The World Is Watching

Yesterday I walked a young German guy named Burt.  He is on school break and seems to be a pretty friendly, easy going guy. He is tall and big, but not fat, just a large guy. He has black hair, blue eyes and a friendly smile. He is on of those men that you would describe as rambling, rather than walking. He just sort of ambles along. 

He is a thoughtful young man. His major is social work and he's not sure what field he wants to choose yet. He thinks he might want to work with kids who have mental or physical problems or work with people with drug or alcohol problems. I'm thinking to myself, "choose the kids." lol I told him I have a friend who works with people with challenges and she loves her job. 

 He thinks the refusal of Europe and other countries do their fair share to help refugees is terrible. He agreed with my thought, that since the US essentially started all the ruckus in the Middle East, we should take a lot of the refugees. And that the terrorist excuse is a farce. 

He asked me the question that everyone does, if I talk to them longer than two minutes. I have been asked this question by people young and old from just about every country you can imagine. They ask it in many way, mostly very polite, but it boils down to the essential WTF is happening in the United States?! The somewhat disturbing fact is that a lot of people ask, "Who are the other candidates?" I have no answers for them, but it's fun to hear their ideas. I do tell them that Hillary is the other candidate. And I just realized, I have been so blissful in my bubble I don't know who her running mate is. Nor do I care. 

If people pursue the point, and want my ideas I tell them my opinion. I think it is a result of the disappearance of the middle class, which caused a large number of people to slide into the lower or disadvantaged class, poverty, if you will.

The only thing these folks have to hang onto is that they are white, and in some way they believe that makes them better or more American than the "others." And when they see the "others" having things they don't have, buying cars they can't afford, and the biggest insult of all, living in a White House they can't afford to visit; it creates an anger and hatred that has been festering. Trump has been playing these people like a fiddle. 

Because we have not taken care to provide a quality education for all of our people, many of these folks are uneducated. To them, "Make America Great Again" means make America white again. These are the same folks who opposed universal health care, when they were the ones that needed it. 

So, that's my theory. I'm just surprised there are so many of them. So, before anyone gets their panties in a knot. I'm not saying all Trump supporters are poor white trash. I think the term "lunatic fringe" applies to the rest. And, I want to make it clear, my back ground is poor white trash, well that and an extended Mexican family, and Native American blood. And I'm proud of all of it. But I like the Others. 

But it gives me hope that the young people are aware and concerned. Most of the young people I have spoken with believe the world is too small to not be responsible for all people, that the idea of "country" will fade. And that this issue is greatly and negatively affected by the global economy and multinational corporations. 

It does my heart good to know they care. The solution must come from them.