Global Security, Privacy, & Risk Management

Scarlet Letters, Stereotypes and Tolerance August 2, 2016

Two days ago I wrote a blog post related to the DNC.  The post has since gone viral and over 4,000 people have commented.  While the vast majority of comments have been positive, and supportive there are people who disagree with my position. That is expected and part of our great nation.  Some of these people have made valid arguments and have been polite and professional.  While this post was intended to make a point to a small audience it has created a social experiment.

I have truly been taken aback however by sheer number of vulgar, vitriolic comments stereotyping me and all Republicans and, in particular, Trump supporters.  Let me be clear.  There were some nasty comments by Trump supporters but not at the level of the other side.  Even when I wrote my post on Mrs. Palin the vast majority of ‘right wing’ comments simply accused me of being a ‘closet democrat’ but did not  launch attacks like these.  I want to share some of the comments from Hillary Clinton supporters:

• The Republican Party is a terrorist group
• Go F%%K Yourself
• You are a F%%king racist
• You are a F%ggot
• You are Uneducated
• You believe Gays shouldn’t have any rights and everyone should carry an AR 15 to work
• Do I really have to guess what you look like you inbred sister f%%king hillbilly
• You piece of garbage, trash, facist, racist, zenophobe
• When did we become a nation of redneck hillbillies?
• Trump and his supporters, the fact that they are a bunch of racist and bigots
• You would not have made that comment if the Khans had been White and Christians
• You all need to stop clinging to your God and guns
• Please tell me where to meet you so I can spit  in your face
• I want to slap you
• You are a traitor
• You are retarded

The list goes on and on…these (including the physical threats) are from the ‘Tolerant left’ in response to the fact that I said I would vote for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton.  With regard to the White and Christian comment I pointed out that I had written a blistering piece on Sarah Palin who is both White and Christian.  This did not seem to matter.  The coup de grace however is this gem:

• “You are a f%%cking racist Chris.”
  • I responded politely asking the reader to query everything I have written and find where I was racist.  Her reply?
• “Just because your posts and other comments are not racist does not excuse you from being a racist.” (emphasis added)

So simply by virtue of supporting someone that this person does not agree with paints one as a racist.  In short you are guilty of racism with zero evidence until they “excuse you” from that label?  This is the height of intolerance from the tolerant Hillary Supporters.

I think Hillary Clinton’s campaign should consider adopting the 1980’s Rush song SubDivisions.  One of the lyrics says:

“Conform or be cast out!”

This is the divisiveness and intolerance in our country today.  If you do not agree with the other and conform, then you should be cast out or denigrated.  So, why am I voting for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton?  Simple the same reason everyone chooses one candidate over another.  Satisficing. Satisficing is simply prioritizing your criteria and choosing from the best available options.  Some people value social issues more, others may value economic issues.  It is these points on which we actually vote.

Has Donald Trump said things with which I don’t agree? Absolutely.  That being said, he has not compromised national security nor lied to congress about his actions.  He has not allowed the death of 4 Americans (my view). These are the primary criteria on which I am voting.  End of story.  This doe not make me a racist, bigot, or anything else other than a voter who values one option over the other.