[Slow Fade]

We should use all legal means

I agree. LEGAL means. Illegal actions on EITHER side are not to be tolerated.

I could not imagine being married to somebody who has voted for Trump

I'm sorry, but my vows said "in sickness and in health, till death do us part" and I don't take them lightly. If adultery did not send me to divorce court then certainly voting for an opposing candidate would not either.

Do you want me to offer meditation classes and reflexology to people who vandalized church yesterday in my community, or for the white supremasists that now effectively took over the West Wing of White House?

Seriously? I live in a community that had an extreme white supremacy base for many years.....lots of churches, houses and businesses were vandalized and terrorized. Do you know how we got them out? By enforcing the law. Arresting people who were breaking it. Did we riot and break windows and beat people up? NO, we gathered as a community and used every LEGAL means at our disposal. Vandalizing property, calling people names, being violent would have made us no better than they were.

I think there are a lot of chicken little's running around saying the sky is falling. Personally I will wait and see. There is nothing to protest until there is something to protest. That is why we have checks and balances. That is why we vote. That is why we have access to our representatives and congressmen. I would just like to tell everyone to calm down. The sun still came up on Nov. 9th. The world didn't end. Its our jobs to be watchful and vigilant, but to riot over a duly elected candidate no matter how repulsive is lowering ourselves to the same level. There are a LOT of other ways to make things happen than to act like thugs. We are better than that......

[Finding Hope]

Slow Fade,

I totally agree with you. And never, ever would I divorce my husband because we have different views. We have 2 daughters, and I pity the man who messes with them, no way would my husband tolerate it. FROM ANYONE. He doesn't agree with what Trump said, but then he knows how men talk. He hears it all the time in his job.

And some advise now, don't EVER bash my husband because of who he voted for. Ride or die, that's how we roll


FH

[karmirtsaghik]

Slow Fade,

Where were these "checks and balances" when GWB enacted a Patriot act with sweeping intruisions in our privacy in the name of national security. Where were these " checks and balances" when the same GWB entangled us in illegal and immoral war in Iraq, when whaterboarding and torture were norm. DId existing laws prevent people like Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wlfowitz, Condolezza Rice. NO.

Half of these people should stand the court as war criminals. Where are these checks and balanced when we allow ourselves to entangle in Syrian conflict amd are effectively engaged in proxy war in order to topple Asad, at a cost of suffering of millions of people. The political system of the country is a two-party oligarchy,  whereby fear and ignorance are ruling. There is a huge need for grassroot mobilization. I am not one of the people who use scare tactics to say that the sky is falling down, but I also know how fragile is that slippery slope towards authoritarianism.

FH
I could not imagine marrying a man who had a political views in line with thouse of Trump. MY H's family is made of right wing people, but his political views and mine allign.

[elray]

To vote for someone who publicly endorses sexism, racism, bigotry, and xenophobia is to vote without integrity. It reveals a lack of wholeness of the person.

Not to parse this statement to death, but it is essential to your argument and therefore it is important to point out the above statement is opinion not fact.  There was, as a statement of fact, no one on the ticket who publicly endorsed sexism, racism, bigotry, or xenophobia.

There were many who held the opinion that Trumps words equated to any number of *isms, but his position was that he was politically incorrect and he wasn't an *ism of any type.  We know explicit racisim when we see it.  There have been many painful examples of it this past week.  Softer forms of racism are much more of the opinion variety, ranging from overt racist humor, to politically incorrect, to white privileged.

Be aware that what you state as fact, many others saw in their opinion, as political incorrectness, not an *ism of any variety.  To further confuse the case, the Democrats had accused every republican candidate in recent history as a host of *isms...they lost their credibility in the eyes of many electors by previous actions.  Many opinion makers have openly discussed that issue as a signficant challenge. 

There are, for example, many who hold the opinion that "building a wall" is xenophobic, but security walls are common throughout the world, and in most places, the political debate does not brand the proponent xenophobic.    In fact, 1/3rd of all countries have a security wall in place or under construction.  Branding Trump as xenophobic is a fair OPINION to state, but it is by no means a FACT.

To provide but a few examples:

• In July, Hungary's right-wing government began building a four-metre-high (13 feet) fence along its border with Serbia to stanch the flow of refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
  
  Three other countries – Kenya, Saudi Arabia and Turkey – are all constructing border fences in a bid to keep out jihadist groups next door in Somalia, Iraq and Syria.
  
  Seven miles of barrier have already been erected along the border at Reyhanli town in Hatay province - a main point for smuggling and border-crossing from Syria - the private Dogan news agency said.  The fence in Turkey will eventually stretch for 28 miles along a key stretch of its border with Syria.

[Slow Fade]

Elray good post. Thank you.

