost pathological liar (10% pay raise?) (6 new steel mills?) the list is endless.

What I can't do is understand the people like you, apparently, who refuse to see that he doesn't give a shit about people like us, except as votes. He has convinced you that immigration from Mexico is a threat, although I'd bet you have never been affected by it. He has sucked up to the same Russia we both saw as the potential bad guys while in ACDU. 

So exactly what is it about him you like? Is it the loudmouthed insults (I’m betting it is, based on your post)? Why not just watch the WWE? Is it the white supremacist undertone he fosters while publicly bullshitting Blacks that he's their bud? Did you jerk off seeing him with Kanye West? Is it the schtupping porn stars which elevates him in your eyes? Sadly, based on much of what I see of his supporters, it’s principally his outspoken brash and poorly parsed tirades against things which bother him. Those would be anything which calls his miserable behavior or bad judgement into question. 

I think this resonates with them (and you) because you have by whatever circumstance reached a point where you have the same anger issues but no outlet. The diametric difference, of course, is that everything Trump says is either self-aggrandizing or in support of  the elite in America who are, actually, a principal source of those things which anger you. 

Tragically, you probably lack the discernment to realize that last fact. You bemoan the high cost of health care while supporting politicians who are waist deep in the pockets of Big Pharma. You parrot the “They’re taking our jobs,” mantra, regarding illegals, when those jobs have gone overseas. Meanwhile immigrants continue doing jobs you’re “too good” to do. Has Trump shifted his (or his daughter’s) clothing sources to domestic producers? (cue the “Crickets”)

Truthfully, though, I'm not sure that it's just those things. In reality, Trump, a reality TV star much like Duck Dynasty, Honey Boo Boo, and the Kardashians, plays to his audience of disaffected deplorables, many of whom, apparently, having been disappointed with the way their lives turned out, are simply eager to blame their shortcomings and misfortunes on others, based on race, color, religion, sexual identity, political beliefs etc.  So, XXXX, if what you want is an actual reasoned  discussion of issues, I'm your guy. If what you want is to trade insults, you are punching far, far above your weight class. Be safe and have a great New Year!" 

At this point I dropped the mike (figuratively) and got another cup of Joe.