Deeply moving essay from wife of a Trump supporter.

[Gunnar]

My Husband And His Family Voted For Trump — So I'm Canceling Thanksgiving And Christmas
I feel very much the same way she does, except I still managed to enjoy the thanksgiving holiday with my much beloved, Trump supporter brother and his family. Needless to say, however, we did not discuss politics, though I am deeply disappointed in him for voting for Trump, a second time.

Here are a few excerpts from her essay:

I wrote to my artist friends and told them to keep shining their lights. I wrote to my musician son in college and his songwriter girlfriend. I told them to keep creating. I wrote to my young nieces, who were terrified, and told them I was there for them. I wrote to my beautiful gay cousin and said I loved him and was thinking of him and his partner.

I kept writing.

I received a message from a family member who told me her Ukrainian friend was petrified. Another message came in from an actor friend who said she was afraid that the damage that will be done in the next four years could never be undone. One of my sisters wrote and said she had a panic attack and had to leave work. One of my students rescheduled our afternoon appointment saying she just couldn’t function.

Later that night, I briefly glanced at my husband and found myself not wanting to look into the eyes I love. I hated this divide. I wanted to touch his forearms and feel our connection, but I also felt an urge to punish him and deny him my touch.

“I am sorry about the holidays, but I cannot bite my tongue like I did with Hillary,” I told him. “I don’t want to disrespect your parents or your brother and his family in their home, or our home, so it’s best this way. No scenes. You can go see them. Seriously — I will not be in a room of 15 people who voted for Trump.”

I fully understand her feelings and the terror of her nieces and her family member's Ukrainian friend, and have difficulty understanding how any fair-minded and decent person could ever have voted for Trump. That infamous Access Hollywood tape alone should have been enough to dissuade any moral and caring person from voting for Trump!

But I will not give thanks and hold hands in a circle with people who voted for a party that wants to take rights away from LGBTQ people. I will not pass the turkey to someone who supports people who have signaled they will cause harm to people with disabilities and the elderly. I will not sit by a Christmas tree celebrating the birth of Jesus and sipping eggnog when I know how many people may now find themselves in grave — even deadly — danger because they cannot get the reproductive care they need. I will not unwrap gifts given to me by people who voted for a party that has talked about building internment camps and mass deportation.

Again, I deeply understand and sympathize with those sentiments. This whole "anti-woke" movement is deeply disturbing and inherently immoral, as far as I'm concerned, as is the abandonment of the principles of DEI. I can think of nothing more antithetical to the teachings of Jesus Christ than that! If one is "anti-woke", they either don't really understand what is meant by "woke", or they are hateful bigots! The same goes for those who oppose and disparage diversity, equity and inclusion.

[Some Schmo]

I completely get it. For me, it's simple: you are heavily influenced by the people with whom you associate. I refuse to mingle with ignorant selfish people, so I avoid Trumptards at all costs. What do they really have to offer that isn't tainted?

I'm sure we could learn all kinds of things by studying these people, in the same way we learn by studying cancer. I'm not in the cancer curing business, however. I'll leave that to people who are interested in deadly maladies.

So no, I can't forgive their ignorance either. That level of ignorance is unforgivable.

[Gunnar]

I completely get it. For me, it's simple: you are heavily influenced by the people with whom you associate. I refuse to mingle with ignorant selfish people, so I avoid Trumptards at all costs. What do they really have to offer that isn't tainted?

I'm sure we could learn all kinds of things by studying these people, in the same way we learn by studying cancer. I'm not in the cancer curing business, however. I'll leave that to people who are interested in deadly maladies.

So no, I can't forgive their ignorance either. That level of ignorance is unforgivable.

It's so unreasonable that those who point out the well documented facts of Trump's pathological dishonesty, misogyny, willful ignorance, corruption, and misdeeds, (including trying to overturn a fair and legitimate election) are ridiculed by hard right conservatives for having "Trump derangement syndrome." To me, that is approximately the same level of stupidity as flat earthers dismissing those who point out incontrovertible evidence against the flat earth model as merely suffering from "flat earth derangement syndrome." What has Trump ever done that materially benefited anyone other than himself and his obscenely wealthy supporters and donors?

