The Trump supporter I talked with today was a laid back, small town chiropractor in liberal, upstate New York. He munched a sandwich while I inquired about his Trump flag and Trump t-shirt pinned to the office waiting room wall. Clearly he felt this improved his business to have his opinions publicly displayed. It made me curious about this little town where the differences in political beliefs can change dramatically from one doorway to another.
I asked him “You are a Trump supporter?”
“Yup” he replied casually.
“I’m curious about why you are a Trump supporter today?”
“For patriotism.”
I nod my head knowing there is no easy way to continue the conversation and I don’t have time to debate the definition of patriotism.
“Are you a liberal?” he inquires.
“I don’t think of myself as one way or the other.” I respond.
He nods his head and proclaims, “You’re a liberal. You have to be.”
And there it is. The shut down that prevents people from talking. I don’t have time, he has his assumptions. From the looks of it on the surface, I’m not sure any amount of time would change his mind.
“I’m bothered by the ethics and the greed for the top 20%” I say as he gently touches my shoulder and turns me toward the door. “That’s the main issue for me, the ethics and the greed.”
He nods as I walk outside, his face exposing his search for a response to my statement. Unable to find one, he turns and walks back in his shop. Maybe he is of the same mind as I am, it isn’t possible to have this discussion in a short, few minutes. Maybe he also thinks I have stuck assumptions about him.
I wish I could have stayed, sat in his plastic, red padded chairs and leaped into the cultural differences that now are apparent from neighbor to neighbor, storefront to storefront in this country. It’s hard to realize many people are not even close to your belief system. Before November 2016, many of us woke up each morning knowing the country we lived in, that our fellow Americans held the same ethical and moral beliefs. After November 2016, many Americans woke with a realization of the rising anger and hatred, fear and worry released into our beloved American dream.
Even though the American mind is fractured and unsure, we must breathe deeply and remember the common dreams we do share for this country. Even if we can’t change minds in a short time, I still think it beneficial to have the conversation because there are basic beliefs we all share – the right to liberty, to live our lives as we see fit, the freedom to move ourselves forward with opportunities, that in the long run justice will prevail.
We may see the avenues to liberty, freedom and justice differently but we all hold those ideals close to our hearts whether liberal, conservative, libertarian or green party. Don’t let the descriptions by the media color your view of different groups. Talk to the people next to you. Listen to understand. Clarify your own thinking around your beliefs.
Take those fractured thoughts and see where they connect. Build on those connections. Hug your liberal or conservative or libertarian neighbor today. And breathe.