The 2016 Presidential Election

I do not intend to perpetuate the political moaning and groaning about our recent election, but I have given it a great deal of thought and will reward myself for that effort by sharing my conclusion here. These will be my last words on the subject.

Donald Trump won this election by winning the hate vote. He campaigned for it, he cultivated it, and people who hate other people who are not just like them voted for him in droves.

This includes people who hate people of different races, colors, religions, nationalities, politics, gender, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, social standing, wealth, and (God knows) intellect. I believe that some people who voted for Trump hate some other people who voted for Trump, but he brought all the haters together, and together they gave him victory.

The most insightful post-election comment I’ve heard regarding that victory came from an 18-year-old college freshman named Richie Knez who posted on Facebook, “I think the bigger issue is us as a country, not him.”

I think he is absolutely correct, and I know that it will be Richie and America's younger generations who will have to fix it.

Good luck, kid.

Moon Struck

We were driving home from a late dinner and Walmart visit last night around 8:30 when I caught sight of the moon. It was prominent in the night sky, and, according to what I can find at the font of all knowledge (that is, the Internet), it was a Waxing Crescent, on its way to becoming the First Quarter. Its crescent wasn’t straight up and down, however; it  slung off a little to the bottom left.

It made me think of a big curvy chair, just like the moon in cartoons where we see the Man in the Moon lounging upon it, his legs dangling as he straddles it while leaning back with his hands behind his head.

And then we turned a corner onto another street, and there suddenly – there he was! I could see him plain as, well, day. I was delighted. What a joy actually to see the Man in the Moon!

But when I moved my head slightly, I realized it wasn't the Man in the Moon at all. It was bug guts on the windshield.