The soul of America is sick and divided
I just texted a friend who lives in a more civilized part of the country — Seattle — as compared to this backward, racist state where I live — South Carolina— home of Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham, the biggest hypocrite in Congress, who was disgracefully re-elected. Here’s what we discussed.
I told him these past 24 hours have utterly blown my mind. What’s so shocking is how 65 million people could vote for a totally immoral/amoral/immoralist criminal, and the most dangerous and destructive type of narcissist one can imagine. That’s an objectively true description. It’s as if people have lost not only their souls, but their minds as well. We’ve had four years of that creature from some malevolent swamp, actively assisting in destroying our health and healthcare during a pandemic; engaging in every manner of corruption and lies possible; demolishing efforts to control global warming and climate change and rein in pollution; destroying our government and democratic institutions; and creating a de-facto racist, authoritarian state. I don’t even pretend to know this country anymore.
It’s terrifying. Mass stupidity and ignorance is much worse that I ever could have imagined. The consequences of a lack of education is abundantly clear. This election should have been an utter route and landslide. Instead, were biting our nails and hoping and praying it isn’t Trump for four more years because I don’t see how the country survives it. Yes, of course, it’s been a long time coming, but with Trump everything wrong with this country blew up in our faces, and has forced us into a long overdue reckoning
The writer Marianne Williamson said that basically our country’s soul is sick.
She wrote, “To say our nation’s soul needs healing is absolutely true, but it’s not going to happen without a deeper understanding of what it means. The reason our nation’s soul is sick is because it hasn’t been healthy for a while. America doesn’t just have a pandemic, a broken economy or a tyrannical president to deal with. We have a collective mental health issue that is hiding in plain sight….
Only when we decide as a society to actively align our policies with the tenets of a healthy soul—putting kindness, love, mercy and compassion over cutthroat attitudes that put glorification of self over a commitment to the love that binds us as one, not only in our private behavior but in our political and economic behavior as well—will our wounded soul begin to heal itself…”
Healing will take a long long time. I think the younger generations are the best hope for that process because they clearly see the kind of world older generations have left for them to mop up. I will continue to support organizations that fight for environmental and social justice, as I have for many years. And it will be my hope that the Biden administration will be the catalyst for positive change, and a return to decency in government and in our national discourse.
Hi I am Leonalia from the Old OD. I used to read you quite a bit. As an Australian I find it very sad that the States seem to be tearing itself apart. We have just been watching it on our evening news and the fragmentation and division is palpable. I sincerely hope everything calms down when you know for sure the final result. I love America. You are beautiful people. Sending you healing thoughts.
@leonalia
@leonalia Thank you so much! I certainly remember you from Open Diary years ago. It’s so nice to be re-acquainted.
Thank you for the kind words. I always have hope!
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I’m hanging in there with you. Such a scary election, such a scary time. I feel like half of this country is in a cult… And they’re willing to do anything to keep it in tact.
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I just wish that Trump would let the counters count the votes and the less he talks about it the faster they will be counted and it doesn’t help with the threat of court. But it looks like Biden will win…..I think he needs one more state maybe two. But I am with you on the mess that America is in and I don’t think even the younger generation can clean this mess up…I think it will be the next one.
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Blessings from Asia… May USA heal and be spiritually renewed …
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Nice to meet you, sir. As a Japanese (living in TX for 15 years), I would like to leave a comment here. What makes me sad to see this election is not that I witnessed that there are many people supporting Trump. I know there are many decent American people out there (regardless of their political views). However, people from other countries including Japan (Japanese do like American, in general) have been very skeptical about the American decision making toward the presidency. Given that consequences, people out there have started disliking American people. They do not have much access to know about the diversity of American morality but horrible medias spreading negative parts of American, that is what people out there believe….and this makes me horribly sad, because I like American. I think a lack of education is a part of factors, and I think people, especially Trump supporters, have a lack of experience to go outside of this country. Again, I live in Texas so I encounter many southern boys and girls (and their families) have a lack of outside experience, I am fully aware that they are financially capable of making trips. After convincing many friends, they finally made their minds and picked a cruise trip…..They tend to be afraid of language, security, foods preferences, etc….even though in this country people can speak English, very weak gun control, McDonald, etc…, they refuse to go. They are afraid of others. They are afraid of losing what they have. They are afraid of changes even though we have been changing all the time. Nobody said that we take your cowboy hats away, I have it and like to see them wearing it. However, they cannot get out from the comfortable zone. After internet, young people out there are not stupid, they use it to see the world, communicate with others from outside, to improve their skill sets, and become better person; I do witness that this is happening right now across this world. Today, Japanese Mitsubishi workers (some) work under an Indian manager. There is no time to afford to miss this express train for American. Meanwhile people here are fighting (for what?) each other, the distance people need to catch up is expanding every day. I jumped into a southern-white group to study and work for years. They don’t see me as a Japanese person anymore, because they see me as a person and friend. I HOPE that each person (not person outside) can jump into other groups in any level and enjoy to develop the relationships. Nobody ask to be the best friend, but give each other respect and joy the life. Because I am doing this with my friends who support Trump. Regardless of the political views, I like them and they seem liking me. I believe that people in this country can do it.
