I Would Be Happier If It Weren't For "Those People"

I need to be clear about something, before I leave. I am not angry, upset, sad, disappointed or scared because a republican won the presidency. This country will move along regardless of whether there's a republican or a democratic as its president. I'm not even talking about a candidates economic plan, war on drug plan, ending the war plan or any other political plan. Because just as with every past president's plan, good or bad, we as a country have moved along. No, what I am angry, upset, sad, hurt and disappointed about is that many people in this country feel so desperate within their own personal lives that they would lower the "bar of qualification and decency" to scratch their own personal itch. Any educated person can see that everything about the person who won this year's election shows a lack of "qualification and decency". When I say educated I don't necessarily mean academically educated. Oftentimes people armed with commonsense are often more educated than people with a lot of book knowledge. What we're talking about here is in essence, perhaps the most important job in the world. And America gave it to a man who has never been student body president. And in all of our glory we believe this move constitutes progressiveness. I'm angry, upset, sad and hurt because I taught and raised my sons to be good people. But this country has boldly decided good character and caring about equality doesn't mean shit! In an article entitled "McCain: Obama not an Arab, crowd boos", by Jonathan Martin and Amie Parnes, Senator McCain had to deal with a woman who said, "I can't trust Obama. I have read about him and he's not, he's not uh — he's an Arab. He's not — " McCain retook the microphone and replied: "No, ma'am. He's a decent family man [and] citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues and that's what this campaign's all about. He's not [an Arab]." The article goes on to say, "I have to tell you. Sen. Obama is a decent person and a person you don’t have to be scared of as president of the United States," McCain told a supporter at a town hall meeting in Minnesota who said he was “scared” of the prospect of an Obama presidency and of who the Democrat would appoint to the Supreme Court. Had Senator McCain won the election, I would have been sad that Obama didn't, but in no way would I have thought Senator McCain lacked "qualification and decency". He would have represented this country in a dignified, presidential way. Anyone who can say the same for the winner of this year's election is delusional. When I said lowered the "bar of qualification and decency", here's exactly what I mean: In a May 24th 2016 Washington Post article, By David A. Fahrenthold, "Almost four months after promising $1 million of his own money to veterans’ causes, Donald Trump moved to fulfill that pledge Monday evening — promising the entire sum to a single charity as he came under intense media scrutiny. Trump, now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, organized a nationally televised fundraiser for veterans’ causes in Des Moines on Jan. 28. That night, Trump said he had raised $6 million, including the gift from his own pocket. “Donald Trump gave $1 million,” he said then. As recently as last week, Trump’s campaign manager had insisted that the mogul had already given that money away. But that was false: Trump had not. Who kept telling the lie to his followers, that President Obama was not a United States citizen? Who said, “When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. ... They are, in many cases, criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc?" Who said U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel, a federal district judge in the Southern District of California, who was born in Indiana, was unable to do his job fairly because of his Mexican heritage? Who called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on?" Who said about a respected female reporter, “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever?" Who stood in agreement with his father when his father told an employee, "We don't rent to niggers? “Mr. Trump and his son Donald came into the office. I asked what I should I do with this application because she’s calling constantly and his response to me was, ‘You know I don’t rent to the N-word. Put it in a drawer and forget about it,'” Leibowitz, 89, told NBC News. “Donald Trump was right alongside his father when I was instructed to do that.” According to Leibowitz in the video I watched, nodding in agreement. Who has a court date pending about misleading and stealing money from people with a fraudulent Trump University? Who claims they respect women more than anyone but was yet caught on tape saying, "I like to grab women by their pu###?" I heard a lot of things in football locker rooms. Sorry, but that takes the cake. Who has people believing that he can build a wall that experts constantly say is impossible to build? There are three groups of people who understand "Make America Great Again" is just a nicer way of saying "Make America White Again"; intelligent people of color, caring White people and the angry people who want to make America White again. Who doesn't feel obligated to pay their fair share in taxes? Who has been sued over 3500 times? Who has cheated Juan Carlos Enriquez, Edward Friel