1 week Ago
I am a fool. So much of what I thought, even a few days ago, was wrong. I thought the foundational American ideals that “all men were created equal,” and “nobody is above the law” were a matter of faith for all of us.
I thought a man who stole thousands of government documents, many of them highly classified, would be punished. I thought a convicted felon, a man who lies reflexively, shamelessly, and blatantly would be rejected by voters. I thought followers of the Prince of Peace would reject any morally bankrupt man, but instead many of them embraced him with messianic zeal.
I thought a man who consistently denigrated our military and disparaged the people who serve in it would be rejected by voters. I thought a candidate who spent his entire campaign fueling hatred, retribution, and division would lose votes because of it, but instead he gained more. I thought a man who fomented an insurrection or helped our direst enemies before our own citizens would be unforgiven.
I thought a former president who many historians considered the worst in our lifetime would never stand another chance to be re-elected. I thought American women cared about their reproductive rights. I thought most Americans felt that LGBTQ people deserved all the rights and privileges of the rest of us.
I thought in our 21st Century we had gone beyond superstition and now trusted the expertise of our scientists, scholars and medical researchers. I thought we learned the lessons of World War II and were devoted to fighting against fascism wherever it occurred. I thought we cared about promoting democracy and human rights everywhere in the world.
I thought a principled, intelligent, and highly qualified candidate could win, even overcoming such “negatives” as being female and non-white. I thought most Americans believed that even in the toughest, most stressful of jobs, a woman was every bit as capable as a man. I thought we were driven by the better angels of our nature.
I was wrong. I am a fool. Michael Abraham, Blacksburg.
