Raising Right

PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT DONALD TRUMP weren't raised right. That has long been evident, and becomes increasingaly so daily. The facts are basic, and unassailable. When you lose an election, or when your candidate does, you approach the winner with a warm smile, extend your hand, offer heartfelt congratulations, and offer to help the winner going forward in any way possible. You don't refuse to accept the election results, claim the election was stolen from you, without showing any evidence that it was, then, as time goes by, continue to make the same false claim, and under pressure, concoct phony evidence. Had I been a Trump supporter, heaven forbid, and failed to accept defeat graciously, failed to congratulate Biden and his supporters, failed to generously offer support for the new administration, my parents would have come out of their graves, turned me over their knee, and given me a good old fashioned whuppin'. During my decades long, stellar tennis career, the moment the match ended, win or lose, I approached the net, hand outstretched. No other approach was even remotely thinkable. I regarded losing as horrible, but also as an opportunity. To the winner, I always said: "You're obviously a good player, and could help improve my game. I woud love to get together with you often, and practice." It worked every time. I made friends, turned lemons into lemonade, and collected a solid crew of good tennis players with whom to play and practice. I was a Trump supporter for two weeks, in 2015. By the time he had called Ted Cruz "lyin' Ted" about fifty times, I was done. The Access Hollywood tape confirmed my unrelenting hatred of the man. Decent people never talk like that, let alone even think like that. Nobody in locker rooms anywhere does. If somebody in the New York Yankees locker room started talking like that (she was married, but I still wanted to fuck her..etc), he would be traded the next day. By late summer 2015 Trump's immorality was so blatantly obvious that I was convinced that he could never win the election, and in fact, the RNC tried to force him off the ticket, but they backed down to his bullying. I have freinds who still support Donald Trump, more than a year after the Capitol insurrection. Like Abagail Adams wrote in a letter to President Thomas Jefferson after Jefferson's people smeared John Adams in the election campaign of 1800: "I still love you, but there was a time when I respected you". I no longer respect my friends who still support Trump in twenty twenty two. Each day of his administration his personal behavior, as well as his policies, was deplorable. His incessant lying alone revealed his low character and unfitness for office. The day after Trump beat Hillary Clinton in the election of 2016, because of the electoral college only, despite getting three million fewer votes than she, despite receiving assistance from the nefarious Russians, I, like many people, was devastated. Shocked, surprised, and devastated. One of my friends, a real smart ass, said to me: "So why aint you wearing no Hillary Clinton campaign button no more"? I responded by saying something very unpleasant. He looked at me and said: "Why, you're bad loser". I said: "No, I'm not". He said: "yes you are". I said "No, I'm not." He said, "Yes, you are". I said: "No, I'm not. Congratulations to Mr. Trump, and I wish him nothing but the very best". My friend said nothing further. I had disarmed him, with class and good grace. I had also shown good character and high class, which my parents raised me to do. I was raised right. I wish Trump supporters had been.