It’s all over bar the shouting
Fri, November 11, 2016 America, the Land of the Free. It is even in the National Anthem. But I am only as free as other people allow me to be.
I am free to ride my bike on a public highway, but it will only take one butt-hole who in his opinion thinks I shouldn’t be there, and if he feels strong enough he could run me down and kill me. And he could even get away with it if there were no witnesses, it would be labeled, “Just another accident.”
I have freedom of speech, I can say anything I wish, or can I? There used to be a saying that went:
“I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend until the death, your right to say it.”
What happened to that sentiment?
For today if someone says something the goes against popular opinion, he or she will be ostracized in the social media. Not only do people disagree with someone’s opinion, they no longer defend their right to have that opinion. And on top of that they want that person punished for their opinions.
The only real freedom people have left is their own thoughts. And God help us if technology ever finds a way to read our thoughts. The other freedom is the vote, because like people’s thoughts no one really knows how they voted. Not friends or even close family. They can say nothing, or say the opposite of how they voted. No one really knows.
I don’t get to vote, I am not a US citizen, I am a legal Resident Alien. So I don’t express my political opinions. I feel if I can’t vote I do not have that right. I just observe. I was surprised as anyone else when I woke on Wednesday morning to find that Donald Trump was president. I believe even Donald Trump was surprised.
Because here was a man who it seemed was hated by everyone. Members of his own party distanced themselves from him. Major newspapers even the Republican ones wrote editorials saying, “Don’t vote for this man.” The rest of the media mocked and ridiculed Donald Trump.
So WTF happened? I tell you what happened. People exercised the only real freedom they have left, their thoughts and their vote. Now that may be a scary thought in and of itself to some people. But it is democracy in action, proof that we still have a democracy.
There is another old saying that goes:
“It’s all over bar the shouting”
There is much shouting going on right now, but it is over. Deal with it for at least the next four years. You don’t get to do it over because the result didn’t turn out as you expected. Exactly the same thing happened recently in Britain. There was a vote whether or not to leave the European Union. (EU)
It appears the majority of Brits, thought “That will never happen,” but those for “Brexit” got out and voted, and many of those against stayed home. Then when the result came in with a small majority for leaving the EU, everyone went, “Oh no, that’s not what we wanted.” Sorry, but it’s a done deal, people voted. Maybe something similar happened in America.
This is really not a time to take the “United” out of the United States of America. There are people in California want to secede from the Union, and become their own country. Really, you’re going to take your ball and leave, because you don’t like this game anymore.
Rioting and destroying stuff never achieved anything either. And if anyone stops to think about it, it is a good thing that it doesn’t. Racism and sexism can only be eradicated by peaceful means, by example and education. You can’t enforce it by rioting, and you can’t enforce it with political correctness. People just stop saying racist and sexist stuff. It doesn’t stop them thinking it.
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Reader Comments (14)
The thing is, that it's not just talk. Now as president, Trump will actually have the power to follow through on his threats to Muslims, LGBTQ, Mexicans, women, the disabled, international allies, free speech, etc... It's a long and growing list.
Nobody is afraid of a blowhard; they are afraid when speech becomes action.
Dave as usual you hit a subject that I am sure many will want to discuss. Like you I was born in England, My Gandfather and his three Brothers moved over to the USA in the early 1900s Granddad did NOT like it over here and went back to Brum England. In 1957 I left Brum for the USA and was sponsored by by Uncle Gus one of the brothers to live here. I became a citizen of the USA in 1983 WHY? I could see that I would never go back to England and that I would like to have a say in how this adopted country of mine was run. I did vote this year for TRUMP It seems every election its a vote for the lesser of two EVILS.Re, Clinton she is in MY mind the most evil, corrupt, money hungry unethical self serving with NO regard for this country's safety that has ever run for Pres at least since I have been here, BUT I do think the whole problem is one that all Americans love MONEY!! Because Clinton can and has been manipulated by BIG money, special interest groups and the liberal media she had the backing of people like SOROS This is a man that like Clinton is also evil and corrupt, Trump used most of his own money to finance his campaign, That is what all the ones against him feared most Dems and Repubs they all knew, unlike Clinton, Trump would not be affected by their biggest interest MONEY. Now I love money, I live in an upscale area in a high end house,(that you could put the semi detached home in Brum that I grew up in) in the family room Of my home now, I drive top end cars have a fine bike collection a beautiful family. my son after 26 years in the US Navy is a Capt My daughter CFO of a large company.LIFE IS GOOD. BUT I did work very hard for what I have, I arrived in the USA with 100 quid, So America was good for me. MONEY CORRUPTS? The Clinton's, Soros Koch Bros all have more money than I will ever see, How did they get it hard work like me? NO Bribes and corruption, graft as we called it, scratch my back I will scratch yours that's how. My vote was my voice against this.I like millions of other Americans that VOTED AGAINST CLINTON also felt the way I do. You have to work hard for what you get,Not sponge off others and the live off the governmet
Hey Dave, did you know these "protestors" some are rioters are paid by George Soros? This just got exposed. He's even being sued . They are running ads on Craigslist and busing hundreds of people in to NYC , Portland, etc.
