Look...if you live in a nice, civil blue bubble where you REALLY do not know any Trump supporters or understand the conservative position, then yeah ok fine, you ought to maybe find some and listen to them. Have fun.
But I've lived in enough places where I've had deep exposure. And I've listened to enough voices. I have in my life BEEN conservative (at least on economic grounds and states' rights--later realized I was more libertarian-ish) and I still am not solidly liberal. So I've heard a variety of them from one end of the spectrum to the other, from bigoted and hateful to reasonable, to full on tinfoil hat and beyond.
Have you ever met someone who refused to acknowledge that rape culture exists, and had a discussion with them? Maybe go find some political news sources that allow comments, and read 'em. You'll get a face full of the "other perspective." Personally in my social spheres, I did not know a SINGLE legit Hillary supporter for the longest time. Eventually I met a few. But I knew some Trump supporters, and mostly Bernie supporters. Bernie was the hot topic, the man of the hour, everybody talked about Bernie.
But at the end, most of the people I knew who could not conscience either Trump or Hillary voted for Gary Johnson, or rather for an increase in the possible/hopeful viability of a future Libertarian party.
I held my nose and voted Hillary just like I said I would, and it was definitely a vote against Trump. I didn't love her, but I don't think she was as awful by a long shot.
Thing is though I have told people...I really hope I'm wrong about Trump being "that bad." I mean, I am not holding my breath, but only time will tell right? If I'm wrong, and once he's actually having to DO the job, he moderates his position and life goes on, I will happily admit how wrong I was, and I'll do it with a sigh of relief. If we are very lucky indeed, he won't alienate and destroy our relations with every foreign country on the planet except for maybe Russia. If we're lucky, he won't have more militarized police brutalizing and killing people, he won't outlaw abortion and maybe even make birth control almost impossible to get. He won't let Pence create camps to convert gays and destroy equal marriage rights insofar as they have thus far been gained. Won't force Muslims to register and be monitored closely.
But it's not his actions that scare me most, it's a segment out of that group that supports him...not all of them but some of them.
There are not just ignorant rednecks, but frats full of drunk young men, and righteous church groups, and who knows what others just chomping at the bit to exercise the new rights Trump has given them, to bully and assault and intimidate women and minorities and gays and anyone different from them, with smug grins upon their faces. There be bullies on the schoolyard, and the Principal says "boys will be boys." And I've been a victim of them enough times that I won't pretend they don't exist or barely exist. If you don't think there could be that many of 'em, you go hang out in the South a while.
I told my ex, who voted for Trump, that I am shutting out those who just want to grin and poke and be hurtful, to laugh at the pain of those around them. There were lots on my facebook, the ones calling the protests a bunch of whining crybabies. (Think they aren't bullies?) The ones saying they wish they had traffic blocked to work by protests, they'd run them over, the ones sharing the meme that says you didn't see riots in the streets after Obama was elected because republican voters have jobs to get to. (My ex shared that one.)
I told him that instead I am focusing on what I can do for those who might need some support. That people were coming together to protect one another. He said, "don't you think it's entitled of you, to expect anyone but yourself to defend your safety?"
He loves to remind me that I am powerless and should bow to the natural law of "might makes right." He loves to gloat at how weak I am because I'm not a man, and how I am alone and can count on no support. Of course that was not true if only I'd stayed with him, I'd have his protection. Now, he says, I can burn with the rest of "them." (Being people he does not care about, who are all "enemy.") In his eyes, a woman's love and sex and ability to breed are the coin she trades for a strong man to protect her from other strong men. In his eyes, you're either the bully on the schoolyard or the weakling getting pounded, and deserving it until you can stand up and defend yourself.
I listened to that voice for 18 years. I'm very familiar with it. I am, however, more useful and functional when I'm strong and serene inside and not cowering in fear under the voices of abusers that undermine my confidence. Frankly if I believed my ex completely, I'm not sure my life would be worth continuing to live...fortunately, I do not. But if you are strong enough, and you want to make friends with a few Trump voters, I can put you in touch with some. By the way, my ex thinks Ronnie was the best president we've had in his lifetime. And republicans I know think this country was more prosperous and rich and happy during the Reagan years than ever.
I was a little kid. I don't remember.
I guess the bottom line is that I think I'll give my compassion resources to victims instead of bullies. I gave compassion to an abuser and it didn't get me anywhere good.
