We began yesterday in Williston, North Dakota, an oil town in “Trump country.” While waiting outside the hotel for my son, I struck up a conversation with Fred, a retired Marine Corps staff sergeant, who supervises 20 oil wells for a global energy company. He was dressed in Trump regalia from head to toe — hat, shirt, belt buckle. Atop his truck were both a Trump 2020 and 2024 flag.
Sounds like a fantastic trip. I wish you and your son the best.
I know you chose not to discuss the conversation you had with the veteran with us, but I was wondering what exactly had the two of you at odds?
He admitted Trump lost the election, and based on his condolences for living in CA, he sounds like a person who blames all the country ills on the coastal elites; yourself included.
Do you feel these people can be reached, or is it a fools errand to even try?
Looking forward to a reply. In the meantime I wish you and all of the subscribers a happy and productive weekend...:)
I, too, would love to know more about the conversation. I need a lesson from Steve on how to productively engage with Trump supporters. Like - how could they possibly vote for him next round? The sooner, the better please!
That’s a great point. Maybe we mere mortals can get a lesson or two into how to have a real conversation with a tRump supporter..I know I get tongue tied when they start talking over me...which happens often with that crowd....
That makes me so happy to hear that. I have donated to his campaign even though I live in Michigan. BoeBoe is simply intolerable to me. I cringe when I hear her open her insane mouth. I am blown away that Republicans would vote for someone as completely ignorant as she is.
I, too, would be interested in that conversation with the Trump supporter. Seriously, why do people support Trump?
When Jordan Klepper interviews the Trump supporters at his rallies they can't give an answer to any question other than regurgitating Fox talking points. Their lack of interest in, or knowledge of events, and their suspicion of anything that doesn't agree with their beliefs is mind boggling!
It reminds me when J Leno of the tonight show used to have a producer walk on Hollywood Blvd asking people questions, or showing them pictures of the VP or someone else; asking them if they know who that person was. It never ended well...:)
@Robert Jaffe - it has always been so. The not knowing. The Judy Woodruff special report last week on PBSNewsHour about the demise of small town newspapers shows the dearth of information that is adding to it. Neighbors no longer know their local politics. No more reading the local over a cuppa at a local all purpose diner and arguing and exposure to even the humanity of just exposure.
Somewhere on social media this weekend, Surgeon General Vivek [the good Vivek v the racist crazy GOP candidate one] Murthy suggested reaching out to a neighbor. It is his quest to stave off loneliness. In your actions, Steve, you accomplished much: showing that we who don’t buy, literally and by vote, Trump, are sane, polite. Like others, I wish I had your gift and chutzpah.
Safe travels. The UP is a beautiful place. I hope it soothed your soul.
The man’s admission that T lost in 2020 was a major reveal. I think that this pro-Trump guy is entitled to support whomever he wishes, and for reasons known to only him. But he admitted the outcome of the election. In my mind, a resident in such a pro-T environment admitting reality about 2020 is a encouraging.
Yes, we can be civil and disagree. Thanks for the upbeat news for the start of the holiday weeekend
I know plenty of friends that are longtime DEMs & have Trumpers for parents. Their kids are smart, kind, intelligent people & they won't even listen to them. I don't think the parents would ever try to overthrow an election or go to a Trump rally but it's their vote that sucks.
After 1/6/21, I’m not sure we know who will or won’t attempt to sabotage an election. In DC where I live, if our votes become greater “R” in number or Trump signs appear on more than tourists - the most egregious are the ones worn at the African American Museum, often by teens, who I’m guessing are the same “fetus on sticks” January visitors - I will fear. I’m happy in my bubble of thinkers.
Steve, thank you for your writing. It takes me on a trip I never made and I am thoroughly enjoying it. You see I am a seventy year old Black American woman. When I was a child, my family never felt it was safe for us to travel by car to this area of the country and explore and enjoy it. We would take the train, when I was younger, and then fly over as I got older, to Los Angeles to visit relatives. Your writing of this trip with your son brings me joy thanks again!
Oh Ylonn, I feel sadness that our country made you fearful of exploring the U.S. by car. Driving through the southern parts of the U.S. back in the '60's, and again in 2010, and reading books and studying black history these past few years, I know you had reason to be fearful and it makes me feel broken-hearted.
The African American museum in Washington has an entire section dedicated to the fearful, odious travel restrictions on our fellow Americans. It is dedicated to travel with the Green Book as the “road Bible.”
