People should reserve judgement on Donald Trump
The panic and dismay of those who see the election of Donald Trump as an unmitigated calamity has not abated since the votes were counted and the results certified.
It is apparent that a sizable number of die-hard antagonists have resorted to crass fear mongering and to spurious and wild accusations to discredit and question the legitimacy of Trump’s win.
Recently, a prominent Democratic U.S. Senator made a play on Trump’s slogan, “Make America Great Again” by claiming in regard to the planned repeal or total overhaul of Obama Care, that we are about to “Make America Sick Again.” Increasingly, dire predictions and unfounded rumors of suspension of basic human rights, and false news alleging the suspension of programs such as Social Security, “food stamps” public assistance, subsidized housing, health care for the poor, tuition assistance, and so forth, dominate the social media.
How successful this ruse may be remains to be determined. Regardless, Donald Trump and all those who voted for him stand accused of a subtle and calloused bigotry toward blacks and other minorities. It is also alleged that a Trump administration will orchestrate a planned and purposeful mistreatment of women, gays, immigrants, people of color, and poor folks in general. Conversely most of these less than honest Trump naysayers claim for themselves an affinity for and unique understanding of what is best for all the poor and disadvantaged. Their mantra never varies. In spite of all the past failures and wasted resources, it is their relentless assertions that it is only the largesse of an all-powerful government that is able to bring equality and “social justice” to the oppressed.
Government intervention and subsidy are viewed as the only means to lift the masses from the misery wrought by both their poverty and the latent national prejudice toward the poor, blacks and other people of color. The root of the near hysteria and hatefulness of those who lost the last election is their allegations that a Trump presidency will only make worse the plight of the poor and disadvantaged. They claim this is a political certainty since the whole of his platform and all of his policies are rooted in a latent racism and a callous injustice that will be endorsed and implemented by the new, heartless, bigoted and, mostly white, Republican administration. My above synopsis of what I see as the root of the ongoing divisiveness and ill-behavior of progressives and other socialist leaning opponents of Donald Trump may or may not prove to be valid. But there is something of which I am certain. It is that many liberals or progressives fail to consider that there are plenty of white and traditional Americans who also know full well of what it is to be poor and disadvantaged. Remove the “color” or “nationality” issues and there is little difference. Moreover, “poverty” is often a relative term. Multitudes living in chaotic, oppressive, and dysfunctional countries would do almost anything to be “poor” and living in America.
Perhaps what I am about to suggest will be ridiculed or condemned by some. For example those sheltered and pampered “millennials” who after Trump’s election required “safe zones” at college could never acknowledge what I am about to suggest. This is especially true for the more devout Hillary’s base, some of whom are still in need of reassurance from therapists and the soothing of special adult coloring books due to their anxiety, and potential PTSD. But regardless, it is this writer’s opinion that there are some profitable things which actually are better learned in some benign poverty. I speak of the opportunity for character development which poverty forces and which is of much value. Such “opportunity” is not so readily found in other less harsh backgrounds. For example, growing up poor in a tiny coal-mining “patch” provided a laboratory which allowed one to know first-hand what real life is all about. Where better to learn of the necessity for toughness, hard work, making ends meet, patience, gratitude, sympathy, appreciation for even little things and humility?
Poverty soon insists that we learn of those things which are essential and enduring and also, those things which are but trivial and temporary? Neither does poverty so readily allow us to ignore or distort our understanding of the concept that there must be a constant and unchangeable “right and wrong.” Most of us who grew up in this area of southwestern Pennsylvania in a “coal patch village” did accept some “absolutes.” These beliefs which we held were mostly unspoken but commonly accepted and guided our thinking. This was so even when we didn’t measure up to those beliefs as was often the case. But if/when we “messed up” we realized it was we who needed changing…not the “absolutes.” We never thought our “rights” meant that our behavior had no boundaries or that any person had a license to be vile, pillage, or to abuse others.
We never imagined a day when young thugs would torture, assault, and even murder innocent people and then justify such behavior simply because they were poor, disadvantaged or “oppressed.” There was “acceptable behavior” and compliance was expected without regard of a person’s skin color or place of origin or how empty or full his wallet was. We may have done wrong, but we did know when wrong was wrong. Pity us or ridicule us who think like this. But make no mistake, many of us are fed up with reading the current distortions and listening to the constant harangue of the sore-heads.
Here’s a final thought. President-elect Trump has, at the very least, earned the right to work his plans. The voters gave him that right. Mr. Trump should be given enough rope to hang himself but without giving him enough rope to hang all the rest of us. So long as President Trump surrounds himself with sound and principled advisers and so long as he abides by the constraints of the Constitution, we should not expect to be in agreement with him all the time. But give him a chance! Plain scriptural admonition for Christians require that we ought to honor and respect the office of the president of the United States regardless of who might occupy it.
Moreover, we should pray faithfully and fervently for President Trump.
William “Ed” Nicholson is current pastor of the Grace Baptist Chapel located in the village of Little Summit in Dunbar Township.
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