Insane huh? Nothing new though, the CIA did this in the 60's.
More here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14zszKEKz-I
Interesting that you've never taken US citizenship, Dave. Although I spent the majority of my life (just) in Canada, I also have US and UK citizenship. And, I voted in both the UK Brexit referendum and the US presidential election (as is my right and duty).
Both campaigns surprised me in the amount of vitriol that surfaced. I had hoped we were beyond that, but I suppose it's often two steps forward, one step back. Our problems and the solutions seem complex, but people long to believe in the simple "quick fix". Here's hoping that works out.
I voted for Clinton. I didn't do it willingly, but held my nose and voted for her anyway. This was not so much a vote against Trump, but more of an attempt to keep the Republicans from controlling the Presidency in addition to the House and Senate. Their policies re: war and lack of oversight of companies are very detrimental to the US.
That being said, I will give Trump a chance to govern. I have a feeling the people who feel empowered by him are in for a shock. I expect him to be a lot more 'liberal' than they expect. Let's see how it plays out. The people have spoken. Some people who didn't want him as a President did not get out to vote - some of this was due to Clinton just not being an inspiring person. They had their chance and didn't vote. Tough tater tots! We now have to deal with it.
I will cheer Trump on if he tries to do things I agree with. I will protest and organize against any decisions he makes that I do not agree with. This is not only my right as a citizen, but also a duty. It may have no effect, but I'll do it anyway.
The one good thing that may come out of this election is that the Democrats may finally figure out that the people don't want their establishment politicians that are controlled by their corporate masters. In fact they don't want that enough to take a real gamble on someone like Trump. The Democrats had a chance to pick a candidate that represented what the people want, but the DNC decided to tilt the scales in favour of Clinton. They got what they deserved.
As for me, I'm done with voting against people. I will now vote for the candidate who best represents my needs/wants. If that is a third party candidate, then so be it. People may consider my vote wasted, but until we make the major parties realize that they cannot win without moving their agendas towards the third parties, they will never change. The two 'major' parties no longer represent me and a lot of other Americans, and I will not vote for them until they do.
I think voting is like everything else in life, If you do not like it, do not buy it. If the candidates are not to your liking do not vote,
I walked into the booth and looked at the 1st two lines, Trump and Clinton, and voted for the Libertarian. I don't know what his platform was and couldn't even tell you his name, but when I had the ballot in my hands I couldn't give my vote to either of those two, and I'm too conservative to vote Green.
simplistic! the first comment got it right.
When you did your Left Coast Tour last summer, you were in the belly of the beast of peeps that want you punished; lose your job if they don't agree with your opinion. I've spent 40 years here, and can't wait to get out. Proud Trumpster!
But I can see from most of the prior posts why the country needs an ass kicker like Trump; talk about limp wrists....
Dear Democrats and Liberals,
I'm noticing that a lot of you aren't graciously accepting the fact that your candidate lost. In fact you seem to be posting even more hateful things about those of us who voted for Trump.
Some of you are apparently "triggered". Because you are posting how "sick" you feel about the results.
How did this happen you ask.
You created "us" when you attacked our freedom of speech.
You created "us" when you attacked our right to bear arms.
You created "us" when you attacked our Christian beliefs.
You created "us" when you constantly referred to us as racists.
You created "us" when you constantly called us xenophobic.
You created "us" when you told us to get on board or get out of the way.
You created "us" when you forced us to buy health care and then financially penalized us for not participating.
You created "us" when you allowed our jobs to continue to leave our country.
You created "us" when you attacked our flag.
You created "us" when you confused women's rights with feminism.
You created "us" when you began to immasculate men.
You created "us" when you decided to make our children soft.
You created "us" when you decided to vote for progressive ideals.
You created "us" when you attacked our way of life.
You created "us" when you decided to let our government get out of control.
"You" created "us" the silent majority.
And we became fed up and we pushed back and spoke up.
And we did it with ballots, not bullets. This time.
Written by Sam Thomas a Trump Supporter.
Robert Graves -
I don't know if you agree with Sam Thomas or not (I assume that you do), but I do have a few things to say in reply to his post.
In the first place, I thought Conservatives were all about individual responsibility. In that case, they should just take credit for creating themselves. Don't blame others.
Here are my specific responses:
Freedom of Speech - I agree! I've argued that suppressing hate speech doesn't get rid of the hate, it just drives it underground. Trump's election has brought this back to the fore. It's a good thing. We'll now have to face it that people are full of hate and fear for things that are different from them.
Gun control - Nobody has tried to take away your weapons. Ever! You guys must be so scared all the time to hold onto a reality that doesn't exist. What people want (and that's including most Republicans) is reasonable Gun Control - ways to make sure that wife abusers, terrorists, and murderers cannot easily get their hands on guns. That's reasonable, but you won't see it.
