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Codes of conduct for both the Democrats and the Republicans.
I recently had a friend, who is a Democrat, make a posting on the Internet regarding how liberals should conduct themselves during President Trump's term of office. Actually, I have seen this post before, but the fact a friend posted it caught my attention. Quite simply, the posting instructs Democrats to...
DEMOCRAT'S CODE OF CONDUCT:
"Don’t use his name EVER ("45" will do);
Remember, this is a regime and he’s not acting alone;
Do not argue with those who support him, it doesn’t work;
Focus on his policies, not his orange-ness and mental state;
Keep your message positive; they want the country to be angry and fearful because this is the soil from which their darkest policies will grow;
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No more helpless/hopeless talk;
Support artists and the arts;
Be careful not to spread fake news. Check it;
Take care of yourselves; and
Resist!"
This is a slight variation of a Facebook posting Bernice King allegedly made, the daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Regardless, it is spreading across liberal sites on the Internet like wildfire.
Frankly, I found some of this disrespectful, such as "45", "orange-ness" and "mental state." It also hints at the hate they possess in their hearts regarding the Trump administration.
I then considered how a Republican might write a similar code of conduct, and using the liberal's code as a template, I produced the following:
REPUBLICAN'S CODE OF CONDUCT:
"Use his name correctly, such as "President Trump" or "Mister President";
Remember, this is a massive correction to the government and we need teamwork;
Try to understand the other side's opposition; allow for discussion but do not give way to their hate;
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Focus on his policies and why this is needed to transform America;
Keep your message positive; they want the country to be angry and fearful because this is the soil from which their darkest policies will grow;
Think positive, no more helpless/hopeless talk, it is our turn;
Keep check of falsehoods and malignment of facts and character by entertainers and the news media;
Be careful not to spread fake news. Check it;
Take care of yourselves; and
Support!"
There are, of course, substantial differences between the two codes, but there are also similarities, such as "Keep your message positive," and "Take care of yourselves." Interestingly, both sides see the other as pathological liars filled with hate. It also would seem liberals are not interested in carrying on a respectful dialog and have dismissed doing so out of hand.
Both sides are also very much concerned with "fake news" which suggests both left and right do not trust the news media and are getting their facts from other sources, some erroneously in all likelihood.
All of this represents the uncompromising polarity of the two parties and what to expect during the president's administration. The Democrats will continue to voice their displeasure and try to resist any changes the president and Republican Congress tries to make. The Republicans are going to have to be more visible to keep the Democrats in check. In all likelihood this will cause a resurrection of the Tea Party to combat the liberal agenda.
What we are witnessing is a desperate fight for the identity and values of the United States. There are actually more incompatibilities between the two parties than there are similarities. The scary part is that only one side can win and we may very well descend into civil war if we are not careful. Some would say we are already there.
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Keep the Faith!
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