My husband was born and raised in Denver. The museum exhibit revealed to him that black Americans had nowhere to stay or refuel in Denver. This was during his early youth. Chilling
Recently we drove from Indianapolis to Clarksdale MS on the Blues Highway 61 for the Juke Joint Blues Festival with our African American friends. Since they were originally from MS, and still had family there, we visited them. Driving down those lonely backwoods roads, seeing all the trees, all I could think of was "Strange Fruit"; it was a sad, eerie feeling for this California girl.
I am so sorry to hear this. As a white person, I have never had to deal with anything like that. Learning about white privilege in the last 10-20 years has made me so much more aware. I worked with an amazing African-American principal in the Indianapolis school district who was born and raised in the area. He expressed similar thoughts, and told us about several sundown towns in Indiana that he wouldn’t go near.
Can you tell us more about your conversation with the Trump supporter. I'd like to know how a former military officer, who swore to defend and protect this great country, could support someone who vows to tear it down.
I agree Mary. This is really baffling to me. I understand there bent towards " conservative" thinking, but the current disregard for democracy and upholding the constitution is inconsistent with there oath to there country.
On the shores of Gitche Gumee, Of the shining Big-Sea-Water, Stood Nokomis, the old woman, Pointing with her finger westward, O'er the water pointing westward, To the purple clouds of sunset….
I came to the Comments section to mention this as well. I learned The Song of Hiawatha from an old book at my grandparents' house as a young child in the late 1960s, several years before Gordon Lightfoot sang about the Edmund Fitzgerald. In my little phonics-trained brain., "Gumee" was pronounced "goo-mee" (like Gordon Lightfoot eventually sang it) and not "gummy" which would have been closer to the correct pronunciation.
Do you think he heard you worked with republicans, and that got your foot in the door....and when you mentioned the "Lincoln Project" - did he know what that was?
Also very curious and would love for more hints from Steve on this. I get so emotional, and I feel myself getting so angry and reacting. I am so completely fed up that it is hard for me to even respond intellectually.
Welcome to Pure Michigan...It's a place of so much beauty! And the fact that we have Democratic women as Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General has impacted our progress in a terrific way. The Democratic majority in both houses of our legislature resulted in school budgets being available for the first time this year in time for districts to plan thoughtfully and move forward in a stable manner without disruption of layoffs, re-hiring, and dysfunction. Our progressive legislators are advocates for women and minorities as well as voting rights. Michigan is a wonderful place to be---Enjoy your time here!
MI has come on my radar as an option to move as CA is pushing the limit around climate and fires, cost of living. Never been to UP but have a friend there and she loves it. Concerns about the winters tho. We shall see how they change.
This is how we overcome authoritarianism in America. It’s not about beating the other side. It’s about finding the middle ground again. It’s still here.
There is no middle ground and to suggest you do not live with fear would indicate ignorance. This is a bare knuckles, no holds barred cage match with people actively attempting( today) to over throw our democracy.
U.S. Grant said after the war, “There had to be an end to slavery. Then, we were fighting an enemy with whom we could not make peace. We had to destroy him. “
This is what we are dealing with. They want a fight. They are itching for it and the billionaire class that owns Supreme Court members are itching for chaos.
Read this article I will link from WAPO. This group in Llano, Texas is attempting to pass ordinances to restrict abortion travel on public roads with citizen vigilantes.
That mode of thought, while understandable, only exacerbates the problem. Forgiveness is hard. Finding common ground is complex. Strong people committed to the Common Good find a way. It's what America was built on and it still is. I refuse to give in to "otherism," just because someone else has put me into a box of others.
From my readings on the Dutch colonies sent to the USA in the early 17th century, I read that the first Europeans on US soil were only sent here as a financial investment intended to send raw materials back to the Netherlands.
Later we committed genocide and to this day and have never made reparations or that and never will-, and then at the same time, we became the biggest slave owners on the planet,, and even today, we are the most racist nation on earth regarding blacks and whites. No other nation has as many police killings of blacks as we do.
