The word has been out for quite some time,
they’re the most hated candidates yet.
With everyone pleading we must choose
whomever provides the littlest threat.
Hillary or Trump are the two that rose to the top
and now give us such a scare.
But at some point we’ll all have to admit
it was us who put them there.
But how could that be when we dislike them so much
as we try to think and delve.
The truth is out there for all to see;
they’re just further extensions of ourselves.
They break the law, they’re fully corrupt!
They use loopholes as their tools.
But a closer look at ourselves
and we all think we’re above the rules.
We drive just a little faster, park in odd places
ignoring all the posted signs.
We rely on our radar and hire special lawyers
to avoid such “silly” traffic fines.
We’re virtual pirates looting our plunder
of digital songs, movies and software.
We tap cable boxes, hack into w-fi
and give out our passwords to share.
We forego the pet license, we share our prescriptions,
set off fireworks within the city.
We return “unused” items, hire “helpers” on the down-low
all to keep more dollars in our kitty.
They say hateful words, they can be so contentious,
they break all the decency rules!
But an honest look at our unfiltered talk
says we all can be blubbering fools.
We take to Twitter and Facebook to make our thoughts known,
and share posts with conspiracy facts.
We insult and we troll, we invalidate all, with listening less important
than exposing those idiot’s cracks.
We use words like “Fascist,” “Commie,” “Phobic,” and “Bigot”
whatever it takes to bring someone else down.
By labeling, it conveniently turns a person into a “them”
and our bullying earns us the commenters’ crown.
But the divisions they create, they play off of fears
discord and disunity the two sow!
All this we say while we worship in separate churches
and there’s still parts of town we won’t go.
But the lies, oh those lies, that the candidates tell!
Yet even with that we’ve had our fair share.
From resumes to dating profiles to calling in sick,
or “Officer, I didn’t see that stop sign there.”
“But we’re not running for president!” you say.
“The difference should be clear.”
Oh? I beg to differ with you.
Just take one look in the mirror.
We are a reality TV generation, addicted to fame
and it’s in these two we’ve put our trust.
Why do we love and hate them?
Because we are them…and they are us.
What you said is absolutely correct. Each candidate is a good “extension” of most, but not all folks. However, the difference is that each of us is responsible for our own words and deeds, individually. But the president is collectively responsible to all of us for his/her words and deeds.
I think I take your point, but I can’t completely agree with it. Perhaps it is partly because I am nearing 60, dislike “(a)social” media, won’t use facebook, and despise the tendency to troll or to flame someone online with what wouldn’t be said to their face, and refuse to watch junk like fake-ality TV…I just do not feel a part of that generation or those mores and that aspect of it doesn’t ring true. Perhaps it’s because I see a significant difference between the two candidates, and an equally significant difference in how most (not all, but most) of their supporters act and react to discussions of facts vs opinions, insults vs facts, assumptions vs facts, and blind hatred/scapegoating vs anything else. I am not perfect. I do, however, at least try to recall my youth, when I thought finding out about differences in culture/religious views. political thought, gender and sexual orientation, and anything else was fascinating and ultimately useful in trying to understand the people who were different from myself. I’ve consistently enough made the effort to find out what’s behind whatever it is and then bring it up, and insist on fact over assumption, my whole life that conservatives call me liberal and liberals call me conservative (and THAT is the really big puzzle, as I was saying the same thing to each side). I don’t so much see the candidates when I look in the mirror as I see an alien from outer space who just doesn’t seem to fit here.
But the one thing I do get from this election year is the fear. fear of the other. fear of losing whatever we have. fear of being ousted from the one-up to the one-down position. Fear of someone else making us observe their beliefs about politicas, religion, or even climate change rather than being able to force THEM to follow OURS. Above all, fear of admitting everyone else is just like us where it really counts…just as scared, loving, smart, stupid, worried, knowledgeable, and ready to go wither way at the drop of a hat when our deepest emotions get pulled in.
And me, I am afraid of what will happen if we do not address the fears and learn to work together, asap.
I think you make some good points. I wish everyone would try to understand others that are different and without responding in fear.
As far as my points, I realize that not everyone is not guilty of everything I list. My goal, in this year where we are wondering how we got to where we are at, is to get everyone to at least look honestly at themselves first to see if there is anything they may do consciously or unconsciously to contribute to the culture that helped create it.