Our Words Matter, the RNC and cilantro

The RNC is over. There is already a tinge of fall in the air here in Maine. The garden is still producing, but winding down. 

I fast-forwarded through much of the RNC, which I recorded on PBS. I did the same with the DNC.  I hit the key speeches.  For me these were the “ordinary people” who were being touted as featured by the Republicans.  I didn’t see the need but to touch in with the five speeches from Trump family members.  I’m certain they have strong reasons for supporting him.  I did listen to Melanie’s big speech.  Her costume was painful.  I listened to the orange one’s closing speech, and to Mike Pence, but not Pence’s wife. The Republican spokespersons prided themselves on putting on a “more professional” show.  And not featuring celebrities (since none would turn out, I think). 

I listened to the ordinary people, because I’m still trying to understand what is motivating these individuals to support the direction this administration has taken.  And I’ve been listening to others being interviewed on NPR, another source of my intake of news as I’m driving around.

I was struck by the fact that the Republicans decided not to have a political platform. None at all. It has become a cult of personality.  But why is it so successful?

I listened to the lobsterman who spoke at the RNC.  And another Maine lobsterman who was interviewed on Maine NPR

The orange one has some people around him who are strategic.

Maine is an important state this year.  The Collins seat is critical for the Dems to win control over the Senate.  Although Maine went blue in 2016, he did win one electoral vote in Maine from Collins’ district (large, sparsely populated, rural). So in June, when Biden was still in his basement, the orange one came to Maine.  He sat down with Maine lobstermen in Bangor – in person.  He told them he understood they were suffering. Their markets were dwindling, because of COVID and because of tariffs. China imposed tariffs on American lobster, and then the EU did as well. The EU tariffs on US lobster imports were in direct response to the 25% tariff that the US had previously imposed on wine from EU countries.  Donald told them – I will get them to remove those tariffs – why should the Canadian lobsters be cheaper to export than yours?  I will impose a tariff on their cars, and you’ll see how quickly they will be removed.  He did not mention that he had caused the tariffs in the first place.  But the lobstermen felt heard.  The one I listened to on NPR said, “I’ve never had a President so interested in me and my business. This really sealed the deal for me (in terms of voting for him).”  So a few months later, there is a negotiation on EU tariffs, both sides suffering, and the EU removes the lobster tariff.  No further mention of the supposed European car tariffs. Then somehow, the orange one manages to remove an environmental regulation that only benefits big, diesel-using lobster boats, not smaller lobstermen. So it’s done. He has the votes of the lobstermen.  They are a relatively small, but iconic industry here.  These actions may have won back at least that one electoral vote in Maine.  Certainly Susan Collins got a bump.

I also heard on NPR a coal miner, interviewed as a person who was voting for Trump, will do so again, and why.  He simply answered, “I have no choice.  Trump supports the coal industry.  I’m a coal miner. If I can’t be a coal miner, there is nothing else I can do.  So I have to vote for him.”

A female farmer from the mid-west, also interviewed on NPR said that she felt she would vote for Trump again, even though her farm was hard hit, because he embodied the fundamental principle of the United States, “Capitalism”.

These are just a couple of examples. Many Americans, working in marginal or failing arenas in the economy are afraid they can’t make a change and move on to another way of making a living.  Many Americans are racist, and often because they have never had a friend, a neighbor, or a colleague who had a different skin color, religion or background.

People need to be seen, they need to be heard.  Somehow, the Trumpers seem to be doing that. Someone in the campaign is seeing the plight of individual Americans (albeit mostly white) and responding to their specific economic needs and fears. Feeding one’s family, having a place to live and a livelihood comes first. The message of the Dems is more complicated. It doesn’t necessarily address immediate needs.   It says: We need systemic justice, not racism; we need to make painful sacrifices to protect the environment; we need new kinds of jobs; we need to finally understand that there is no such thing as an isolationist nation.  We live in a global world that requires cooperation and compromise if there is to be a planet at all for the children and grandchildren. If the planet becomes uninhabitable, there will be no place to hide, no matter how wealthy one becomes.

I have already stated my preference for the next President. 

But as Z (often more cynical than me, but wise about politics) said the other day, “Where are the Dems?” We agree on this.  Could someone not have gone to Kenosha? Could Kamala Harris not have gone there and in some properly controlled environment, called for peace, and met with the important leaders in the black community and the family of Jacob Blake? Even his bereft mother called for peace. 

I’m not going to talk about Mike Pence in this blog.  More to say about him later. I’m just starting to read “The Shadow President” by Michael D’Antonio and Peter Eisner.  He is one scary dude, and just getting started. He’s a Christian jihadist.  Watch out.

Meanwhile, as an antidote, I am reading a book by Norman Fischer, poet, Zen teacher and scholar called “The World Could Be Otherwise”. It’s pretty dense. But inspiring – both philosophical and practical.  The book is an exploration of the six perfections (or parametas), which are tools that can be used to construct a good life. One of the six perfections is “ethical conduct”. I quote from Fischer “…our words matter.  They are far more powerful than we think they are. When unkind or even cruel speech is practiced, especially in public, harm is being done.”  I’m going to practice not using my words to denigrate the Republicans, or even the orange one. I’m going to try to understand, read more, educate myself more, and be as articulate as possible about why the US needs to change.      

Garden update:

I cannot grow cilantro.  I have grown many other herbs in our big potagere on the back deck – rosemary, oregano, thyme, tarragon, chives, parsley (2 types), mint (2 types), sage, basil. All are thriving. But this is my third go round on the cilantro, and it’s dead too. Cilantro is of my favorite herbs and not always easy to find here. I’ll try again next year.