If You Voted For Trump, You’re Dead to Me
By: Walter Rhein
Tags: This Happened To Me, Politics, Religion, Health, Social Media

If You Voted For Trump, You’re Dead to Me

Some transgressions are unforgivable

Photo by David Clode on Unsplash

Actions have consequences. Too many people in the United States have an entitled, blasé attitude about politics. Trump supporters like to chortle as they hang their “Make a liberal cry” flags out their windows, but then they expect life to continue as always after the election season. Newsflash: this time we’re not going to forgive and forget.

In a normal election, we could tolerate a person for holding a differing political view. However, Trump’s refusal to recognize the legitimacy of his defeat, and his efforts to overturn the election only served to validate the overwhelming concerns that he represented a threat to our freedoms and the fundamental sanctity of the American way of life. We were right and you were wrong. Recognize it.

Throughout the election season, I’ve told everyone in my social circle that if they voted for Trump they were dead to me. A staggering number of these individuals, in typical Republican fashion, took this as an opportunity to double down on their offensive behavior. Honestly, I’m no longer inclined to endure being called a “libtard” or a “snowflake.” These people have been flushed from my lives. They don’t seem capable of fully understanding what that means, but they will.

No donations for unexpected Medical expenses

There is a lot I find appalling about the conservative agenda. They act tough and bluster like bar braggarts, but when push comes to shove they’ll be the first to end up weeping in a corner. The pretense of hyper-masculinity is just a front. When it comes to making people cry, conservatives break a lot faster than liberals, it’s just that liberals have the decency to treat the emotions of other human beings with a modicum of respect.

Conservatives have been steadfastly against doing anything to reduce the out of control cost of health care in the United States. However, when one of them gets sick or gets into an accident, they’re the first to start begging for donations on social media.

The next time some conservative acquaintance of mine sends out a pleading message begging for some cash because they’ve just been diagnosed with cancer, I’m not sending a dime. Instead, I’ll send them a message and remind them that their situation is a direct result of their idiotic life choices. I don’t care if it’s a member of my family. If they voted Trump and they get sick, they can pay for it themselves. See how funny that is?

I won’t even share your post. You’ve lost my whole social network. You believe in lifting yourself up by your bootstraps? Well, let’s see you do it.

No contact

Remember how we used to go and get a beer every now and then. That’s over. Remember how you’d come and visit my kids? That’s done. You don’t get to see them any more. Remember how you’d occasionally call me and ask for advice? Forget it. Apparently you weren’t listening to me anyway because I told you not to vote for Trump. Why should I waste my time talking to you if you aren’t even going to listen? My time is valuable. Other people actually show a bit of respect for my opinion.

Did you think I was lying when I said that 100% of the people that have harassed my biracial children for speaking Spanish in public were right-wing lunatics emboldened by Trump’s racist rhetoric? Nobody on the left side of politics begrudges you for knowing a second language. They don’t begrudge you for having a skin color other than white. Really, what part of your tolerance for racism did you think I was willing to endure?

I frankly don’t trust any Trump supporters to be around my family. Anyone who can witness the vile behavior of that terrible human being and not be disgusted has proven themselves to be a potential risk. I don’t want my kids around people like that.

I’m fully anti-gun now

In the past, I was rather indifferent to guns. I thought there were bigger issues to deal with. But not anymore. Now I’m going to do everything in my power to take your guns away because that’s what I know will hurt you the most.

You had the option of standing up to white supremacists to help ensure the safety of my children. Instead, you voted to make sure white supremacists had access to the maximum amount of firepower with the least amount of oversight. You’ve shown that your guns are more important than the lives of my kids. I’ll remember that.

Your actions show that you, personally, shouldn’t be allowed to own guns. Your judgment is flawed. For starters, I’ll take advantage of red flag laws and using burner social media accounts I’ll trick you into publicly stating some deranged nonsense and then send it to the police as proof that you’re a threat to the community. Then, I’ll support the politicians with anti-gun agendas.

You want to dismiss every reasonable proposal as an attack on your rights? I think it’s time you saw what a real attack on your rights looks like. Believe me, I know, because you’ve been attacking mine and the rights of my children for years.

I’m fully anti-religion now

In the past, I used to hold my tongue against the transgressions of various religious groups. Not anymore. Now we’ve got a religious fanatic on the Supreme Court that must be opposed by every legal means at our disposal.

For too long, we’ve tolerated this absurd belief that religion doesn’t have to completely conform to the laws of our nation. They demand exceptions. In the midst of a pandemic, they insisted on gathering in large groups to worship! They routinely discriminate against members of the LGBTQ community. On top of all that, there is the ongoing transgressions of religious leaders that cover up horrific instances of child sexual abuse.

Now, all of these things are the first topics I mention whenever anyone mentions faith. Yeah, you’ve created a fraudulent perception that it’s socially impolite to talk about such things. I can break that perception down. All it takes is persistence. Religious groups need to be held accountable. Few of them follow their own teachings anyway.

But I won’t descend to violence

The one thing I won’t do is replicate the actions of the violent right. I won’t organize armed protests. I won’t attack people. I won’t take over government buildings.

I will, however, advocate that right-wing groups that engage in such lawless and disgusting activities are recognized as terrorists and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Your mass scale temper tantrums are repugnant. Our society needs to recognize you as the children that you are and take away your seat at the table.

You can go sit in the corner and shove crayons up your nose.

An appeal to maturity

For the last year I’ve been discussing the crimes of the Trump administration. The people in my social circle who are conservative have been stubbornly deaf and blind to the mountains of toxic evidence. They cherry-pick the things they want to believe and simply shut down when you demonstrate the absurdity of their observations. Then, when their own thoughts and actions drive our whole society to ruin, they act like we have to share the blame.

No, you idiots, it’s your fault! I realize that recognizing the horrible life choices you’ve made will cause you to feel terrible about yourselves, but you can’t be allowed to continue on leaving destruction and misery in your wake. You need to grow up and accept responsibility. Our society cannot continue to indulge the deranged rantings of conservative ideology as a legitimate political perspective. It’s lunacy.

Yes, I’m serious

A few of the people I’ve cut off have already reached out. “Why aren’t you talking to me?”

“Because I told you you were out of my life if you voted for Trump.”

“You were serious about that?”

Yes I was serious. I am serious. This is as serious as climate change. This is as serious as a global pandemic. This is as serious as domestic terrorism. Trump supporters are a threat to our children, our families, our very way of life. There have to be consequences for these attacks. We can’t continue to coddle them. We already know that when they are in power, they show absolutely no inclination to compromise. If we ever truly thought it was important to stand up for what is right, now is the time.

We won’t descend to their lawlessness, but we must be steadfast in our opposition.