Uninformed loudmouths, Confederate-style racists, sexist bullies, and crude nativists who trade in lies, fantasies, bombast, and violence — Trump & Co., in other words — can be avoided if one applies classic defensive-driving principles to guide everyday activities.
1. Stay alert. Think safety first. A Trumpista can pop up anywhere, anytime. Avoid being blind-sided. Look ahead, to the left, to the right, behind, up, and down. Repeat. Anticipate a worst-case scenario.
2. Keep a safe distance. Yield wide margins to red golf caps, Rebel flags, “Lock-Her-Up” T-shirts, swastikas and other Nazi stuff, anyone sporting camo and named “Lewandowski” or “Bannon,” ethnic, racist, anti-Semitic, or anti-Muslim slurs, any little breitbarts darting around, hostile gestures, sexual aspersions, NRA button(s), etc. Alert others to real and potential hazards.
3. Have an exit strategy. Ensure you’re not trapped if a hostile Trump fan upbraids you for voting against Himself. If boxed in, respond as you would to an aroused grizzly. Shout. Wave your arms. Jump around. Avoid eye contact. Back away.
4. Carry insurance. Consider membership in the ACLU and the NAACP. Consider helping to insure the continuing public services of the Anti-Defamation League, Southern Poverty Law Center, Planned Parenthood, Natural Resources Defense Council, National Public Radio, Earth First, Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence, Obamacare, Medicaid, and Medicare, Social Security, Greenpeace, Friends Committee on National Legislation, etc. Subscribe to a credible news source, i.e., N.Y. Times, Washington Post, other big-city daily, etc.
Gren Whitman
Rock Hall
Teresa A. Long says
How disappointing that you felt the need to publish something so inflammatory.
Fletcher R. Hall says
I also was amazed that this piece was published.
Inflammatory and insulting.
Howard McCoy says
Amen!!!
James Reeves says
There is always a small percentage of followers to any candidate, Obama and Hillary included, who represent the radical fringe. To generalize the entire population of an individual’s supporters as such, whether Trump or Hillary or Obama, is quite narrow minded. I find the author’s comments to be the most hateful of hate speech.. I find anyone who might support the author’s comments to be extremely narrow minded. Perhaps such a rant is loved by those who read the HuffingtonPost and believe it to be gospel. Such is that for those who have suffered from asphyxiation by having their head up Mr Obama’s arse too long.
Dan Menefee says
Radical fringe, are you kidding me? The hateful Trumpers and their rhetoric was the norm in the campaign and still is now. You can’t vote for a racist-xenophobic-misogynist-potty-mouth and then say you are none of these things? The 60 million people who voted in the minority for Trump were aroused, inspired and swooned by his hate speech, and at times to a frenzy. It is impossible for any Trumper to separate themselves from the hateful things Trump says and does. If you voted for Trump it’s who you are!
Deirdre LaMotte says
Judging from these letters it appears the writers have conveniently forgotten the hateful rhetoric polluting our country for a year. Every Trump rally was rife with racism, misogyny, crude references…particularly about women…, anti-Mexican and Muslim jingoistic rants. Every rally, every debate, every time he opened his mouth. Then comes the addiction to Twitter to fine tune his nastiness and control those who disagree with him. This man is unwell and unfit to be our President. Anyone who voted for him owns this hateful and disgusting talk which has
made our civil discourse collapse.
So, Trump voters, you may not claim outrage when the majority of Americans are appalled by him and his supporters. You own all his rhetoric now. Let the sane people at least have fun with satire!
Gren Whitman says
Chestertown Spy readers concerned about the anti-American tenor of the Trump campaign and Trump’s abusive statements and tweets regarding immigrants, gays, African-Americans, Mexicans, Muslims, Jews, disabled persons, ex-POWs, protesters, journalists, refugees, and Native Americans should also consider making donations to: Lamda Legal, Common Cause, Human Rights Campaign, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Move On, Human Rights Campaign Fund, Economic Policy Institute, and Inequality Media.
Gerald maynes says
Fellow readers of The Spy who are concerned with the overly PC , unamerican climate caused by the far left fringe of the Democratic Party may take positive action by changing your party designation from Democrat to Republican and then vote.