[Some Schmo]

It's so unreasonable that those who point out the well documented facts of Trump's pathological dishonesty, misogyny, willful ignorance, corruption, and misdeeds, (including trying to overturn a fair and legitimate election) are ridiculed by hard right conservatives for having "Trump derangement syndrome." To me, that is approximately the same level of stupidity as flat earthers dismissing those who point out incontrovertible evidence against the flat earth model as merely suffering from "flat earth derangement syndrome." What has Trump ever done that materially benefited anyone other than himself and his obscenely wealthy supporters and donors?

"Trump derangement syndrome" is something people say because they don't have anything insightful to say. It's their retarded self-defense for having the idiotic audacity to think they know better. They are clearly the deranged ones. That is obvious.

They got projection as a habit from Trump.

[Gunnar]

"Trump derangement syndrome" is something people say because they don't have anything insightful to say. It's their retarded self-defense for having the idiotic audacity to think they know better. They are clearly the deranged ones. That is obvious.

They got projection as a habit from Trump.

Exactly right! Even if Trump were clearly guilty of assassinating political opponents merely in order to silence them, criticism of him even for that, however just, would probably be quickly dismissed as TDS by MAGA conservatives.

[Jersey Girl]

"Trump derangement syndrome" is something people say because they don't have anything insightful to say. It's their retarded self-defense for having the idiotic audacity to think they know better. They are clearly the deranged ones. That is obvious.

They got projection as a habit from Trump.

Disagree to this extent. TDS is a tool with which to shut down communication. It's a deflection, an avoidance technique. It's akin to covering one's ears. Why? They avoid engaging intellectually because they're too lazy to do their homework. Same as some folks who sit in church and passively nod their heads while the preacher is delivering a sermon. It's easier to nod one's head than open their Bible, follow along, and check the passages the preacher is referring to.

True story: FOX News is on every day in this house. Today when I walked through the great room where the TV is, the speaker was talking about Biden pardoning his son Hunter and how that was understandable or whatever. And I said matter of factly (and this is a direct quote), "Of course he pardoned his son. Who wouldn't? Heck, Trump was talking about pardoning himself."

Short, semisweet, and to the point.

[Jersey Girl]

My Husband And His Family Voted For Trump — So I'm Canceling Thanksgiving And Christmas
I feel very much the same way she does, except I still managed to enjoy the thanksgiving holiday with my much beloved, Trump supporter brother and his family. Needless to say, however, we did not discuss politics, though I am deeply disappointed in him for voting for Trump, a second time.

Here are a few excerpts from her essay:

I wrote to my artist friends and told them to keep shining their lights. I wrote to my musician son in college and his songwriter girlfriend. I told them to keep creating. I wrote to my young nieces, who were terrified, and told them I was there for them. I wrote to my beautiful gay cousin and said I loved him and was thinking of him and his partner.

I kept writing.

I received a message from a family member who told me her Ukrainian friend was petrified. Another message came in from an actor friend who said she was afraid that the damage that will be done in the next four years could never be undone. One of my sisters wrote and said she had a panic attack and had to leave work. One of my students rescheduled our afternoon appointment saying she just couldn’t function.

Later that night, I briefly glanced at my husband and found myself not wanting to look into the eyes I love. I hated this divide. I wanted to touch his forearms and feel our connection, but I also felt an urge to punish him and deny him my touch.

“I am sorry about the holidays, but I cannot bite my tongue like I did with Hillary,” I told him. “I don’t want to disrespect your parents or your brother and his family in their home, or our home, so it’s best this way. No scenes. You can go see them. Seriously — I will not be in a room of 15 people who voted for Trump.”

I fully understand her feelings and the terror of her nieces and her family member's Ukrainian friend, and have difficulty understanding how any fair-minded and decent person could ever have voted for Trump. That infamous Access Hollywood tape alone should have been enough to dissuade any moral and caring person from voting for Trump!

But I will not give thanks and hold hands in a circle with people who voted for a party that wants to take rights away from LGBTQ people. I will not pass the turkey to someone who supports people who have signaled they will cause harm to people with disabilities and the elderly. I will not sit by a Christmas tree celebrating the birth of Jesus and sipping eggnog when I know how many people may now find themselves in grave — even deadly — danger because they cannot get the reproductive care they need. I will not unwrap gifts given to me by people who voted for a party that has talked about building internment camps and mass deportation.