Christian beliefs - Have you realized that Christians are still the biggest religious group in the USA? Almost no elected officials are anything other than Christian. Yes, any reasonable person knows that god does not exist and that all religions are crap, but nobody is taking away your right to believe in crap. What we don't want is for you to use your iron-age superstitions to affect what other people do.
Racists - well, some of you are. That's a fact. Look at what's being spewed on the forums and on video. It's a good bet that our next President is at least somewhat racist and his choice for Chief Strategist certainly is. If the shoe fits......
Xenophobic - see 'racists'
Get on board - That's something I disagree with. I wish people would stop trying to make people be other than what they are. Nobody should be forced to conform.
Healthcare - It costs us all money. If you don't have healthcare and have to therefore visit the ED, it costs me money. However, Obamacare is flawed. He should have gone for a single-payer system when he had the chance, but he didn't have the guts to stand up the to the Republicans.
Jobs - That's been a bipartisan effort. If you think that Republicans are going to bring back jobs, or that Trump is, you're going to be very disappointed. That had little to do with Liberals and had more to do with politicians being paid off by their corporate masters.
The Flag - If you're talking about the US flag, then that's what I call easy patriotism. Real patriotism is standing up for what this country was built on - the Constitution. Read it all, not just the 2nd amendment.
If you're talking about the confederate flag, then you're holding on to a concept that is rightly dead -- and should stay dead, but have at it. It doesn't bother me. You can't expect everyone to like it, though.
Feminism - That's something that women have to work for. Do you believe that women are treated equally in our society or in the workplace? If they are not, then they have a right to work for equality, however they see fit.
'Immasculate' men - If you emasculate, then I don't see what you're complaining about. Not allowing you to beat up on your wife and kids is not emasculating you. In what way do you feel emasculated? Because you could be prosecuted for harassing a woman on the street or in the workplace?
Soft Children - Who's making them soft? Or do you think that physically abusing them is okay? You bring up your kids. If they're soft then that's on you. My kids have grown up running around the forests, playing freely and enjoying themselves. Not soft.
Progressive ideals - Well, the whole point of a democracy is that we vote for our own ideals. Liberals choose to vote for theirs and you choose to vote for yours. What? You don't like a Democracy? We have to deal with your choice this time, you'll have to deal with ours in the future. That's the way it goes.
Way of life - What way of life? The right to keep slaves? Drive pickups? What was attacked? You live in some sort of alternate reality if you think your way of life is being attacked because other people are fighting to be treated equally.
Government - Well, that's something we can agree on. It's too big, our military is too big and our entitlements to corporations are too big.
Silent majority - You're not the majority (even Hillary Clinton got the majority of the votes, and few people liked her). And you're not silent. And we didn't create you. You're responsible for creating yourself and for the ignorance you live in.
Yep, you did push back. That's because this country is based on principles, not a piece of cloth. The principles that make this country allow people to have a say in their government, even if it is to make a really scary choice. I doubt you'll like what happens over the next four years, but I could be wrong and I will let Trump have a chance before I start bashing him.
Finally, I read a saying somewhere that went something like this, "When you're accustomed to privilege, then equality seems like oppression.' It seems to me that this is what the white conservatives are really bothered by. Not that they're not on top anymore (they are), but that the 'others' are catching up to them. They don't like that.
Just a quick note, all I have time for right now
You said "nobody has ever taken guns away ever! "
And you'll probably say "the gov't has never attacked it's own people on American soil! "
Have you seen the movie "Bury my heart at wounded knee?" Ever wonder why the Natives right now protesting the Keystone pipeline are unarmed?
How about Waco?
How about the battle of Blair Mountain?
Actually, Robert Graves, I wouldn't make the argument that the govt would not attack its own people. I will also not make the related argument that your AR-15's are not going to do you any good against the military and militarized police force.
In fact, I think that guns do have their place in our society. Those guys who protested in Oregon (Bundy and his buddies) would have been summarily removed without anyone really hearing about it if they were not armed. I don't agree with their issues, but they were reasonably successful in drumming up some publicity for their point of view. While the cops and military can always outgun civilians, they would not be able to remove determined armed protesters without bloodshed and that would potentially create public outcry. That's all to the good.
However, sensible gun control is not about taking away your guns. It's more about making sure that mentally unhinged people, people with a history of criminal violence and criminals cannot get guns as easily as they can right now.
Every one of my friends who own and use guns are all for this. They are not upset about having their backgrounds checked because they know they have done nothing to fail these tests. I'm sure most of the gun owners you know are also responsible and will have no issues with this.
Gun control is not about taking away your guns.
I really hope they don't hack into our thoughts... That just sounds like George Orwell's 1984 is coming true. I would be the first to be taken away too since I commit 'thought crimes' all day :P
Definitely agree with you though, Dave. It's happened so lets move on and make the best of it. Wanting Trump to fail is like wanting yourself to fail since its the same America you're talking about!