It’s Personal

It’s personal, and it’s complicated.  Politics is personal.  Trump is the epitome of all things personal.  I am not ready to let go of the national dialogue.  After this column, I plan to take a step back from the dialogue, a pause, maybe for a day, a week, or longer.  I need to do so for my own personal well-being.  I know exactly who and what Trump is and what horrific things that he has done and continues to do.  But I continue to be flummoxed, baffled, bewildered, perplexed, confounded, confused, and even worried about Trump supporters.  I feel compelled to point out the error of their ways, and while it may seem a contradiction, I truly want to understand them. 

Shortly after the election, I tried to delineate the different types of Trump supporters in a column I wrote called Trump Deconstructed.  I think I was able to tap into many of the different motivations behind why people voted for him.  But I am still flummoxed, baffled, bewildered, perplexed, confounded, confused, and even worried about how they now seem to blindly follow him and can’t summon up the courage, desire, humanity, and/or objectivity to acknowledge a single solitary mistake he has ever made.  Not one. 

Let me go back to 1984.  This is not a reference to George Orwell’s book, but it is wonderfully ironic that his book is a warning against totalitarianism and the dangers of government control. His book explores how governments can manipulate people and suppress individuality.

My 1984 is a different story, but like Orwell, it resonates for me among all this chaos.

Not just a baseball game

I was a young Lieutenant in an Army Air Defense unit on a lonely hilltop in Germany in 1984.   One evening, shortly before dusk, we all decided to play a game of baseball.  I was a bit nervous because I had always been uncoordinated.  Earlier in my life I once struck out at slow-pitch softball.  I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of the other soldiers.  I was almost shaking when it came my turn to go up to bat.  I surprised myself by connecting on the very first pitch and watched the ball sail over second base and drop on to the grass, just a step in front of the advancing outfielder.  I started to run to first base, while I watched him quickly scoop it up from the ground and yell, “I caught it!  You’re out!” 

I advanced to first base anyway, since I knew it was a lie.  An argument started as I refused to leave first base.  Eventually, my own team members took his side and I relented.  I wondered how I could see something that none of them saw.  Could I have been wrong?

Later, as we were all hanging out and having some beers.  The outfielder laughed as he admitted he cheated.  Members of both teams admitted that they knew that the ball hit the ground and I should have been safe at first base.  I was livid.  I was furious.  I could not understand why they all sided with the cheater and not the truth.  The closest thing I ever got to an answer was that I was making a big deal out of it and slowing up the game.  I get that both him cheating and me standing on truth and principles can both be irritating.  But I did not understand then, and do not understand now forty years later, how the person who stands for truth is assailed more than the cheater.  I may never understand.

Lacking cogent debate

I have tried to reach out to Trump supporters to better understand.  It hasn’t been successful so far.  I take ownership and blame for some of this. While I can honestly say that my goal has never been to intimidate anyone, I am clearly bold, do my homework, and stand by the courage of my convictions.  To some that can be intimidating.  I am sure for some it is just not worth the hassle.  They already won.  However, if there is truth, data, and honor behind each decision this Administration makes, it shouldn’t be that hard to simply share the facts without debate. 

To be fair, I have received some feedback from Trump supports.  They include:

“Biden did bad things.”

“I am pretty pleased.”

“Some good, some bad.”

“Give him a chance.”

“Be nice.”

“You keep bringing up the J6ers.”

And countless memes with no reference or basis in fact.

Do you see what is missing here?  A logical, cogent, salient defense based on facts and truth.  What has really plagued me, frustrated me, is that I can’t get one single Trump supporter to even admit a single one of his actions have been negative and/or they disagree with him on something of importance.  Not one.  The closest I have gotten is a few admissions that they don’t like some of the things he says or tweets, but not one person has demonstrated a single opposition to a single policy decision.  This is strikingly odd to me because those same people can find fault in a boss, a neighbor, family members, team members, coaches, teachers, and more.  But not him?

And then it came to me.  It is personal.

It’s personal

In a world where people like to say it’s politics, not personal, I now see that we have that backwards.  It is all personal.  Decisions that any government makes impact on the well-being of all of the people it serves.  Sometimes positively.  Sometimes negatively.  While this is true about every Administration, Trump is so divisive that both sides have trouble being objective. 

Several different institutions and organizations define different dimensions of well-being, ranging from five to eight different dependencies.  Colorado State University (CSU) , Pueblo defines eight, which I will use here to assess how I think both sides see their well-being impacted.  I have to make some assumptions on the side of Trump Supporters and will try to do that objectively as possible and welcome corrections where I don’t recognize a point of view.  For that matter, I don’t speak for all of the 52% who, like me, do not give Trump a favorable rating right now.  So they too are welcome to give me feedback.  Again, this is just what I think.