Jr., Larry Walters, Nicolas Jacobson and literally hundreds of other small business people out of monies owed? The bottom line is I could go on and on, but sensible people get my drift. Question: Who follows a person who says these types of things? Answer: People who are angry at the wrong people. People who have a tendency to latch onto anyone who tells them what they want to hear. And that's because, in the end, these people feel they are owed more than "those people". And "those people" are whoever the Pied Piper feels will give him more credibility with angry, sad and fed up people. The Pied Piper was able to convince his followers that "those people" are the reason for their anger and sadness. The Pied Piper was able convince the sad angry and fed up people that the reason they are lacking this or lacking that in their lives, is because of "those people". What do the young people feel about what we've done in this election? A friend (White male) sent me this letter. It's a letter a director of schools (a Black male) had to send out in regards to what the students under his supervision were feeling. This was in Nashville. My friend's 20-something year old daughter (White female) who lives in Nashville added this little comment when she sent to my friend. "Metro Nashville superintendent...tears" The United States has just experienced what many across the country view as one of the most divisive election seasons in recent memory. Given the diverse backgrounds of our student body, many of our students and families are experiencing stress and anxiety about their own and the country’s future. Because our students’ welfare and teaching and learning conditions are of utmost concern to us, we are providing additional guidance to school staff to help them address this unique situation. Emotions are running high, and many are still processing the outcome. Some are stunned and left disbelieving; others are celebrating. While free speech and free expression are protected in our country and in our schools; hate speech and hateful acts are not. Our post-electoral guidance is in part outlining what’s appropriate in school, and what is not as well as providing additional counseling to students in need. We honor our democratic values in public education, and as such, we should not shy away from the teachable moment that this historic election presents to us. Rather, as educators, we need to help our fellow educators and our students address the myriad feelings, perspectives and conversations that are already buzzing in our teacher lounges, hallways, offices, schools and parking lots. Our teachers and principals also need support to appropriately guide classroom discussions and activities in a respectful, an inclusive and a kind manner. With this in mind, here are some suggestions for leading with empathy today and during the days and weeks ahead. Shawn Joseph, Ed.D., Director of Schools He then goes on in this letter to give good suggestions on how to help students. My reply to my friend's email said, "Interesting read. What's more interesting and perhaps even a sadder commentary is that after an election for President of the United States, many students across our country, from grade school to college levels, need some kind of intervention. This reminds me of having to help with student intervention after the Twin Towers fell on 911. Sensible adults should to be asking, "What the hell are we doing to our kids?" The media and the sad, angry and hurt people of this country have declared, with their vote to our young, lowering the "bar of qualification and decency" for the highest position in this land, is the answer to their problems. In my opinion, in doing so they dishonor every soldier who died for this country to be a society where very man, woman and child is seen as equal. Our kids trusted our generation, to leave the country in better condition than the last generation. As far as people relating to each other, we've fallen really short. Whether you believe in the Bible or not, this passage is true. The love or money is the root of all evil. We have been convinced that we are put on this planet to accumulate wealth for ourselves. That within itself doesn't make a person evil. Evil comes when a country of people begins to blame "those people" when they don't get what they feel they deserve. Whether or not we want to admit it, settlers used the same type of evil thinking when they convinced themselves that Native Indians were savages and proclaimed this land to the White man. Slave owners used the very same tactic to convince each other the Negro was part animal so enslaving them and beating them was the right way to treat them. And to step outside of our country for a split second, Hitler used the very same tactics to convince every day German people that Jewish people were the cause of their problems. I am angry and sad, hurt and disappointed because a candidate was able to use "those people" as a "win an election free card", to attain the most important job in this country, maybe in the world. I know my bitching isn't going to reverse anything, but while we still have some freedom, I'm expressing my feelings. I was able to carry on because I truly believed most people were decent and wanted everyone to be equal. I know now, that's not true. In the Bible the truth may set you free. But in America the truth has never set anyone free!