There’s a gruff guy whose house I regularly pass. About my age, he sometimes nods but never speaks as he works on his yard, house, or car. If he was a novel stereotype, he’d be a bitter former Marine who saw combat and carries wounds. Just from the way he eyed me as I passed by on my walks, I guessed he was a Trump supporter or leaned that way.
I always remind myself that I can’t judge people by how they look. Appearances deceive. Someone glancing at me, with my American flag pin on my ever-present hat, might think of me as a Trump supporter. Sad that in our polarized age, waving the flag has become associated with our political system’s right wing.
Yesterday, a Harris-Walz sign appeared in his yard. He was doing something over by his outdoor spigot and glanced up. Walking by, I nodded hello, and then added, “I like your sign. I hope Harris wins.”
He replied, “So do I. I’ve donated money to her, and I’ll keep donating to keep that orange asshole out of the White House.”
Go Harris. Vote blue.
Michael Seidel, writer 
Looks most definitely can be deceiving. Glad this guy turned out to be one of the good ones!
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I saw a video interview with two old white guys deep in the heart of Texas. Same story. It’s encouraging!
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This just shows, how until you get to know someone you hadn’t gotten acquainted with, you will never know if their values, beliefs are, similar to your own, and, it’s, quite dangerous, to have these, preconceived notions about someone we don’t really know well.
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So true. But I find myself growing more cautious in exploring relationships with new people. Yes, I do have a comfortable bubble where new people are brought in and you can reliably assume that if they’re not liberal or progressive, they are Democrat. Few conservatives get into the group, but there are some. Politics aren’t discussed. But outside that bubble, meeting new people and exploring their values is daunting. Part of that is that even agreeing what is true or what is a fact is disputed. Very discouraging. I long for a time again where learning others’ values and beliefs doesn’t mean enduring a set of alternate facts.
Thanks for a thoughtful comment. Cheers
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Assumptions are always dangerous, yet living where I live, in the middle of red-neck country, I know at least 3 of 4 people are Conservatives — and 2 of those 3 wishTrump was running in Canada. I have lived in this town for 17 years now, and it seems all the nice people I knew have all moved out. The only friend I have here after 17 years is my partner, and she moved here with me.
But it’s a long way away from the city. I prefer rural life. I will probably die here. And all my friends are on the internet, where I can choose who I talk to and who I don’t. It’s a beautiful way to live.
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Living on the net can contribute to its own issues and assumptions, though. It can create its own sort of isolation IMO.
In this small town, even local politics become quickly polarized. It’s surprising and disturbing. And yes, there are ringleaders on both sides here who have developed personal animosity with one another. Dialogues about issues become smothered by their personal history and past interactions.
It astonishes me that you have folks in Canada who wish Trump was running there. But then, it’s naive of me to overlook that information streams are not often limited by borders. Neither are prejudices and values.
You’ve given me a lot more to think about, rawgod. Cheers
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Hugs to you, Michael. Think with honour !
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I don’t agree that putting your flag up means you’re a Republican. I have always flown my flag & I have NEVER voted GOP. Almost everyone around here has an American flag flying.
That said, most of my family is GOP & I do come from a military family. But just because someone flies a flag doesn’t mean they’re GOP or supports Trump. & just because someone is GOP doesn’t mean they’re supporting Trump & just because they might have voted for Trump in the past doesn’t mean they’re going to this time.
There are flags that DO say if you’re a trumpster, or suggests so. That flag with the stripes going the wrong way & the blue stars on a white background. Or the “blue lives matters” flag. I see these in my neighborhood.
I don’t see as many Trump banners as I did in 2016 or 2020. I am seeing many more Harris/Walz signs than I ever did Clinton signs in 2016 (almost none) or Biden signs (zero) in 2020. Where I live is very conservative. Yes, it’s NY State but NY isn’t as liberal as reported. Many areas are quite conservative & most are a mix of the two. I think people are more mixed than the media would like us to believe. I know I am.
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No, I don’t agree either that putting your flag up automatically means you’re right wing or conservative. I put a flag up and I’m thoroughly liberal. Yet, from memes spreading across the nation, we see that becoming one of the larger growing assumptions. And that disturbs me.
And I know it is my personal history which forms my stereotypes, which are then reinforced by what I see on TV and the net, and even my local bubble.
But my stereotypes do have their basis in my experiences. When others retire from wearing the uniform won’t even look me in the eye or exchange a civil word with me, even though I also served and we have that in common, that’s deeply disappointing. Their reactions are fed by their stereotypes of liberals; that’s constantly reinforced in Trump world that liberals are commies, socialists, etc., and do not love the United States. It is not true, but that is their stereotype. Encountering their stereotype of me and their subsequent behavior just shores up my own stereotypes of them. It’s an ugly dynamic.
Trump flags are much fewer in this slice of the region but remain strong in other parts. Then again, this is a group of people who speak about succeeding from Oregon and joining Idaho, which is a more conservative state, or the evergreen dream of yet another state, the state of Jefferson. The larger cities are mostly blue here, but there’s a lot of purple, and it’s very red in the rural eastern part of the state. It’s been that way for decades.
Thanks for the comments and insights. Cheers
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Michael, good post. Good surprise. You reminded me of having dinner with my daughter’s roommates in college. Recognizing I look like the model Republican, one of her roommates was so surprised at my concern over climate change, she said “Dude!” We had a neat discussion where she said “Dude” several times. Keith
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Keith, I like those sort of surprises. I’m pleased you were able to talk with her about climate change. We need more of that. Maybe the answer lies in the youth. Cheers, M
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Hi Michael. The newly republican controlled election office here where I live only a few days before early voting started released the possible ballot. It took me going to a third party site to find who and what would be on our ballot. However unlike when a democrat was in that office not only was the ballot delayed but there was no voter guide help on where candidates stood on issues. Republicans do not want voters to be informed they do not want people who may disagree with their regressive drive back to the 1950s / 1850s to be able to vote at all. Plus everything I am reading how the maga crowd led by the tRump campaign plan to disrupt and stop the voting for Harris or her certification. Scary time. Hugs
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