How One Man is Putting an End to Conservative Values

It is just weeks before the Presidential election and a video came out showing Donald Trump talking down on women in terms unheard of publicly from any valid U.S. President candidate. I have read some atrocious statements made since that time and it has made me wonder what exactly is in peoples' minds when it comes to Trump's behavior.

What I would like to do is paint a scene of a typical conservative Oklahoma household where the daughter of a life-long conservative voter comes home with questions about something she overheard at school.

Suzie:  Mommy, Johnny at school said Donald Trump is a pervert who should never be allowed to run for President.

Suzie’s Mom:  Johnny is a brainless nitwit whose dad is a flaming, Godless waste of a life.

Suzie:  Johnny has no brain?

Mom:  I’m sure he does, honey, but he doesn’t know how to use it. If he had his way, you wouldn’t be alive and his family would just live off the government for the rest of their lives.

Suzie:  Why wouldn’t I be alive?

Mom:  Because those liberals all believe in killing babies and not working.

Suzie:  Liberals don’t sound very nice, mommy. Is that what makes his dad a flaming, Godless waste of a life?

Mom:  His dad supports lifestyles that are an abomination to God. Just like all of those liberals.

Suzie:  What lifestyles does he support?

Mom:  Those homosexuals that God hates.

Suzie:  I thought God loved everyone.

Mom:  Not them. He wants them to go straight to Hell for what they do.

Suzie:  I don’t want anyone to have to go to Hell. So, why did they say that about Donald Trump? Isn’t that who you want to be President?

Mom:  They’re just mad because Trump said what everyone else is thinking.

Suzie:  Johnny said Trump liked to grab women in their naughty places.

Mom:  Johnny should be executed for saying something like that. All Trump said was what all guys talk about in the locker room.

Suzie:  Like the gym teacher at school? Does he talk like that?

Mom:  God, I hope not! No, honey, I am just saying that when guys get around each other in the locker room, they make comments about things they would never say anywhere else or would actually ever do. That’s all that Donald did.

Suzie:  Johnny said some women came out and said he had done those types of things to them before.

Mom:  They paid those women to say that! Plus, Bill Clinton is the one who goes around raping women. That is what the media should be focusing on!

Suzie:  Who is Bill Clinton?

Mom:  He was President of the United States in the 90’s. He ruined America with his behavior, going around raping women all the time.

Suzie:  The 90’s? When was that?

Mom:  Before you were born, honey. In fact, I was not much older than you back then. I should consider myself lucky to be alive after what Bill Clinton did to us.

Suzie:  What did he do? It must have been awful!

Mom:  Just like I said, honey. He was sleeping with women left and right, just absolutely ruining the country.

Suzie:  Sleeping with them, like a sleepover? Is it bad for the country for me to have sleepovers?

Mom:  No, honey, you and your friends can always have sleepovers. What Bill Clinton did was more than just sleeping. I’ll explain it to you more someday when you’re older.

Suzie:  So, is what Bill Clinton did 20 years ago causing problems now?

Mom:  Well, honey, the problem is the media is making a big deal now about Donald Trump’s behavior and they know it is no worse than what Bill Clinton was doing.

Suzie:  So, it’s OK for guys to grab women in their private areas?

Mom:  Never! That’s what I’m saying. That kind of behavior is inexcusable, just as I was saying. We can’t have a man like that in the White House.

Suzie:  Donald Trump? I thought you were voting for him?

Mom:  No, I’m saying Bill Clinton.

Suzie:  Bill Clinton is running for President?

Mom:  No, honey, his wife, Hillary, is running for President. Ugh, I don’t even like saying her name.

Suzie:  Does Bill Clinton treat Hillary the same way he did those other women?

Mom:  I don’t know honey. But Hillary supported his behavior by staying with him. I wouldn’t be surprised if she actually encouraged it.

Suzie:  Why would she encourage it?

Mom:  Those liberals are like that. They get off on that kind of stuff.

Suzie:  Get off? What do you mean?

Mom:  Nothing, honey. All I’m saying is that we need to support Trump. Johnny doesn’t know what he is talking about and you just need to stop talking to him.

Suzie:  Because he is a liberal?

Mom:  Exactly.

Suzie:  And liberals are bad because they don’t want to vote for Trump?

Mom:  That’s right, honey. Trump is what is best for America. Or at least he will keep the liberals out of the Supreme Court and the White House.

Suzie:  Do liberals make the White House a bad place?

Mom:  Yes, honey. The last eight years have been awful. And it will be even worse if Hillary wins.

Suzie:  OK, mommy. Thank you for talking to me about this.

Eight-year-old Suzie walks away, wondering why her mom thinks the past eight years have been so awful. And the first step in creating the next generation of liberals begins with the narrow-minded thinking of those who support men like Donald Trump.

Walking a Mile in Someone Else's Shoes

For most who know me, I have attended Life.Church for many years. A few weeks back, lead pastor Craig Groeshel talked about a desire to trade places with a person whose life was much more simple. It was an interesting thought when my mind immediately entertained the thought of Craig living a day or maybe a week in my shoes.

 

The thought passed and was just a lost moment in time after a few days. Except, lately I have been having more and more moments when I wished some of the people around me could walk a mile in other people’s shoes. Even mine.

One example is the recent debate surrounding the #BlackLivesMatter movement. With all the outrage on both sides, I found myself wishing that those people who wholeheartedly supported the police could see this issue from the perspective of black people who had to be nervous every time they were pulled over by a cop. We all get some level of anxiety when we get pulled over, but black people legitimately have to be concerned about more than just getting a ticket or hearing a lecture while receiving a warning.

On the flip side, I wish those who blamed the cops could walk a mile in their shoes so they could get a better understanding of what motivated them to pull the trigger in those instances when the killings occurred. I don’t know what was in their minds but I would absolutely embrace the opportunity to know the truth behind what motivated them in those situations.

Being able to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes might also help some of us understand why our friends and family members choose to support one Presidential candidate over another. It might help explain why a person who has lived paycheck-to-paycheck for their entire adult life might vehemently be in favor of the trust fund millionaire. It might provide some insight as to why someone who is tired of career politicians would choose to cast a vote for the candidate whose nomination was forced down the throats of the voters.

What was interesting about Craig’s proposal was that he was seeking simplicity. I have no doubt he is a workaholic who overschedules himself and doesn’t allow himself enough time to spend with his family. That alone is enough to drive a person to want to give up some of themselves so that they can have more of what means the most to them.

The problem with that premise is that lives that appear to be simple probably are anything but simple. A day with my life may seem less busy for Craig but he would also find a different set of complications that he doesn’t have to deal with on a daily basis. Money struggles. Job issues. Health problems. Not knowing what the future will provide. The only part of our lives that may feel the same would be the lack of enough time spent with family, which usually consists of a few hours a week for me.

Perspective is a major piece that seems to be missing from the lives of so many of us. We look around and wonder what it would be like if we had someone else’s life. The truth is, you don’t want it. Just accept what you have and be the best possible person you can be. Then, live your life.