DEMOCRATIC AMERICA IS BEING TESTED – PART II
My wife and I drove down Highway 101 South from San Jose. Somewhere between Atascadero and Paso Robles, we found ourselves in a deserted one street downtown, looking for gas. It was a late Sunday afternoon. Everything on the street was closed. But a little farther ahead, there was a restaurant with outdoor wood tables still open. I parked the car in the graveled parking lot and went inside to ask for information. Then, I ordered a cup of coffee.
“How much do I owe you?” I asked the young white man who handed me the coffee.
“It’s ok. It’s on me.” He smiled and pushed the cup into my hand. For a moment I did not quite grasp what he said. He repeated it, “It’s ok. You don’t have to pay.”
I said thank you and tried to do something, like shaking his hand, but could not because one of my hands was holding the cup of coffee and the other my car key, before he went back into the kitchen.
On the way back to my car, I walked by one of the large wooden tables with seven or ten people standing around it, sitting on it or on the benches, middle aged, young, male, female, children. All were white. A little girl said “Hi”. I turned around to wave at her and several of them smiled and waved back at me. It was quite a good feeling.
But it struck me as something more.
Even though it was a random encounter, probably a speck of gold in a river, and I should not conclude that the river is full of gold, it is difficult to think that they are bigots or racists, just like it is difficult to think that all the 74,000,000 voters are bigots or racists.
But it is much easier to believe that they want to preserve what is theirs and precious to them, their way of life, their tradition and culture that have been built by many generations. They don’t want such to be disturbed by some foreign forces and are determined to fight to protect them. That means they can be persuaded and convinced to do the right things, right for Democracy, for the country and for themselves. That is Democratic America’s fervent hope.
But that also means they could be persuaded the other way.
The Democrats cannot just pursue progressive ideals at the cost of alienating half of the country. They cannot just ignore them without a convincing explanation as to why their progressive agenda is good for them and their children. The Democrats could be forgiven for not knowing the deep feeling of the white “silent majority” because they had been silent. But after 2020, they have no excuse. In the pursuit of lofty ideals, their policies must take into consideration the wish of 74,000,000 voters. They cannot simply dismiss them as deplorables if they want to govern.
Attacking the former president is barking at the wrong tree. He did not create the extreme right wing of the Republican party. He had been a Democrat before switching side. He even invited Hillary (and Bill) Clinton to his wedding.
Mr. Trump was just an astute businessman who saw a profitable opportunity and took it without knowing for sure that the unseen (by him) political wave would carry him all the way to the pinnacle of American politics. The immense power had caused him headaches and giddiness. It was clear he did not like it (being the president of the democratic U.S.A) at all. He was not prepared to handle the heavy burden of the top job and unable to associate himself with competent and talented professionals to help him run the country.
The tree is the huge number of voters who voted for Mr. Trump – twice – because he and his supporters have successfully persuaded them, true or not, that they serve their interest.
It is a tree not to be barked at but cultivated.
(Next, Part III)
