Day: June 6, 2025

I recently posted a photo of me and my grandson at a protest rally in Houston, Texas. I was wearing a shirt with the image of the Statue of Liberty and holding a sign that proclaimed, “Hate does not make us great.” 

I received a number of replies from people who agreed with the sentiments of my stance, but those among my friends and relatives who disagree with my political views mostly ignored the whole thing. Only one person, a cousin whom I have known and loved since we were children, responded. His comment said, “So let’s start by loving Trump, not hating him.” 

I have to admit that I was a bit taken aback by my cousin’s response, but not surprised. I know that he is a strong supporter of Donald Trump and a believer that Trump’s ideas are good for the country. He is also a good man who has raised a wonderful loving family. He is a few years younger than I am so I have actually been in his life since the day he was born and in spite of what he may think of me and my views I love him and always will. Nonetheless I will continue to insist that Trump is a hate-filled man.

There is ample proof of Trump’s cruelty on any given day. He continually insults women in vile ways that would have been considered quite gauche and ungentlemanly in the past. He lies constantly with almost every word that comes out of his mouth. His disdain for minorities of every sort is apparent and he does not just despise them, he seems intent on torturing them for his own amusement. He belittles people who attempt to speak the truth and almost begs people to love and admire them. There is so little about him to stir my compassion other than the fact that he is a sad creature who makes himself so unlikeable. My sense of morality and kindness does indeed feel something for him, but it will never be love as long as he is so vindictively cruel to anyone who does not march in cadence with him. 

I know that my cousin means well and has his reasons for loving Trump, but even as I attempt not to hate anyone, it is impossible for me to love a person who inflicts so much misery on the world. Unlike many Americans I cannot see a hint of kindness in Donald Trump. He pretends to be a Christian man but I rarely see him attending church or actually leading a prayer. On the few times he has publicly been inside a church for the funerals of Jimmy Carter and Pope Francis he seemed confused by the readings and rituals and eventually fell asleep. 

I believe that it is between God and Trump as to their relationship. I would not presume to know what is really inside Trump’s head anymore than I would want someone to make presumptions about me. I only know that even if it is quite naive, I believe in the concept of redemption. Jesus told us that when we genuinely ask for forgiveness and enact our intentions of changing our hateful ways, we are saved. I would like to believe that somewhere in Trump’s heart there is a speck of decency that makes him truly care about all people, not just those who loyally pledge their fealty to him. The problem is that so far I have not observed any indication that he is ready to stop being a bully and become a true man of peace and love. 

Thus I will continue to insist that Trump’s form of hate will not make our country or any place on earth great. Love and kindness and unflinching morality are the things that bring out the best in humankind. Attempting to genuinely understand and appreciate those who are different from ourselves builds a powerful force of cooperation and unity. Our goals as a nation should not be to diminish but to grow and prosper together. Hate never created happiness, peacefulness or success. It can seem to devastate those we call our enemies for a time but such effects are temporary and ultimately leave out too many among us. 

So I will tell my cousin that he will always have my love no matter how much our beliefs differ He is a wonderful part of the story of my life. I marvel in his success as a man, a husband, a father and a grandfather. He is a talented photographer and a man of faith. He was a good son to his parents. He brought me pleasure as we grew up together. For these things I cherish him, but I suppose that we will never agree politically, especially when it comes to loving Donald Trump. 

I will persist in my resistance of Donald Trump’s destruction of the nation that I have so loved for seventy six years. Those who know me well realize that I do not hate. I remember a fellow teacher once proclaiming that I would be able to find something positive about the foulest person on the planet. I suppose that when it comes to Trump my only kudo for him would be that he appears to be a masterful salesman. Sadly he is selling a pile of junk.