NEXT KCDW MEETING SEPT. 19TH: Yacht Club Broiler – No host lunch - 11 am; Meeting - noon. Please NOTE we have specifically moved the September meeting to a SATURDAY to allow time for presentation and discussion of proposed Bylaw changes. Discussion about the upcoming election will also occur. Voting on these Bylaw changes will not occur at this meeting, but at our October 17th meeting, which is also a Saturday. Please bring non-perishable items for the Food Bank. NO RSVP required.
TRUMP!
by Jo Fox Burr
I have always felt that the core difference between our two major parties is that Democrats have a heart and Republicans don’t. OK, this may be a bit of simplistic hyperbole. Still if nothing else positive can be said about Trump, he has served the purpose of bringing this naked truth about the GOP’s basic soul front and center.
To be honest, I’m not sure which disturbs me more, the man or the crowd who worships him. They feed on each other, him playing to their inner racist demons, while they take encouragement from him to feel free to release those demons which ultimately serve to feed his ego.
I’m not sure what bothers me most about Trump. Does he really believe illegal immigrants crossing our southern border – whom he wrongly cites as being only Mexicans - are predominately drug dealers, criminals, and/or rapists? (He does allow some may be good people.) It is deeply disturbing to have one of our leading Presidential candidates show such incredible ignorance and bigotry. But, if he is simply playing to the crowd for his narcissistic need to be worshiped, not really believing what he himself is saying, this is beneath contempt.
Aside from the unending insults he throws towards Hispanics, he also mocks Asians. Recently he has managed to gain support from white supremacists, though he claims he does not want it. Yeah. Well, at least he is not pretending to be a ‘Uniter.’ Two men in Boston were evidently motivated by Trump to beat up a homeless Hispanic. His response to this was only mildly disapproving, mixed with a statement sort of indicating he understood their passion. I fear this incident could be the tip of the iceberg and we are heading for some very divisive times thanks to Trump.
One reason motivating me to join the Peace Corps was the book “The Ugly American,” which detailed how many Americans, travelling abroad, frequently display our worst qualities. As a Peace Corps volunteer, one thing I hoped to help change was this image. Trump is undermining whatever good Peace Corps volunteers and their like have managed to accomplish on this front. This angers me greatly! You see, aside from creating divisiveness within our country, Trump is destroying our international image. His and his crowd’s apparent intolerance of other cultures and his own innate tendency to act like a school yard bully is not playing well outside this country. It is true you can find leading political personalities behaving as badly throughout Europe, mostly in response to their own problems with illegal immigrants. However, as the world’s only Superpower, having one of our leading Presidential candidates behaving this way leaves other countries wondering whether they can count on us to be the sane and rational actor they need to help resolve some rather difficult situations. Yes we have made serious mistakes before, but should Trump take the helm, these mistakes could well pale in significance. And other countries fear this. He may be having fun, but it is costing us.
Many Democrats are loving this Trump spectacle, thinking it undermines any hope Republicans have of regaining the White House and holding the Senate. Not one of his GOP opponents has yet to successfully counter him – which only shows the weakness of the rest of the field. Many have even fallen in line like lemmings with some of his ridiculous ideas. Even if Trump fails to gain the nomination, whoever does will have been seriously weakened by him. What worries me is the carnage he will leave behind. If this is the beginning of the GOP decline, what will follow? Trump actually speaks to some legitimate concerns, like the evil effects of big money in politics and the need to increase taxes on the rich, but the core on which he is basing his campaign and movement is racism. Whatever grows from this cannot be healthy. No, I am not one who is loving this spectacle.
OTHER UPCOMING DEMOCRATIC MEETINGS AND EVENTS: (*GM designates a general membership meeting)
Kitsap Co. Dem. Central Com: GM* Sept 21 (Monday); 6:30 pm Desserts; 7 pm meeting; Eagles Nest
23rd Leg. District Democrats: Jim Sharpe Salmon Dinner and Auction register online at http://www.kitsap23rd.com/ Sept. 18 (Friday)
GM* Nov 17 (Tuesday); 6:30 pm social time; 7 pm meeting; Poulsbo Library
26th Leg. District Democrats: GM* Oct 1 (Thursday); 7-9 pm; Kitsap Rm, Givens Ctr 1026 Sidney Rd, Port Orchard
35th Leg. District Democrats: GM* Sept 19 (Saturday); 1-3 pm; Evergreen St. Coll., Olympia, Seminar 2E room 1107
“Trump is probably too dumb to realize it, or maybe he isn't, but he doesn't need to win anything to become the most dangerous person in America. He can do plenty of damage just by encouraging people to be as uninhibited in their stupidity as he is.” – Matt Taibbi, “Donald Trump Just Stopped Being Funny,” Rolling Stone, August 21, 2015
DON’T FORGET, THAT IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE BAKELESS BAKE SALE!!!
