MAGA

How can people look at the exact same thing and see two entirely different things?

Blue dress or gold dress? 

Old lady or young woman? 

Hate or Pride?

The two incidents recently making national headlines both had me confused. Both the Jussie Smollett and the Covington Catholic stories smelled from the beginning yet the media and left bought the story line.

Although a group of high school kids doing stupid things was plausible, there was just something about the alleged message that didn’t sound right. These kids were on a trip to March For Life (organized to protect the unborn life) and they were with chaperones. Maybe it could be said that it was bad judgment for chaperones to allow kids who you are charged with their safety to wear a MAGA hat in such a polarized environment but then again, if Making America Great Again incites violence who has the problem? When Facebook blew up over this story I replied to a friend’s post filled with anger over the story that there was more to this story and was told, “Way to carry the party line” and others couldn’t believe I was not as outraged. Even as the other side was told and the full video came out, those individuals have not apologized. I imagine they still see the kid as disrespectful because all they can see is hate in the hat.

The Jussie Smollett story stunk from the beginning. Why and how would a pair of racist homophobes track down this individual at a strange time of night and beat him up? Why would a black man not immediately remove a noose put around his neck, evidence or not? Who yells, “This is MAGA country”? I know many true “Trumpers” and no one uses the term “MAGA Country”. That is was a Trump hates thinks MAGA wearers would say. It’s not the reality. There was nothing about this story I found plausible and expressed my doubt from the beginning.

Recently, I was discussing the merits (or lack of understanding the Founding Father’s foresight) of the Electoral College on social media. I know these discussions are futile but what astonished me was one individual who pretty much stated the reason Trump was elected because he manipulated the ignorant in America and eliminating the Electoral College would give the well educated a better say in choosing the President. That attitude, my friends, is exactly why Donald J. Trump is POTUS!

Make America Great Again. Some see these words as a symbol of some of the disrespectful words the President quite often speaks or tweets. One commentator actually stated the MAGA hats are the future white hoods. Some see this as a call to restore pride in country where the values of previous generations have been diminished by politicians who sacrifice principle to maintain power and get reelected.

Is it just possible that we have a conflict of values and it’s not hate vs. love?