TRUMP SUPPORTER DECODER

In case you have a friend that you thought was sane and decent – but doggedly sticks to supporting Donald Trump…

You know, the people who cling to pathetic excuses like “we need a businessman to shake things up” or “we need to turn back the clock and make America what it was.”

Well, we’ve been up all night coming up with a decoder for what they really mean:

THEY SAY
“Hillary is a liar.”

THEY MEAN
“Women should be barefoot and pregnant, how dare they be leaders.”

THEY SAY
“The presidency is a disaster.”

THEY MEAN
“I couldn’t stand the thought of a black man in the White House and I can’t wait for it to end.”

THEY SAY
“Trump speaks his mind and we need that.”

THEY MEAN
“I would like to go back to the ugly period in America when Hispanics were thought of as janitors...I long for the days when you could beat up a person just because they had a same sex partner.”

THEY SAY
“Trump is defeating political correctness, thank goodness.”

THEY MEAN
“I wish we could go back to calling folks with developmental disabilities “retards,” hearing impaired folks with speech difficulties “dummies” and those with mobility impairments “pathetic cripples.” And while we’re at it, I wish I could deny those half humans access to jobs, housing, marriage, child birth and all other human rights.”

So just in case you were ready to give the benefit of doubt to your Trump-defending business associate, neighbor, colleague...this is what they really feel in their black hearts.

They had a year to process hundreds of examples of bullying, hate, bigotry and pure evil.

They can claim they are simply voting for the “Republican nominee” because in their world, it’s the GOP way or no way.

But by this point, they have to be full of BS. If they defend trump, they despise diversity.

So to recap, if you are black, gay, disabled, female, just plain different…or if you love, care for or support the rights of anyone in these groups…you are a stinking piece of crap in the eyes of a shameless Trump supporter.

They would allow your daughter to be sexually assaulted, so long as the monster committing the assault is white and rich and powerful and famous. Their leader said so himself. And they have no problem with this.

They think you should be mocked, even if you lost a brave son in the war, if you faithfully follow a religion based on peace and love.

They might use slick words. Speak in code. But bigotry and hatred thrives in their heart of darkness.

They might be polite in public, but rest assured, if you do not fit their Aryan Nation view of what America should be, they are mocking you and wishing the worst on you as you turn away from the conversation and walk back to the family and community you love and respect.

You have been warned.

These views are my own (though I can't image they are not shared by every decent, diverse, humane person I know)

WHY CAN'T WE ALL GET ALONG?

A MESSAGE OF LOVE FROM ISTANBUL

It's a Moslem woman. Donald Trump and other right wing reactionary crazies have told me all I need to know. She's up to no good. She hates America, Christianity and small animals. She probably has a suicide bomb under that hijab.

This can't end well. Poor little cat. This Moslem monster will probably twist its head off and drink its blood in some kind of Godless ritual.

But wait. She seems to be gently petting the little creature. Like the millions of strays on the streets of Istanbul, this sweet purring kedi is getting affection. The locals, an overwhelming majority of whom are Moslem, are famous for being kind to animals. A recent award-winning film documented the uncommon kindness shown to stray cats in Istanbul.

So maybe Trump and the bigoted people who would ban Moslems from entering our nation of immigrants and otherwise demonize followers of one of the major religions of the world are out of their mind. Or maybe they simply cannot do math. Maybe they never learned that a tiny fraction of evil people who kill and maim in the name of Islam are just that -- a tiny fraction who are not emblematic of the peaceful overwhelming majority.

Let's face it. If a small fraction of monsters automatically tainted everyone from the much larger group, then Oklahoma City bomber terrorist (and bronze star-awarded military veteran) Timothy McVeigh's actions would mean we should ban all military vets from air travel and perhaps round them up in internment camps. But that would be insane. Just as insane as broadly defining all observant, loving, family-oriented Moslems as evil simply because a small fraction who allegedly share their core religion have misused it as an excuse for bombings.

So maybe this gentle woman, giving unconditional love to a little cat wandering the marbled and magnificent grounds of the Eyup Sultan Mosque, is more typical of Moslems. Maybe, if we worked daily to remove hate from the world, we could appreciate others. Maybe should try harder to teach our fellow Americans that someone whose religious garb is different is NOT a terrorist, evil doer or person to fear.

Sorry bigots, fanners of the flame and embracers of hate. I reject your venom. I respect all peaceful people. I thank the heavens above that I have a brain capable of recognizing statistical outliers -- so I don't brand every person of an identifiable group because of the malicious actions of a tiny few.

I see this Moslem woman for what she is: a loving fellow human being, taking time out of her busy day to give nurturing kindness to a cuddly critter. Maybe we could all try a little harder to coexist.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

SIMPLE THOUGHTS ON WHAT THE FOURTH OF JULY MEANS TO ME

In November, we can take to the polls and endorse bigotry, bullying, anger and hatred.

It is within our rights to elect a leader of the free world who firmly believes:

Whites outrank blacks, Hispanics and all other non-whites

Able bodied people rule over disabled folks.

Straights are more valued than gays -- as are traditional families over non traditional households.

Men are tenfold superior to women.

Religious freedom no longer is a guaranteed right in the U.S. Constitution, thus Christians have the right to abuse Muslims and all other non-Christians.

I reject all of these insane, anti-American views.

I find them every bit as dangerous as Nazism, Fascism and the KKK.

Yet we have a 50-50 chance of having a president who not only holds these beliefs dear, he angrily flaunts his dangerous hurtful words to anyone who will listen -- via dozens of media platforms.

I was in Orlando this week.

I visited the aftermath of a person ruled by anger, hate, bigotry, violence.

Though I am not a formally religious man, I pray we do not desecrate the White House with a man ten thousandfold more dangerous than the Orlando shooter.

Happy Independence Day to all.