@teteeugene Thank you for visiting my diary and for your well thought out comment. It is very sad that foreigners’ views of Americans have become so negative in the past four years especially, but I can understand why. This country has suffered a very steep moral decline under Trump, and I am embarrassed to be American now. Yes there are many decent people, including among them people who support Trump, but he has done so much damage that many, including myself, are losing friends we’ve had for many years. This is very sad.
You have a good approach to dealing with your friends who support Trump. You try to see the good in them and try to get along with them because they are your friends. This is commendable and maybe some of them will change their minds about Trump. If they don’t, however, I have to conclude they are guilty of helping him harm the country, and will have to account for this at some time in their lives. Trump has no morals at all, so I have to ask again, how can “good” people support such a man?
@oswego Hi Oswego, thank you for your generous reply. I have no doubt that Trump has damaged this country tremendously. And, like you, I believe that I have lost my friends here and there without my notice. That is fine by me, they have choice. Regardless of my friendships, I try to see the good in any people and try to get along with them if necessary, especially inside of work because we share the same goal. I have seen many friends (20s-40s) following their fixed political preference changed their political view during the last and current election. I do not know which direction they will go to the next election (more important for this country). As for the older generations, it is their tradition, no chance to change their minds. Some friends chose Trump based on their background, some of them are truly believers (some are hunters, including myself, and they are afraid of gun rights, which I think that please take assault rifles away from this society). Those “good” people chose because of their background in general, it is like a football fun club, this is the worst case of this political view, because nothing to do with Trump. And, I know they will vote Republicans without putting their efforts to know the candidate. Living in city is easier (I’m from Tokyo), nobody care about you because of the presence of diversity. Unlike living in city, semi-minority and minority still live closely with Trump supporters outside of city, I know I have a choice to move out, but I like my job (associated with nature) and colleagues. I know that supporting the terrible man is a horrible thing to do, but I also know that they are alone too, because capitalism just forgets them. For the next election, unfortunately, a person like Trump will appear for the candidate because it worked this time, real TV shows will be again and again. Even though he my lose this election, Unfortunately, Biden does not seem showing us his absolute win neither, this will lead to the path (diversion was supported by a large proportion of American in this election) we want to avoid for the following years. Sorry for my long message, but thank you so much for your time to read it. I hope all the best to America, and certainly please stay in safe!
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For the life of me I can not understand how that many people voted for trump. It totally blows my mind. I pray with everything in ke that Biden takes this home. Hopefully we will know by the weekend.
Marianne Williamson is wonderful. That is a great quote that is quite accurate.
@thespiritwithinme Thank you for your note. Biden can start repairing the damage, even without the help of the Senate, but it will take a long time.
Yes, after reading those words of Marianne Williamson, I definitely want to read more of her work.
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You’ve summed it up so beautifully Oswego. Even if Biden does win (& it looks like he’s going to — fingers crossed), even if we gain control of the Senate (I don’t know how that’s going but I saw a site that projected we might) — almost 50% of us voted for lying cheating corrupt bastards. And Trump isn’t going to go away after Jan 20 — he’s going to keep inciting hatred & dissension, and trying to set himself up to run again in 2024. The whole mess sickens me. I’m lucky enough to live out here on the Left Coast, which is all blue, so I’m not confronted with it every day (although Trumps supporters are more & more active). But I’m just not sure I can go on living here where almost half the population thinks the economy is more important that stopping the deaths from the virus, more important than the corruption & march to fascism. It’s a terrible thought. But staying here & living through the next 4 years of fighting to try to repair some of the widespread damage Trump has done, then projecting another Republican president in 4 years — maybe even Trump himself … well, I just don’t know if I want to spend my few remaining years in that malignant atmosphere.
@ghostdancer So very true. I’ve asked myself how I could continue to call this country home when half the population supports a narcissistic sociopath for president. It’s beyond mind boggling. There is almost no way I can make any rational sense of their behavior. All I can say is they have harmed themselves and us grievously with their support for Trump, and they will be held accountable, some way and at some time. They are aiding and abetting a crime and a criminal. And they can live with themselves? I have no answer!
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