This is a blog post to all my old friends and family who have let “politics” get in the way of real and burgeoning relationships.

I love you. I do. And I know you’re probably tired of hearing me talk poorly about our current president and his administration, but I still can’t believe you actually fell for this guy.

I also get that you’re tired of the smugness of the liberals and progressives. I totally do. They’re educated urbanites and they had NO IDEA you existed until now. They totally believed that they were going to win with Clinton. Which was maybe the smuggest thing ever. But I’m not one of them. I was raised in the middle class to a republican household in the deep south. I went to college when I was 30. I don’t believe there’s any place for elitism in America. In fact, after the election, and because of the divide that’s ripping this country apart, I suggested we all start getting together over pie. 

I want you to know that I’m an unaffiliated voter. I don’t give a damn about political parties. And I don’t get how anyone on either side can be so “on board” with their parties. I mean, nothing’s perfect. Surely you have some thoughts that conflict with the party line. No?

It feels like we have a nation that somehow believes that one side has all the answers.

NEWSFLASH: No one ideal can rule America

The founding fathers were no dummies. They knew this.  That’s why everything they put into motion took into account that the idea of America could only survive if we embraced our greatest collective strength–diversity. In everything. Especially how we think.

But now, because one party is in total control, things are whack. And man, if I believed that the party currently in control had honest and good intentions that positively affected the majority of Americans, I’d probably be ok with it because I am large. I contain multitudes.

But I don’t believe that. I believe that all politicians are for sale. And frankly, that’s what we have to fix. Together. (But I digress, that’s not what this post is about.)

I do not mean to insult you in any way when I throw our president under the bus. I just don’t like the man. Never have. Thank God we live in a free country that lets me vent my frustration. I just want him out of office. AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HIM BEING A REPUBLICAN.

You simply hitched your wagon to the wrong guy. In your haste to “win” an election, you overlooked the character of the man you picked to lead us.

And that “winning” thing is what we have to get past. I’m not going to “drink my liberal tears” in my coffee. Fuck you. That’s not American. That’s authoritarian. You want to peddle that shit? Take it to Russia. We don’t tolerate it here. And that goes for both sides.

We have to work together. Seriously. Both “sides” have to swallow their pride and meet in the middle so we can work this shit out. We live in the greatest nation on earth. We’re better than this.

Wake up.

I’m sorry if you’re offended by me right now. And yet, I’m not sorry. This is my country, goddammit. Liberty and justice for all is a worthy fight. And if you are offended and you’re still reading? I challenge you to check yourself and examine the “why” behind your feelings.

Real change starts within each of us.

Love,

Jim

The 84 Lumber Spot Through the Eyes of a Heartless Ad Man
America Is Not A Company

Jim Mitchem

Writer. Father to daughters. Husband. Ad man. Raised by wolves. @jmitchem on twitter. First novel, Minor King, out now.

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