We are no better and no worse than other countries. We were blessed with unlimited raw resources and we have now about ruined them all. All nations do that, since time began. Our constitution is a good one, but as Plato said so famously, tere can never be good Government by man...then he said, famously, "I made a mistake. A philosopher should not use the word 'Never' "
There were some Utopian communities here, some fine ones, , just as there have been since the dawn of time, They failed. But as a people, we never were committed to being our brother's keeper. Let me ask you; Where does it say, anywhere in the constitution, that we are all, because of morality, our bother's keeper? That is not a religious matter, it is only a moral matter. If we were indeed obligated by law, required to be our brother's keeper, then free health care and fine liberal education and training for jobs would already have been our rightful due. So, I disagree, that we were founded on any actual collectively shared moral basis. The electoral college is there because as John Jay said "The people that own the country ought to run it". Like all nations, we exploited mother nature, and now we are going to have to suffer droughts and famine, and floods and nw diseases, etc.. That is because we never respected mother nature. This country is pure capitalism, and was saved from being an autocracy for one reason: to keep the status quo of the rich in place.
In the world such as Henry George would have imagined it, this world could have been a paradise. But, people known nothing about Henry George.
Steve, thank you for sharing your trip. My husband and I have traveled extensively in the West visiting the places we love best, our national parks. This country is wondrous in its beauty, and rich in history, much of it not pretty, as you well convey. I’d like to add a request that may benefit many (or some) of your readers. You often quote passages from others in your writing. Would you recommend some of the many books you have read that are pertinent to your various columns and musings?
People often complain they have never heard of certain things and why weren’t they taught it in school (the subject of history is vast, and there is only so much teachers can get to over the course of one short year, especially when we’ve become a nation of standardized test takers as a measure of “progress” not to mention the demonization of liberal arts. And don’t forget what state sets the standards for textbooks.)
While sadly many Americans do not read books, hopefully there are many among your readership who do or would be open to, and can benefit from your vast knowledge. The GOP is trying hard to limit and even stop the dissemination of knowledge, banning books and closing libraries, even threatening to jail librarians. The greatest way to push back is to read!
Thanks again, and safe travels. Looking forward to the next leg and your observations and reflections on the entire adventure with your son.
Steve, since 2015 I have become emotionally estranged from my mother who is a hard-core Trumper, and I've done my duty as a son and loved her as best as I can, but our relationship will never be the same again. Knowing who she was when she raised me, and seeing her now, it is truly unforgivable. I've heard you say before that both your parents are Trump supporters, despite the fact Trump and his goons called down violence upon you. I shudder to think what my mom would do if placed in a similar situation; I can't say for sure that she wouldn't continue to support him even if Trump called me out for violence in a rally. No doubt, there are many others in this community who are similarly situated with some of their family members.
When Lincoln said "malice toward none, with charity for all", he was delivering his Second Inaugural Address and the country was at war with a group of people in the Country who not only thought it was acceptable to own other human beings, but that it was indeed it was moral and righteous to do so. Those people had to be put down by force; they were long past listening to reasoned arguments. I think now we are in the beginning of some kind of conflict with the heirs to those people. Instead of wanting to own slaves, these people want to own the country for themselves, lock, stock, and barrel. They have given in to an evil, though different in scale and dimension to slavery, is in some ways more dangerous to the continuation of our democracy than the Confederation itself.
These people, the Freds of the world, are ready to dispense with the Constitution unless they can get their King for Life. They only recognize the legitimacy of elections that they win; the rest are "stolen". They may not have thought it through fully, but they would support a change in government that would lead to a police state, the legalization of state murder, the end of the rule of law, the "locking up" of political enemies, missile attacks against defenseless immigrant boats, "throat slitting" of federal employees, and anything else that they are told by their MAGA king is necessary to "DEFEAT THE SOCIALIST THUGS DESTROYING AMERICA."
In so many ways, Fred and his ilk are willing to go much further, and to much darker places, than the Confederacy ever dreamed of. They have no lines, other than those set forth by their insane, lying, corrupt, fraudulent, leader, Donald Trump. So, no, I cannot say I feel charity for these people. I cannot say I feel no malice toward them. I think of them as the mortal enemies of our democratic republic, who, if they are not stopped, will help bring about not just the end of free and fair elections, but of freedom in America and the world itself.
I wish for Fred and his fellow proto-fascist travelers to come to their senses, but I'm not foolish enough to think that is possible. Instead, we must fight these MAGA enemies (and enemies is exactly what they are) with every legal means possible, and if there is to be some kind of worse conflict, we must hope that the side of democracy and freedom has the chance to defy and defeat these people before a curtain of draconian darkness falls upon American for the first time in 250 years that will not end in 2028, or perhaps for decades, or perhaps ever. Once MAGA gets power again, real executive power, they will never give it up until they have been militarily defeated.
