OK Post Mortem Time Trump Clinton Alt-right and So forth

Who is mortem? Hillary. Sanders. Non-Trump GOP.

Who is not? Trump and those who voted for him.

There are no ifs in history.

So:

There is today. Today Trump appears to be wading in the swamp and doing nothing to push back a tide of hateful behavior that many feel emanates from those who support him.

There is today. It is the height of tom and janefoolery to speak of Trump and Hillary voters as anything but aggregates of individuals who today have the freedom to think and say whatever they may feel like expressing. Or the freedom not to think at all.

There is today. What are the signs? They could be good or bad depending on what sorts of harm is done or what is done to avert harm. The signs will also be what we take them to be. Signs are the realities of individuals, whoever they may be, wherever they are.

The above paragraph says to me that humility, in the face of the multiplicity of truths we face, is never ill-advised. At the same time it says to me that we should evaluate the signs we encounter in terms of the harm our reaction might engender or the good we might (believe we) do.

So what do I have to say to those who think I will be better off, knowing that some of Wikileaks is on the mark? I shall be more objective for reading this piece.

Will I feel better disposed to those who voted for Trump? I don’t feel ill-disposed, any more than I feel ill-disposed to those who like the tune Dixie.

But I will feel a lot better if Trump, whom I refuse at this point to dignify with the term President, roundly condemns such things as the killing of a young Saudi and the besmirching of Pennsylvania kids by racist attacks.

Hillary, for any flaws she may have, was consistent in her condemnation of racism and violence. Trump has been transparently reluctant to do anything serious to mute the voices of those who see in his election a chance to gain ground for ideas that are demonstrably harmful.

My hope is that current displays of shameful behavior will produce rebellion among the children of those who act in such a way.