Gerald maynes says
poor old Gwen, She is still hurting by the results of the recent election. Here is what she and others with the same illness can do feel better. One. Seek help from a mental health clinic. 2 , Go home and bolt the door put on your one piece Pajamas with drop seat bottoms and watch past videos of Obama’s speeches. Two, Don’t waste your time looking for Obama’s greatest accomplishments in foreign policy, because there aren’t any. 3 While watching your videos in your PJs, take your thumb and place it in your mouth and start sucking. Yeas this is what a baby or a toddler does when they don’t get their way after the crying fit, mom puts them to bed to comfort themselves. So since you and many other Democrats can’t seem to accept the results of an election and your party has had a month long fit, it’s time to follow the above program.
Deirdre LaMotte says
Wow. How immature. The only thing worse than a sore loser is a really obnoxious winner. Particularly when the “winner” is in fact a loser. As Kathleen Parker, a conservative
columnist wrote this week: “We won, you lost…get over it” is what now passes for a serious dialogue about matters of immerse importance”. She continues, “The notion that
people who still express concerns, including three professors of psychiatry who’ve signed a letter suggesting the man is not well, are just sore losers is nonsense. When the president-elect of the US so cavalierly threatens to unravel the fragile threads that hold civilization together (with his tweets regarding “greatly” expanding our nuclear arsenal)
there are no winners.” So true. Trump voters have voted for a mentally ill man. Your thin skinned monster that you adore, you know, wink wink, who tweets about fat girls at 3:00 am. Well that monster is now the world’s monster.
Gerald maynes says
That’s very interesting Three Doctors out if how many thousands who practice signed a letter wow. I guess all the others must be Republicans or just not to good at Thier professions. uyyeo, If these three say so Mr Trump must be I’ll. Mam me thinks it could be you who need some mental care. Yes every President since George Washington and every Democrat since Thomas Jefferson has known the rules about the Electorial college. So Trump did win fair and square. What you should ponder why the house, the Senate all but 13 governorships are in Republican hands and why your party controls the entire function of only five states. What is more The founding Fathers set up this system so that the largest states would not run roughshod over the smaller states. Subtract California and you could hold the Democratic caucus, in Congress in the Smyrna Diner. There is a berry good chance that the Delaware Senate will go Republican after the special election in the Middletown area to replace Hall Long. The Dems have nominated a weak candidate who was married to a council man who sold out his office and her father in law sold out his and did a turn in Federal Custody. Her time as council President was a disaster. So another one bites the dust
Deirdre LaMotte says
I’m so sorry but you are completely missing the point. The President-Elect is mentally unfit to be President. Period.
Robert Kramer says
Geez… we lived with 8 years of whiny RePubs when Mr Clinton was president. We lived with 8 years of whiny Dems when Mr Bush II was president. We lived with 8 years of whiny RePubs while Mr Obama was president. So… it seems we’re headed towards having to listen to the whiny Dems for at least 4 years while Mr Trump is president. At least both parties have proven that they’re good at something… whining… over the years… and not much else. Isn’t this one of the strongest cases for being an Independent or Unaffiliated… and then you can whine all the time about whoever is Mr President… OR look for ways to make America kind again.
Deirdre LaMotte says
I would say that after President Obama faced a brick wall on the Hill …was told “no” at every opportunity…that is what moderation got us. Even going so far as to include Insurance Companies in the health plan was not enough to appease these right wing types. Now we have a dangerous person who would tweet down any act of disagreement plus a Hill that will push through a radical agenda. I personally do not see much “kindness” in registering Muslims or taking a woman’s health care options away from her….and the list goes on and on……
Gerald Maynes says
Good Gravy, Mr Trump is no more dangerous then mr Obama was. Enough stop with the three shrinks who say he is off his rocker. As far as you and I know they may be off theirs. The country has survived The Quasi War, The War of 1812,The Mexican War ,The Civil War, The War of 1898, World War 1, World War2, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq, Five Depressions, Floods, EarthQuakes, deaths of Presidents, the cold war , polio, yellow Fever and the Dust Bowl . I have to believe we will survive four to eigth years of President Trump
Deirdre says
Wow.
Pete Buxtun says
I think EVERY person commenting on this thread should take a minute and digest this…
“The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else.” – President Theodore Roosevelt, Republican
Deirdre LaMotte says
That is assuming the President is mentally up to the job. Every former President would be/is appalled at this unfit person. And I don’t mean physically unfit.
julia ann Donovan says
New York Times…credible news source… you lost me there!
Deirdre LaMotte says
Oh right. the NYT, with its liberal editorial page but otherwise bi-partisan op-Ed page is not to be believed. I get it: the mothership is Fox or Rush. Wow.