A Liberal’s Gratitude for Trump

     I’m a liberal and I’m grateful for Trump. No, you don’t need to adjust your computer screen – you read that correctly.  But hear me out!  Along with many of my liberal counterparts, I was truly horrified at the reality of Trump being elected president in November of 2016.  Not unlike the proverbial Chicken Little, I believed the sky was falling.  Just about everything I valued about this country, our government, and the office of the presidency was being challenged by this man who I wouldn’t trust to pet sit for me over a weekend, let alone run our country.

     But this is where the Chicken Little lesson comes in.  The sky hasn’t fallen, and life as I know it hasn’t ended.  No, I haven’t changed my opinion of the man called Trump, and no, I haven’t softened to his behaviors, his bravado, or his policies. What HAS happened though is that I’ve been gloriously surprised by the tenacity and vigor of the American public.  Trump has catalyzed many of us, and that catalyzation has resulted in some amazing movements in this country.

     The “Me Too” movement is an excellent example of that.  While sexual harassment and sexual abuse are nothing new in this country, Trump’s cavalier treatment of women and disregard of sexual harassment laws has ignited a fire among women the likes of which we have never seen before.  The power shift is monumental.  And it isn’t over yet as women are stepping forward in record numbers to not only say “Me Too” but to also rewrite the power balance in politics by throwing their hats into the ring in much higher numbers than we’ve seen in the past.  According to Charlotte Alter in her Time Magazine article, “There is an unprecedented surge of first-time female candidates, overwhelmingly Democratic, running for offices big and small, from the U.S. Senate and state legislatures to local school boards.”  Had it not been for Trump’s bad behavior and open misogyny, this dramatic change may never have taken place.  For this, I’m grateful for Trump.

     Similar shifts are happening in other areas as well, including immigration, race relations, and LGBTQ rights.  A good portion of the American electorate is on fire about these issues and having heated debates about policies and governmental positions that a good many of us ignored in the past.  Trump has ignited outrage, and that outrage has resulted in a flooding of interest and discourse that will ultimately lead to a better informed, and more INVOLVED, electorate.  For this, I’m grateful for Trump.

     So while I must grin and bear the current Trump presidency, I am uplifted by how Trump has catalyzed so many in this great country of ours, and I’m hopeful for how this catalyzation will change the face of our nation in 2018 and 2020.  For that, I’m truly grateful for Trump.

               

http://time.com/5107499/record-number-of-women-are-running-for-office/

Fallacy, fallacy, fallacy...

    In the Red State blog post, “Trump Promises To Take Obama-Sized Bite Out Of Second Amendment,” author David Leach argues that Trump has adopted democratic, and more specifically Obama’s, political views and procedures in an attempt to attack and ultimately abolish the 2nd Amendment.  His post is essentially a condemnation of Trump and Trump’s latest handling of issues surrounding gun control.

     Leach’s post is a classic example of logical fallacies at their best.  His piece is littered with ad hominem attacks.  He calls Trump the “New York liberal” and “Prima Donald,” and at one point refers to “Donald Trump and the party formerly known as Republican.”  All these attacks on Donald and the party certainly play well with loyal Leach readers, but these name-calling, character digs only cheapen and weaken his argument. 

     Leach also employs the straw man fallacy in his piece by dramatically oversimplifying the situation.  Leach claims that Trump plans “to destroy the right to bear arms.” He also discusses the bipartisan meeting Trump held on gun control but notably puts “bipartisan” in quotation marks to indicate there was nothing bipartisan about it.  He claims that during that meeting, noted democrat Dianne Feinstein was sitting so close to Trump that “she was practically [in] (sic) his lap.”  While this overblown rhetoric may feed into the fury of Leach’s fans, it’s Debate 101’s example of what not to do in an argument.

     And finally, Leach’s credentials themselves call into question his authority to speak on the subject.  I was unable to locate ANY biographical information on him other than the information that was listed at the bottom of the blog post which claims that Leach is the owner of “The Strident Conservative” which appears to be an online conservative website and radio show/podcast.  I was unable to even locate an “About” page which discusses the site’s development or Leach's credentials as a conservative commentator.  There is also no Wikipedia page on David Leach, further calling into question his reliability.