Again, I deeply understand and sympathize with those sentiments. This whole "anti-woke" movement is deeply disturbing and inherently immoral, as far as I'm concerned, as is the abandonment of the principles of DEI. I can think of nothing more antithetical to the teachings of Jesus Christ than that! If one is "anti-woke", they either don't really understand what is meant by "woke", or they are hateful bigots! The same goes for those who oppose and disparage diversity, equity and inclusion.

Okay one more post and then someone needs to get to bed around here.

Gunnar how does this woman's approach serve to reflect the light of Christ?

[Dr. Shades]

I wrote to my young nieces, who were terrified, . . .

Terrified of what? Trump was President for four years ending four years ago, and they weren't terrified then but magically are now?

. . . and told them I was there for them.

Is her being there for them going to make Trump any less President?

I received a message from a family member who told me her Ukrainian friend was petrified.

Is the Ukrainian friend here legally? If so, of what is he or she petrified?

Another message came in from an actor friend who said she was afraid that the damage that will be done in the next four years could never be undone.

Again, Trump was President for four years ending four years ago, and all the so-called "damage" went away after Biden was sworn in. Funny how she forgot all about his first presidency.

One of my sisters wrote and said she had a panic attack and had to leave work.

That takes snowflake-ism to absurd new heights. She had a panic attack now, when Trump isn't even the President, but not when he actually was the President?

One of my students rescheduled our afternoon appointment saying she just couldn’t function.

Again, this takes snowflake-ism to absurd new heights. The student just couldn't function now, when Trump isn't even the President, but not when he actually was the President?

Later that night, I briefly glanced at my husband and found myself not wanting to look into the eyes I love. I hated this divide. I wanted to touch his forearms and feel our connection, but I also felt an urge to punish him and deny him my touch.

Magically now, but never during the four years Trump was actually the President. Interesting.

I will not sit by a Christmas tree celebrating the birth of Jesus and sipping eggnog when I know how many people may now find themselves in grave — even deadly — danger because they cannot get the reproductive care they need.

That happened during Biden's presidency, not Trump's.

I fully understand her feelings and the terror of her nieces and her family member's Ukrainian friend, . . .

How and why, in light of the points I made above?

Again, I deeply understand and sympathize with those sentiments.

I certainly don't. All these people completely forgot that Trump was President once before, and the world didn't magically come to an end.

[Fence Sitter]

Shades,

You know what is worse than getting cancer?
Thinking you beat it only to have it come back.
People are rightly more afraid of Trump this time because we've seen and are still dealing with the damage he did the first time.
This time around is going to be worse.

[Some Schmo]

I wrote to my young nieces, who were terrified, . . .

Terrified of what? Trump was President for four years ending four years ago, and they weren't terrified then but magically are now?

. . . and told them I was there for them.

Is her being there for them going to make Trump any less President?

I received a message from a family member who told me her Ukrainian friend was petrified.

Is the Ukrainian friend here legally? If so, of what is he or she petrified?

Another message came in from an actor friend who said she was afraid that the damage that will be done in the next four years could never be undone.

Again, Trump was President for four years ending four years ago, and all the so-called "damage" went away after Biden was sworn in. Funny how she forgot all about his first presidency.

One of my sisters wrote and said she had a panic attack and had to leave work.

That takes snowflake-ism to absurd new heights. She had a panic attack now, when Trump isn't even the President, but not when he actually was the President?

One of my students rescheduled our afternoon appointment saying she just couldn’t function.

Again, this takes snowflake-ism to absurd new heights. The student just couldn't function now, when Trump isn't even the President, but not when he actually was the President?

Later that night, I briefly glanced at my husband and found myself not wanting to look into the eyes I love. I hated this divide. I wanted to touch his forearms and feel our connection, but I also felt an urge to punish him and deny him my touch.

Magically now, but never during the four years Trump was actually the President. Interesting.

I will not sit by a Christmas tree celebrating the birth of Jesus and sipping eggnog when I know how many people may now find themselves in grave — even deadly — danger because they cannot get the reproductive care they need.

That happened during Biden's presidency, not Trump's.

I fully understand her feelings and the terror of her nieces and her family member's Ukrainian friend, . . .

How and why, in light of the points I made above?

Again, I deeply understand and sympathize with those sentiments.

I certainly don't. All these people completely forgot that Trump was President once before, and the world didn't magically come to an end.

This is a prime example of the unforgivable ignorance I was talking about.

Pull your head out of your ass Shades. damned Christ.