Karmirtsaghik I could ask the same question about Clinton, Obama and Sec of State Clinton. These kind of actions are not exclusive to one side or the other. I'm sure there were people who did not agree with George Washington as well and considered some of his actions to be wrong. There are two sides to every pancake.

[Finding Hope]

To vote for someone who publicly endorses sexism, racism, bigotry, and xenophobia is to vote without integrity. It reveals a lack of wholeness of the person.

I have to ask, what makes you or anyone able to judge or condemn a person for who they vote for?? That generalized statement is about as ignorant as someone who says all black people are thugs. I don't judge, that's God's job. But then again, maybe we have a holier then thou mentality.

This thread is full of judgment and condemnation. To voice one's "opinion" is what's this country's suppose to be about but, labeling and condemning for that opinion doesn't make you any better then the a$$holes out there protesting. Each and everyone of us have the right to vote for who we want. Personally, you just vote for the lesser of 2 evils. As a loyal American, I'm going to wait and see what our President does or doesn't do. Who knows, we might be surprised. I pretty much think that I'm done with this thread.

FH

[Slow Fade]

This thread is full of judgment and condemnation. To voice one's "opinion" is what's this country's suppose to be about but, labeling and condemning for that opinion doesn't make you any better then the a$$holes out there protesting. Each and everyone of us have the right to vote for who we want. Personally, you just vote for the lesser of 2 evils. As a loyal American, I'm going to wait and see what our President does or doesn't do. Who knows, we might be surprised. I pretty much think that I'm done with this thread.

Couldn't agree more FH!!

[Velika]

If you are opposed to sexism, bigotry, racism, and xenophobia but vote  for someone who in language and action (or inaction) endorses these things -- you are voting without integrity, "wholeness." Your vote doesn't reflect your core values.

Everyone struggles to maintain integrity. I think many people knowingly go against their integrity when they fail to vote for a third-party candidate because they think he/she won't win. That's why I wrote that all humans are flawed and always learning. All of us!

There are not "two sides" to everything. Often there is a very complex issue at stake and the two sides presented are simplistic and limited -- like a two-party majority system. Conversely, sometimes there actually really is a wrong thing to do, which should be universally unacceptable.

There is no such thing as being a loyal American. Some people are loyal to the ideal of what they think America should be and could be; others take oaths but commit treason without consequence. America like any nation or group is just an idea we have agreed to agree upon.

[Sally Wood]

Just to post names of two famous married people  - one Democrat and the other Republican - who seem to be able to stay married and not let their political beliefs get in the way -- James Carville and Mary Matalin
I have personal friends who are on opposite sides of the aisle but don't let that interfere with their relationships. I am assuming that if you love someone, you take them warts and all - even if their warts are political.

I am privy to the real discrimination and intimidation that occurs in the entertainment industry regarding political affiliations.  You had better keep your mouth shut if you are a Republican or you might not get to work and will be routinely made to feel like a leper.  Now tell me how people who claim to be the party of the all inclusive, without bigotry or racism can behave that way.  Their real motto is :  our way or the highway.  Hence the ridiculous and destructive demonstrations by those very same kind of people.  We didn't get our way so we will have a tantrum and burn down little businesses owned by totally innocent people - and don't know or care who they voted for.  Personally, I am a little tired of bullies and babies. 

Apparently there are now  "safe spaces" at colleges for students who were so distraught over the election that they couldn't cope. Really?  Wow.  Just wait until you get into the real world and find out that there are no "safe spaces" to run and hide in when your feelings are hurt.  If you act like a spoiled brat and have tantrums when things don't go your way - don't be surprised if you hear the words "your fired". 

The most recent tally of the popular vote indicates that Trump won that also.

  Here's a good description of the Electoral College purpose and why it works that was posted elsewhere:
"Getting back to the “win the popular vote/lose the Electoral College” scenario: Thank G-d we have that, or else California and N.Y. would determine every election. Every time.
But the Electoral College brilliantly smooths out the variances in the voting proclivities among states and regions. Farmers in the middle of the country and importers and exporters on the shore get roughly equal say, as do Madison Ave. execs and factory workers in Tennessee.
Shortcomings? Sure. The E.C. can make an R vote meaningless in a very few heavily D states or vice versa. But without the Electoral College, the country’s entire population is subject to the disproportionate voting preferences of the few most populous states."

Whether I liked who was elected or not during my voting lifetime, I have accepted the results and hoped for the best.  Trump is the President.   
 

[Roma]

Why must this country force us to two parties? Do they feel people can't think for themselves? Why are we limited to a two party system? So glad I think for myself!

I call for a change in politics and eliminate the Electoral College. One person should have one vote!

We should ALL be eqaual.