‘Crybabies they are’
In Sunday’s Dispatch, Dec. 11, two pathetic sob-sisters, Rheta Johnson and Jamie Stiehm, cry more alligator tears over the Trump victory. Poor Rheta describes the Trump cabinet members as “miscreants, misogynists and thieves.” … “the largest collection … since Alcatraz closed shop.” And, in her words, the Trump supporters are “fools with their baseball caps on backward.” They didn’t speak; they “brayed” a “long call for intolerance, injustice and insanity.”
Rheta charges that Trump is “a crude, tweeting racist” who based his campaign on hate. Under Trump, she writes, that coalition of hate will rule our world. Other than those few flaws, everything is … well … horrible. Oh yes, one other thing, Trump will destroy a free press. What’s poor Rheta going to do? She’s sticking her head in the shifting sand. Actually she did that many years ago.
And now to poor Jamie. Before not supplying any, she writes that “in our democracy, much depends on the answers.” That may be all right, because we don’t and never did have a democracy so maybe we don’t have any answers, either. In our case, according to Jamie, Trump is a hate-monger who will “crack down on press freedom.” The columnist is troubled that Trump “is sending in the Marines … but the nightly news is not going to say so.” What news is she watching? What we have is a “Caeser[sic]-like ruler riding into Rome who’d like to silence us [the press] into submission.” The late Senator Moynihan denied that everyone is entitled to his own facts. Jamie Stiehm disagrees with him or so it seems.
Spoiled brats of all ages are up in arms over the election of Donald Trump. What’s it all about, Alfie? They’d have you think they are fearful for the future of their beloved United States. Buncombe! They lost the election, and they are sulking, and crying, and hugging, and demonstrating in any and all ways they can. Crybabies they are. You can learn almost everything you need to know about people from the way they handle their losses and defeats. Some take a deep breath, accept the election results, and press on with their goals. Others cry and hug and choose not to take exams; and some either burn flags and buildings or even loot.
Little has to do with lost goals, only with losing. These are the wimps of all ages, who have always had their way. They have been constantly indulged and seldom if ever corrected. As a result they have not learned to think; they only feel. What a relief: all feeling and no thinking.
Oh, but there’s the rub. What are their goals? Sadly, most people find their beliefs within themselves and, as Tocqueville wrote, “all his feelings are turned in on himself.”
James Kalb writes that there’s no way to deal with issues basic to social life in public discussion because open discussion of issues has simply not been allowed. Which is where I’ve constantly found myself if you’ll pardon the personal reference. Over and over, I have asked my friends on the other side what is it they want and how they propose to get it. Discussion over. “I know what’s right and wrong for me.” So there we are. Right back where we started … a definition of having one’s way. Thus morals, principles, and values are only personal and do not transcend one’s own view of things.
My suggestion: Stop the gnashing of teeth, and the hugging, and the crying and try to clearly define what type of government you want, why you want it, whether it’s realistic, and how one peaceably and intelligently obtains it.
Ben C. Toledano
Columbus
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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