Why do so many folks seem to be running around with their hair on fire?
It’s like some sort of Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World condition has overtaken our culture. I remember growing up when our parents and their friends – on opposite sides of the political spectrum – could still joke about politics. And they didn’t seem to think their world was coming to an end when their side lost.
My parents were republicans, old school republicans. They had some dough, didn’t like being in those 70 to 90 percent tax brackets, but they didn’t lose it when JFK beat Nixon.
Oh, they gave it their best shot – campaign contributions and let people know who they thought was in the right. They also went to high society election parties – or hosted them – and nobody got beat up or black balled because they saw things in a different light.
And everybody lived to tell the story, or so it seemed.
Fast forward to today…
We live in a time where the sky-is-falling when the party of our choice takes an election night bullet. Everybody’s either cheating, or wish they had, when their side looses.
True confession: I voted for Trump – the first time almost as a lark. Like the times I voted for Ralph Nader. Even though as a “car guy,” most automotive enthusiasts thought of Nader as the Great Satin – an enemy of automotive fun. Making all those obnoxious, burdensome safety regs…the annoying seat belt buzzers people used to unplug or string their belts behind them and plug them in without actually wearing. Remember?
People tend not to like change, and I have to admit that it took me some time before I started putting my seatbelt on without feeling a little annoyed, Then again, most of my earliest cars were two seater convertibles, so I wasn’t exactly a safety nut – just a regular nut.
Back to my original point…
These days people seem hell bent on over overreacting to anything and everything. I feel sorry for my more liberal friends that have to put up with some of the crazy picks Trump is making. They’re besides themselves.
Am I missing something?
Yet after the past four years, even inanity seems refreshing. Continue reading