Trump has changed my world view in a profound way.

[Erda]

53. This great American experiment

Has always been imperfect. We have the freedom to hold our own beliefs and to pursue our own paths. This makes us imperfect or perfect, depending on how you see it.

Recently, though, we have not effectively counter-balanced ideas that have been mainstreamed like "our government is bad and should be drowned in a bathtub;" or "to compromise is a sign of weakness and a betrayal of party;" or "to win at all costs is everything, whether by cheating, denying others their rights, stealing, gerrymandering." We accept brainwashing through propaganda and constant repetition, or destructive musical lyrics or visual images, thinking these will not harm impressionable minds. We admire rudeness now, and a lack of manners. We think proper language is unnecessary and are gradually returning to symbols, not seeing that language enables us to nuance thought. We like excessive wealth and those who monopolize the world's resources. Of course, not everyone accepts these ideas as constructive, but the loudest voices do.

But when that kick-in-the-pants comes, it's hard not to awaken.

And that's what I think we are doing now. We are awakening. And when we have done that in sufficient numbers we will mobilize and we will win.

We may have forgotten how difficult creating a democracy for all, is. We have never fully achieved that but we can, even though the changes might be gradual and take time. I hope we never give up. Our democracy is worth fighting for.