"Looking for Love" Gets Acquainted in the Age of Trump

Looking for Love responds online:

Dear Wise Lady:

Unlike many people I do like to address both political and religious questions. So fire away. Replies or possible bantering will be my pleasure. I am so liberal and progressive that I often refer to myself as a non-conformist. You may make an inference from my strong political views that I am always willing to discuss: pro choice, pro stem cell research, pro assisted suicide, pro bail and prison reform, pro equal rights for women/minorities, pro affirmative action, pro right to vote for felons, pro equal rights for women, pro rights for LBGTQ community, pro universal healthcare, pro legalization of marijuana, and pro decriminalization of self-medication with any illicit drugs, pro gun reform, and pro separation of church and state. How do you stand on these issues? My favorite president is Franklin D. Roosevelt because his New Deal should be modernized and implemented today, especially in the poverty stricken ghettos.

There are other issues that I can discuss that may show my conservative side as well. I favor Israel (an admitted bias), legal immigration, and communication with Russia in a search for conflict resolution to major world problems that includes meddling in US elections.

I see you have a red line when it comes to Trump. I have a red line when it comes to being censored from discussing the issues or a politician. I am quite capable of maintaining my equanimity when discuss both the good and bad side of a politician or elected official. I am quite eclectic in that I either favor or disfavor issues one at a time without announcing a personal judgment about the politician before the fun of enjoying my provocative, irreverent and audacious side. Both the angels and devils are in the details. I prefer not to be denied the fun of repartee and bantering.

I am pretty sure I missed commenting on some issues. Obviously, you are very bright and I stand to learn from dialog. Your comments will be devoured.

Warm regards,

Jeremy

Dear Jeremy (Looking for Love):

Thanks for the very long message. I think we could feel very comfortable with what the GOP calls “social issues” but which are, rather, important aspects of the American melting pot and the global community.

We should be talking on the telephone. If you will trust me with your number, I won't abuse it.

Miranda (Wise Lady)

Dear Miranda:

Thank you for flattering me by suggesting we should be talking on the phone. Also we should explore a little further. Would you mind explaining, "I think we could feel very comfortable with what the GOP calls ‘social issues’ but which are, rather, important aspects of the American melting pot and the global community"? Are you suggesting something to do with traditional values and a moral majority? Perhaps some details will help me get my brain around this.

Cordially,

Jeremy

Dear Jeremy:

What I've been obliquely hinting at are the usual conservative failures to honor women's reproductive choices, diversity of many kinds (racial, sexual preference, religious, disability, cultural), and the well-being of those with limited resources (employment, wages, housing, medical needs). We are in a battle for the souls of the uneducated, undereducated, and miseducated to puncture the selfish fears that are being stoked by Trump & Co. We face assaults against our physical environment and the immigrant community that are dangerous and shameful.

We are also in a battle for the maintenance of the western global alliance to protect the safety of democracies, such as they are, and keep them from falling wholesale into the hands of autocratic billionaires and grifters.

Off the soapbox. You surely get my drift. I detest the current political direction of this country and its dangerous bumbling president with all my heart.

Miranda

Dear Miranda:

Hahaha. I will respond later. You write very well.

Jeremy

PS: Funny too.

Dear Miranda:

I came back to reply and realized that you pack a lot of information in those sentences and paragraphs. I have to read more carefully before I reply to do justice to your comments. Trying again in the morning will make this more fun for me.

Jeremy

[Jeremy] Wow, Miranda!!

What a succinct critique! Best I ever read about Trump. I have learned from your insight. Maybe I inspired you to greatness. lol I gladly associate myself with your brilliant explanation of his negatives. I haven't missed your humor in making him out to be the pink panther of politics. You must have been a serious challenge in a court room. You must have won a lot of cases.

I can understand your disdain for Trump, which is unusually common in online profiles of women.

Does he make you so angry that you might be blind to any of his assets, or is he bad to the bone?

