Where do they get these ideas?

Listening to the thoughts of the other political side can be really hard to do, but also enlightening. Right? Maybe a bit scary too. Do most of us give them a chance? Do we really listen to them?

I have been accused of not listening.

Yet, I have never deleted or snoozed anyone who is politically different from me because, truly, I feel the need to hear where they are coming from, and I want to hear their explanations on why they support ‘him.’ I always want to know why. I want to try and figure out what it is that made them vote for him.

Here’s the thing: most of what I hear is based on untruths. Facts don’t seem to matter. Statistics don’t matter. It could be about crime numbers, or inflation, or unemployment. Numbers at the border. Even gas prices.

Numbers don’t matter when it comes to children having sex change operations (very very few). They don’t matter when it comes to gays luring others (very very few). Or, of athletes and how they identify themselves (very very few).

Numbers don’t matter anymore. But fear rules. There are people out there who are experts in creating fear where there should never be any to begin with. They exaggerate or outright lie – on purpose. And, oh, the facial expressions they use when telling to you about the fear! The eyes rolling. The body language! They are really good at making you feel really, really worried.

As a proud Democrat I don’t like hearing the lies because that means that I am put into their false narratives. I am a Democrat, so in their eyes I must be either a bad person or delusional, or I have bought into all the liberal rhetoric. Yes, I have heard that. I realize it is said on both sides of this great divide. I know that.

It often sounds like a good excuse to me. See, I look up facts. I read. I follow trends. I look back at “how we got here.” Sometimes I am surprised. Even disappointed. But at least it’s accurate. And this is really important: I have learned how a democracy must work to stay intact. I understand the 3 equal branches of government, and how if one gets too much power we can lose our checks and balances. We will no longer be a government for the people, of the people, and by the people.

I wish more people would do their homework.

The past couple of days I have had a pretty intense back and forth with someone who voted for, and seems to love, Trump, and she has big hopes for what he will do in the coming 4 years. She has clearly told me her reasons for voting for him. They are: stronger policing in our country, the desire for a closed southern border, and being tough with all other countries, financially with tariffs, and in strength with our military. She seems to have little regard for our connections with our friendly foreign countries, but wants Trump to buddy up with our adversaries. Although our ‘back and forth’ was sometimes ‘edgy’ and I ended up getting frustrated, and probably losing this friendship, it was informative for me. This person clearly said to me that she did not vote for other women, or for our country’s children. Yes, she really said that. The comments left me baffled and I got upset – and I realize I could have been more diplomatic in my responses, but my emotions got the best of me.

She said more…. And this is really what shook me!

This person said to me that she believed it was the Democrats that prepped, thought out, and were responsible for the actions of the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6th.
Yes, I said the Democrats! She truly felt that the people there that day were actors, hired to meet up and create the horrible scenes we all watched on TV. She blamed the Democrats for the whole event. She felt it was staged. The flags, the violence, the destruction, the poop in the Capitol. The noose for Pence. All of it!! She felt it was some group from the left side who wanted a big publicity stunt. I’m not sure WHY they would want to stage it but that didn’t matter. But, unfortunately, totally lost on her, was that it was not factually correct – at all!! Hundreds of testimonies under oath from everyone from White House staff to DC police said it was the far right militant groups that converged on that day, invited by President Trump, encouraged to come ready – to stand down. Thousands of emails, and phone calls, and videos were entered in as evidence. Let me say it again, the Democrats did not make the insurrection happen. Testimony came out that Trump knew about it, rallied them on, went back to the White House and watched it all unfold for 4 hours. He was responsible for it as the sitting president, because he did not want to vacate his position, and he tried every way legally and illegally to stop the votes from certification. Trump was found guilty of his involvement and impeached.

So, where did my friend get these crazy ideas?

She also told me in our ‘not so nice’ back and forth comments that the Democrats were the big liars and that they were the ones who made up stories all the time. She said Dems were puppeteers. She felt that I was lost in all the Democratic lies. She continued on that the Democrats were the deceptive ones, and that they were ‘out to get’ Trump no matter what.

Again, where did she get these ideas?

Well, I think we know where she got them. Her beliefs were repeated to her over and over – for years now. They aligned with her own feelings but were without facts. They were also told without any kind of nuance required for understanding complicated situations. Her side was right and the other side was wrong. Blaming others is easy.

Each time I tried to say it was not true, and that I was a Democrat who was not like that, and that I wanted the very best for all Americans, she didn’t believe me. She said that I was caught up in some sort of liberal false belief that was being pushed on everyone. Sound familiar?

So, our division is huge… and I have a feeling we will never chat again. It’s one example of what is happening across the country. With family, friends, co-workers, neighbors. I mean, “he” was just elected as our next president. So, more than half of America, for one reason or another, felt that Democrats were not being truthful, or were not believable, and that they were not really wanting to work for making America a safe, equal, fair, beautiful place to live.

And, really, that blows my mind. I am a Democrat and that is exactly what I want! It is what every American should want.

How sadly did we get here???

Again, where did they get these ideas? Yes, we do know. But, how can we stop it? How can we require truth again? How can we FIND truth?

As a proud Democrat I find all the misinformation about the party as a personal attack on me. What MAGA thinks and says is not seeing me. In fact it is dehumanizing. I am not a liar and I would never support candidates who are okay with lying. I am not ‘out to get anyone’ and in fact I am the opposite, because I want to help as many people as I can. I truly believe when all are lifted up we all will do better.

We have heard about fake “Conspiracy theories” all too often. They appear constantly through social media. They are even ‘suggested’ on regular media like TV, radio, podcasts, and feeds. Who posts them? Where are the sources? It is said that both domestic and foreign interrupters are responsible. Then they are shared like wildfire.

They are false. They hurt people. They are out of hand. Too many believe the theories without any fact checking. Too many are willing to accept what they want to hear (which is disturbing in itself.) Too many have been told to never believe a Democrat.

Hey, listen…. It’s not all one sided. I know that. I know that Democrats ‘spin’ and that spinning used to be a normal part of campaigning. But we have all gone way overboard now and it to the point that nothing real matters. From what I see the far right has attacked more, put out the false narratives, and made up stories. They have done it to the point of causing violence. Truth is not honored, and lies spread.

Spreading lies has actually become an occupation. Yes. It’s big on social media. People get paid to do it. “We now know the title of “Influencers” but don’t forget that even many more are secretive!

So, maybe the question should not be “where do they get these ideas?”

Instead we need to focus now on asking “what is truthful anymore?” How can we get back to it? How will we survive if we don’t? What do the facts and statistics say?? What is real?? Oh. And, please, don’t deny good numbers if it happens by the opposing party. It’s childish. It’s dangerous. It’s a mean spirited game. And, yes, I know that both parties have done that. It’s gotten to the point where we don’t even acknowledge the good that happens in the country.

I know the next four years are going to see more of all of this. I suspect it will even get worse.

It has made me want to stay away from people and certain situations. I’m so tired of 8 years of it. And now we will continue on. I know I can’t forever stay away but my faith in people has really taken a beating. Twice.

Is it too much to ask for rising up, and taking time for checking facts and speaking truth???

Is it too late?