One thing parents learn is that no matter how busy they are their children if not involved will find a way to acquire attention. Misbehavior works well.
In the aftermath of the 2016 election, I spent a lot of time trying to understand how those who voted for Trump made this decision. The data on who Trump supporters were made little sense to me. A rich, big talking, self-absorbed, anti-government, anti-science, racist, womanizer seemed a weird choice for Bible Belt folks of limited means. When it comes to policy, what seemed obvious to me at the time has been born out. A decrease in access to health care, increased income inequality, an increase in intolerance for people who are different, policies of isolationism when it comes to global issues, and lack of responsiveness to the climate crisis were perfectly predictable. Selfishness has been promoted at every level. How is it poorer individuals, those with strong religious beliefs, and those needing government support could not see this coming?
I have read several books I have found to offer excellent explanations of the logic for what to me seemed illogical – J.D. Vance – Hillbilly elegy & R. Kaplan – Earning the Rockies. Both offer a portrayal of a population that feels powerless and were available to be taken in by anyone who’s message was basically one of anger and attacking the establishment. Whether or not such aggression would be helpful to those with these needs was not carefully considered. A way to lash out seemed the limit of this thinking.
If you are not into reading books, I have found a quick way to get across this same perspective. Cindy spotted the following story in our local paper (Minneapolis Star Tribune). Minnesota’s Beltrami County has voted to not allow immigrants to settle within the county. This racist and self-centered position turns out to be completely unnecessary. No immigrant has settled in the county in the past five years. Why would folks, no matter their views, bother taking the time to take such a pointless position (the vote of county commissioners was 3-2)? I would describe it very much like the small, ignored child being purposefully naughty to gain attention. I would describe it as an act of frustration based in feeling ignored and angry.
The photos in the article tell the story. I have no idea if the photographer purposefully found a way to direct the camera to capture this interpretation, but the photos show nearly all old, white men. There must be some women and younger folks in the country, but they were either disinterested or embarrassed.
I, by age and race, am a member of this group. I spend a lot of time these days in a coffee shop in a rural area of Wisconsin and can easily imagine some of these folks meeting and sharing their take on the news of the day and recounting when America was great. This was likely a time when they felt they mattered. I, like them, personally feel time running out. Unlike them, I don’t see this as a time for self-focus, but rather as a time devoted to encouraging those who are younger to work toward a more positive and inclusive future. The problems ahead are real, but these problems face us all and taking an approach based in assumptions that anyone is special or more deserving will not be attitudes that lead to solutions.