Jeremy

[Miranda]

No assets. None. A total failure of a human being. A wrecking ball.

[Jeremy]

hahahahaha. In the court room you must have really gone for the jugulars. In another life were you an Italian hit-lady or an assassin of the Israeli Mossad Kidon? Do you think you might reconsider after compassion and loving-kindness meditation. LOL After all he has achieved much wealth and won the electoral college. Is he not pressuring NK and Iran so that there might be a different result from what was achieved by a less crazy more predictable POTUS? Is there anything wrong with a “goal” to comply with US law requiring immigration via legal protocols?

[Miranda]

This is a joke, right? You're not really advocating in Trump's favor, surely?

Much work to do for the rest of the day. Have a good one.

[Jeremy]

I only asked you a couple of questions? Clearly, you are free to imply I am arguing in Trump's favor. I thought there were no bad questions, only bad answers. Oh well. I suspect our fate that brought us together for a few minutes has run out. Perhaps I was right that I am not in your league.

[Miranda]

Trump is no ordinary politician. He is a clear and present danger who is putting the country in jeopardy. We could connect if you stop trying to sandbag me about this man. If you just steer clear of the subject. Over and out.

[Jeremy]

In all due respect, I believe we have crossed each other's red line.

[Miranda]

In Trumpland there are no acceptable opinions, no giving that man the benefit of the doubt. Not after so many months of treasonous and destructive conduct. If you care about the earth and our democracy, you'll stop looking for the positive in that horrid excuse for a human being. Do yourself a favor, and just walk away from him and his purported “ideas.” He is a dangerous void with an insatiable need for attention no matter the cost.

[Jeremy]

As I previously mentioned, I simply see bad ideas and good ideas. Sure, he has plenty of bad ideas. I don't like him kissing up to evangelicals and the southern bible belt fanatics. I am a strong evidence based atheist. Sure, I don't like his planned parenthood bias. I worked for PP for a year in NYC and love its mission. I helped write its long-range plans. Do I strongly believe in legal immigration as a goal. If you think a borderless nation is good then you disagree with Trump and me. If you believe Trump is not likely to make changes in NK, Iran, and middle east then you don't agree with me. I strongly believe he has skills that his predecessors lacked. Trump has the Machiavellian negotiating skills his predecessors lacked. I see great benefits from his tariffs to achieve better deals in the end game. I care about the earth and agree with you. He is irresponsible in putting garbage in my air and increasing global warming. Although I must admit in November I can appreciate the greenhouse effect in NJ. His policies will give us more Indian summers. He is certainly a wacko bird most of the time. But I just cannot find clear and compelling evidence that he is treasonous. So, forget about evidence beyond a reasonable doubt or making a case for impeachment. Innocent until . . . Again we cross the other's red lines. I didn’t need to self-medicate yet. How about you?

[Miranda]

This will have to be my last note to you: We don’t have a borderless nation, although there are some illegal aliens who don’t deserve to remain in the country. But DACA young people have lived with tremendous uncertainty for decades and are entitled to know their ultimate fate, and many immigrants in this country provide great benefits and are a credit to the country. My grandparents and great-grandparents immigrated without worrying about their eligibility, in part because of the times and in part because they were of European origin. Trump's “skills” have already hurt millions of people here and abroad. His predecessors were so far beyond him in competence, leadership, staffing, ability, goal-setting, global interaction, intelligence, empathy, planning, and and and . . . there can be no reasonable comparisons. The sudden tariffs are wrecking global trading and scaring the hell out of many producers in the U.S. Trump is indeed a “wacko bird” or a threat to the security of the country not “most of the time” but all of the time. The “evidence” for impeachment will come from the Mueller investigation, one indictment at a time, one subpoena at a time, one trial at a time, one witness at a time, one damning construct at a time. Do yourself a favor: Open your eyes and your heart. Listen. Observe.

And have a nice life.