CSU states, “Wellness comprises of eight mutually co-dependence dimensions: physical, occupational, social, spiritual, intellectual, environmental, financial, and emotional. If any one of these dimensions is neglected over time, it will adversely affect one’s health, well-being, and quality of life.”  Let’s look at these one at a time from both perspectives, how I think each group applies these personal well-being dimensions to current politics.  To save typing and Space, Trump Supporters will be referred to as TS; those opposed to the Administration’s approach will be referred to as Protesting Resistors, or PR.  One last caveat, to be completely clear – I am not saying any of these perspectives are based on fact or have any merit.  I am simply suggesting the personal fears and concerns folks may think and feel. 

Physical.  This dimension encompasses all areas of health that relate to physical aspects of the body including nutrition, exercise, weight management, ergonomics, tobacco use, disease, disease prevention, and more.

TS:  Physical security is threatened by immigrants who commit crimes.  That is scary.  Also need a stronger defense to protect our freedom.

PR:  An anti-vaxer taking charge of HHS and the Administration picking fights with the rest of the world is frightening. 

Occupational.  Occupational wellness encompasses all aspects of wellbeing pertaining to personal satisfaction in your job/career.

TS:  Immigrants are taking jobs from the rest of us.  Minorities are getting favoritism in hiring.

PR:  DEI has nothing to do with quotas.  Nothing.  Immigrants are filling jobs that others do not want.  Ask a farmer.  The real threat to our jobs is Trump eliminating jobs and programs (more jobs) without any reasonable analysis.

Social.  Social wellness encompasses all aspects of wellbeing pertaining to social connections, relationships, and personal expression.

TS:  Transgender and pronoun-changing are not normal.  Afraid these people will influence children, violate biology, and ruin sports competition for women.

PR:  Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.  Proclaiming that Transgender people do not exist is inaccurate, cruel, and inhumane.

Spiritual.  Spiritual wellness encompasses all aspects of wellbeing pertaining to the search for purpose and meaning in life. This may include the belief in a higher power, but spiritual wellness does not have to be aligned with a religion.

TS:  Abortion is murder.  Period.  Trump represents Christianity.

PR:  Women’s rights are paramount.  Men should not be making this decision.  Trump already kicked this to the states, not a federal issue right now.  At best Trump only represents the Old Testament.  In the New Testament, Jesus speaks of love and forgiveness.  Jesus never called anyone a loser.  Not once.  Trump is the anti-Christ.

Intellectual.  Intellectual wellness encompasses all aspects of wellbeing pertaining to brain health and growth via thought-provoking mental activities.

TS:  Have faith and confidence in elected officials who speak conservative values and language.  Do not need evidence beyond their claims.  That’s why they are elected.

PR:  Need data, analysis, and evidence.  Otherwise fascism, dictatorship, and cultism take over.

Environment.  This dimension encompasses all areas of health that relate to the environment and in turn, how the environment can impact human health. Environmental wellness includes eco-friendly considerations, active participation in recycling and proper disposal of electronics and medicine, energy, fuel, and water conservation, and the use of sustainable products.

TS:  Get fuels, fossil fuels, fracking.  The earth exists to serve people, not the other way around.

PR:  Protect the earth or the earth will not be able to protect the next generation.  Everyone should have access to free, clean water.

Financial.  Financial wellness encompasses all aspects of wellbeing pertaining to finances including knowledge and skills of financial planning and managing expenses.

TS:  Tariffs will work.  Trump said so.  They are millionaires and billionaires.  They know what they are doing.  Anything that brings down the deficit is a good thing.

PR:  Economists, corporations, and history show that tariffs ultimately negatively impact the lower and middle class the most.  Despite the conservative narrative, data proves the economy was in historically great shape, to include low unemployment, under Biden.  In the three weeks under the Trump Administration inflation has risen each week.

Emotional.  Emotional wellness encompasses the knowledge and skills to identify personal feelings and the ability to handle those emotions.

TS:  The ends justify the means.  Don’t need Trump to be nice.  Just need him to get things done. Snowflakes don’t have a spine.  Get over it.

PR:   Violations against the constitution, laws, humanity, as well as threats and insults to other countries, make a reasonable person anxious and worried.  Without morality, kindness, and compassion, the country becomes a dark and scary place.

Conclusion

Again, I do not claim that each of these examples and generalizations represent every single person from both sides.  That would be impossible.  But they do serve to make a connection from politics to what this is all really about.

It’s personal.

I stand behind what I said forty years ago.  We are all entitled to our personal opinions and well-being.  But even when it is personal, especially when it is personal, truth matters.

I was safe at first.