Folks, I’ve been dealing with bullies since I was young, mostly because I learned early that ignoring them may work for the occasional tosser who simply taunts a time or two. But at least among the species known as machobullybuttheadikus, sometimes the only real option is to out bully them. And there’s no doubt both Christie and Trump are bullies.
Anyone notice that bullies tend to gather in groups? What do we call a group of bullies? Well, like crows, sometimes it can be, in a more literal sense, “murder.” But most of the time I prefer, “A flock of cowardly f#@ks.”
Humor aside, there is a danger here. The extreme right these days has attracted a lot of bullies. I see them on the Facebook pages pushing long discredited, fake, scandals about Hillary, or bashing Bernie in completely ignorant ways. I specifically “liked” one article with a drawing of someone about to shoot another guy in the head, followed up by an article claiming all there is is socialism and capitalism, and everything bad, all evil, has happened under socialism, and everything pure and good has happened under capitalism.
I caught an odor worse than the rancid odor of possum puke while reading that intentional push to promote ignorance.
But, because bullies do flock, there’s a danger here: a danger so damn obvious even Helen Keller must see it. That’s really bad, because not only was she blind, but she’s dead.
Look, here’s what we seem to have right now: rants and insults from a bountiful supply of sock puppets, trolls and those who consider Bernie to be Jesus reincarnated. I’m not kidding, there’s actually a video out there making Bernie out to be Jesus. While some of the comparisons are interesting, I find the concept beyond ludicrous. I would type they should ask Bernie, who I am damn sure would reject it firmly, but they would just say,”How humble!” And I suspect some who go so overboard for either candidate are actually more interested in leading them both to Calvary. Along with the nails, I’m sure they’d even supply the chairs and popcorn.
And we have an ill-advised (at best) article about how, if Bernie doesn’t become the candidate, they’ll “tear the party down.” Meanwhile, Hillary supporters get miffed when people point out how there are issues with her candidacy. Sorry, yes, there are some. Bringing them up, and challenging them, if done in a civil fashion, should be part of the primary process: for it sure as hell will be part of the after “party.”
Instead too many damn people want to either stomp out of the room, or chase away those who support the other guy, or gal. And let’s add in the sock puppets and trolls all too eager to open the door for them and give them the boot as an extra incentive not to vote at all.
Maybe we should stop acting like spoiled children?
Some of us claim to love Bernie, or want Hillary, but act more like Donald Trump and Chris Christie. And some of the comparisons are, well, a bit out there, like turning Bernie into Jesus.
Look, I’m not writing this to praise, or damn, either Hillary or Bernie. But I damn well remember what happened after I voted Anderson instead of Carter, and when people kept saying maybe we’d “learn something” if George the inferior got in rather than Gore. They are partially to blame, and in one case I am partially to blame, for every horrible backslide that we’ve been trying to fight our way out of all these years.
The whole concept of it needs to get bad to get better: that’s a pile of rhetorical barnyard droppings. Why do you think Planned Parenthood is fighting for their life? Why do you think we spent so many years demonizing gays, or Terri Schiavo’s brain dead body had to linger so? Why do think there’s ISIS? Every time we do this the right wins and the gates of Hell open wider.
Politics these days is run by playground rules. And having tantrums because we don’t get who we want only serves the bullies. And no matter how bad you think Hillary is, or unable to win Bernie might be, walking away is equal to inviting far worse forces back.
Or is that what you really want?
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Inspection is a column that has been written by Ken Carman for over 40 years. Inspection is dedicated to looking at odd angles, under all the rocks, and into the unseen cracks and crevasses, that constitute the issues and philosophical constructs of our day: places few think, or even dare, to venture.
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