My son, who hates talking about politics sent me this email

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

Disclaimer: It pains me to have to make big statements like this about such a large group of people, but they have shown absolutely no evidence to contradict what I am about to say.

I don’t think Trump is necessarily the problem.

He’s just a leading political figure who is finally saying out loud what his supporters were already thinking anyway. He is capitalizing on the problem, but he’s not the source.

The source, I feel, is an ugly truth that has been bubbling under the surface for a long time; a truth that we now must confront. That truth would have shown itself sooner or later. If not Trump, it would be somebody else.

That undeniable truth is, go figure, a whole lot of Americans are hateful, violent people.

All Trump did was light a match in a room that was already drenched in gasoline.

I'm glad he's a voter, and a progressive. He's just too sane not to be.

[drray23]

1. I agree with his assessment.

That is what I have concluded as well. Your son is wise.
Unfortunately I still meet so many people who refuse to admit that because they cling to this notion of american exceptionalism, that we can do no wrong.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

4. And the sad thing for me is that 99% of them are white.

The White Racist is one of the nations biggest problems.

[AlbertCat]

8. The White Racist is one of the nations biggest problems.

Yes, Obama being elected is a huge factor in the Trump atmosphere. I think it's why it's so out in the open..... perhaps that last flailing around and screaming before death.

But racists of any color are a problem.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

33. But racists of any color are a problem.

Yes, they are. It's the white racists, though, that seem to be causing most of the friction between the races in this country.

[Renew Deal]

2. He's completely correct

An alternative isn't winning because Trump represents the voters.

[ScreamingMeemie]

3. Job well done!

[bhikkhu]

5. Hatred and violence are two human universals

...wired into the brain, everyone feels them, everyone is capable of them. Culture is the fundamental thing we use growing up to learn how to be and act and think in society. The culture I grew up in treated public expression of hatred as shameful, and public violence as criminal.

The danger would be that the Trump phenomenon, covered so extensively by national media, could tweak our culture toward accepting hatred and violence (as long as it is exercised for "the good of the country as interpreted by the Leader&quot as normal, even encouraged. That is precisely the message Trump delivers during his rallies, and there's not much distance from that to Mussolini-style facism.

[longship]

6. You raised him well, Elmer.

You should be proud of him, as you undoubtedly are.

[mercuryblues]

7. easy

concise statement

Trump only pulled the white sheet off from the republican party.

[cantbeserious]

9. ^^^ This ^^^

eom

[Duppers]

19. Yes! Agreed.

Posted earlier today: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=7680374

He's just giving them permission to take the sheets off.

[dpatbrown]

10. Sad but true

Come November, we will know just how many mean people we have in this country. We will see.

[Nickel79]

15. Exactly what I was thinking

Fortunately, I think they're a far smaller group than they believe themselves to be. I think (and hope) Trump is going to lose BIG, and I hope some conservatives who are decent people will decide they can't vote for that monster.

[zentrum]

11. Racism will keep eating this country

….until we have truth and reconciliation type "trials" or events, and start owning up to our brutal history.

Ask your son to go see the new Michael Moore movie, "Where to Invade Next" if he wants to see how post-war Germans dealt with and atoned for their history of racism, and violence. There are also fascinating segments about how various Europeans are stunned by how little we all take care of each other in all kinds of ways——including how we feed our children in school. They cannot understand it.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

30. I saw the movie too! It was a great ad for Bernie's policies.

My son does not generally go to any movies, with an occasional exception, and he refuses to watch any TV. He get's all his information the way I get most of mine - via the internet.

If there were no internet, it would be pretty much impossible to change anything. Too many people, with no alternative, would become totally brainwashed to continue support of the Elite People ant their own expense. Let's hope we never lose our access to it!

[zentrum]

34. You have a really

……nice son.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

35. And you are kind. Thank you!

[Nickel79]

12. It sounds like you raised a very intelligent young man

And I'm glad he's on our team!

[indivisibleman]

13. Good observation and IMO correct. n/t

[KoKo]

14. "Hate Radio and Limbaugh, Beck and the Rest have been saying what Trump has

For Years! And, with our FCC Allowing this to happen!

Trump is the embodiment of Jerry Springer/Celebrity Reality Shows and Every Hate Broadcaster who has been out there working for the RW Sources for so long that they control probably 3/4 of American Radio and MSM.

It is Time for this to Be Exposed. "The Donald" let it All Out!

NOW...What are we going to do about it as "Concerned Citizens" who've had ENOUGH!

Vote for:

[KT2000]

16. He is right on point -

I have already noticed people asking each other if they support Trump as a way of vetting people - as in "who are you really?" Our social behavior is adjusting to this new reality.

[awoke_in_2003]

17. He is just a symptom of the disease. nt

[Dont call me Shirley]

18. You raised an intelligent son, Elmer.

[Duppers]

20. Bravo! For your son.

You have to be a proud parent.

[tabasco]

21. He is correct

America has tens of millions of stupid, gullible people.

[Locrian]

22. decades

Decades of propaganda (southern strategy, etc) are combining with shrinking economies. And now people are waking up that the republicans, tea party-ists, etc have played them like a fiddle. And they're getting more and more pissed and lashing out at anything and anyone so they don't have to admit just how screwed they are.

There's a huge shit storm brewing. And it's got the potential to get really ugly really fast.

There are two modes of invading private property; the first, by which the poor plunder the rich... sudden and violent; the second, by which the rich plunder the poor, slow and legal.

John Taylor 1814

[colorado_ufo]

23. Spot on.

He saved me the trouble of saying it and said it much better.

We, as Americans, need to take a good look at ourselves.

[Vinca]

24. Your son hit the nail on the head.

I don't know how we cure it, though. I think it began with the industry that is right wing hate radio/television and has grown with careful watering from the GOP. Unless the behavior of the hate-for-profit people changes, nothing else will change.

[Blue Idaho]

25. Donald Trump 2016 = George Wallace 1968 nt.

[PoliticAverse]

27. One can only hope his candidacy fizzles like Wallace's. n/t

[Duval]

26. What a great guy. I know you're proud.

[Buzz Clik]

28. Where do you fit on the spectrum, Elmer?

I noticed that you were one of those saying you would never, ever vote for Clinton in the general. Is that because you hate her?

[superstring1]

29. Pogo's warning: "I've met the enemy & they is us."

nm

[truehawk2]

31. I disagree. People are tried of quite desperation, and they have switched to loud desperation.

They have been conditioned to blame themselves for any economic stress they are undergoing.
Also they have had 20 years of uncivil examples such as Cross-Fire and Rush Limbaugh to destroy their sense of
proper conduct of civil discussion to solve problems.
Emotional manipulations are used to make people vote against their interest, and they now realize it, and they are angry, so now they are in jeopardy of being encouraged to take out their anger on scapegoats rather than the designers of their condition.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

32. Thank you all for the kind words. Yes, I am very proud!

I love him, and you all make me feel very happy.

[snot]

36. Impt. distinction: they've been trained to hate and fear

by the 1%; bec. that was the easiest way in the short run to gain power over the 99%.

All of us among the 99% respond to the misery we're suffering; this is the response conservatives among us have been taught.

The 1% created a Frankenstein.

[LWolf]

37. Unfortunately, he's right. nt

[oldandhappy]

38. Yes, well said. Thank you.