So far this month, the National Weather Service has issued blizzard warnings, gale warning, tornado warnings, thunderstorm warnings, and flash flood warnings, all for the state of Delaware. I realize I might mention the weather around here rather frequently, but come on! It’s February and I think I’m in some sort of meteorological twilight zone. I honestly don’t know what else to expect, but it’s almost hurricane season, right?
Chasing42 Log: 20160224 & 20160225
Run: My brief run yesterday kept the streak in play after a long day of teaching and working at the DRC, and I even managed to squeeze it in before the storms hit! I was back at it this morning, and the rain had subsided so I was able to get up early for a warm-up run near home, and then hit the hills out at Winterthur as well. it was a solid day for vertical climb!
Thought: I just read that former KKK-leader and raging racist, homophobe, and neo-Nazi David Duke is now encouraging his “fans” (apparently someone gave him some time on the airwaves- seriously?!) to support Donald Trump. I realize that the support base for these two individuals overlaps quite a bit, and Trump is drawing quite a bit of his support from the card-carrying racists in this country, but I continue to be baffled. I am constantly in awe, not only of the GOP’s ability to let this joke continue, but of the American public’s acceptance. There have always been outspoken oppressive individuals, but its no longer the overt racism, sexism, classism, and homophobia that is truly dangerous. It’s become at least partially socially unacceptable to espouse these beliefs to a wider audience. However, the Trump campaign is making it ok again. Placing a Trump bumper sticker on your car, a sign in your yard, or a t-shirt on your back isn’t communicating your socially or fiscally conservative views. It doesn’t scream Republican, regardless of how far right the party might have shifted in recent years. All that bumper sticker tells me is that Trump has made it ok for you to publicly and overtly tell the world that you are quite alright with the racist, sexist, homophobic trail of slime being left out on the campaign trail. Your support for Trump is no more a statement about the need to simply “shake things up” in the GOP or “make America great again” than hanging the Confederate flag in your window is a sign of your Southern pride. There is no gray area here, folks, and if you think there is, then you are fooling yourself. Just be careful, because sooner or later, he’ll come for you…and you said nothing.
*Phew- Deep breath- ok, good to go…now get out there and keep #chasing42!