Great story Steve! Although, sorry about the ticket. Your conversation with this Trump supporter is illustrative of what political discourse in the US should be like, Your conversation was polite, cordial, and while perhaps not ending in agreement, was nonetheless respectful. We’ve lost that at a societal level and must regain it. We have to reject extremist thinking that believes we must characterize those who differ with us politically as enemies that must be destroyed. That kind of thinking is anathema to democracy. In my view, a democracy that embraces what I call “the opposition as an enemy “, cannot sustain itself. Democracy must have a political norm that says, “while I may not agree with you, I believe you still must have a seat at the table. Your voice, while different than mine, is still important.”
U.S. Grant said after the war, “There had to be an end to slavery. Then, we were fighting an enemy with whom we could not make peace. We had to destroy him. “
Great trip Steve. I've been riding my motorcycle north from Nebraska through Minnesota to a rock & roll festival on the Southern tip of Leech lake near the town of Walker, MN.
I have meet so many fine people from Northern Minnesota, mostly small towns but also Duluth, then Superior, WI and lots of Canadians. Most of these folks - at least the Americans - are right leaning Republicans. We generally disagree on most political issues. However, we all love music, especially classic rock. We have know each other for years now and I consider them all close friends. I carefor each and every one of them, irrespective of our political views.
This is what America is about. I love Minnesota and all its people. Thanks for the article.
One of the best vacations I had as a kid was camping in the Upper Peninsula. Then 35 years later, I took my own family there. The UP is a great place, and I have to add that the adjoining parts of Wisconsin are just as nice, both the scenery and the people. Great experiences camping on both sides of that border.
Sounds like a fantastic trip. I wish you and your son the best.
I know you chose not to discuss the conversation you had with the veteran with us, but I was wondering what exactly had the two of you at odds?
He admitted Trump lost the election, and based on his condolences for living in CA, he sounds like a person who blames all the country ills on the coastal elites; yourself included.
Do you feel these people can be reached, or is it a fools errand to even try?
Looking forward to a reply. In the meantime I wish you and all of the subscribers a happy and productive weekend...:)
I, too, would love to know more about the conversation. I need a lesson from Steve on how to productively engage with Trump supporters. Like - how could they possibly vote for him next round? The sooner, the better please!
That’s a great point. Maybe we mere mortals can get a lesson or two into how to have a real conversation with a tRump supporter..I know I get tongue tied when they start talking over me...which happens often with that crowd....
That makes me so happy to hear that. I have donated to his campaign even though I live in Michigan. BoeBoe is simply intolerable to me. I cringe when I hear her open her insane mouth. I am blown away that Republicans would vote for someone as completely ignorant as she is.
I think he gave us the lesson on how to engage with Trump supporters. He listened to the guy for an hour.
I, too, would be interested in that conversation with the Trump supporter. Seriously, why do people support Trump?
When Jordan Klepper interviews the Trump supporters at his rallies they can't give an answer to any question other than regurgitating Fox talking points. Their lack of interest in, or knowledge of events, and their suspicion of anything that doesn't agree with their beliefs is mind boggling!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Il4Cp74XRFI
I love Klepper’s interviews. And they say a mind isn’t a terrible thing to waste...:)
Rather like a modern Monty Python bit…
It reminds me when J Leno of the tonight show used to have a producer walk on Hollywood Blvd asking people questions, or showing them pictures of the VP or someone else; asking them if they know who that person was. It never ended well...:)
@Robert Jaffe - it has always been so. The not knowing. The Judy Woodruff special report last week on PBSNewsHour about the demise of small town newspapers shows the dearth of information that is adding to it. Neighbors no longer know their local politics. No more reading the local over a cuppa at a local all purpose diner and arguing and exposure to even the humanity of just exposure.
Somewhere on social media this weekend, Surgeon General Vivek [the good Vivek v the racist crazy GOP candidate one] Murthy suggested reaching out to a neighbor. It is his quest to stave off loneliness. In your actions, Steve, you accomplished much: showing that we who don’t buy, literally and by vote, Trump, are sane, polite. Like others, I wish I had your gift and chutzpah.
Safe travels. The UP is a beautiful place. I hope it soothed your soul.
Except, @Judy Czubati, they are real not a sketch.
The man’s admission that T lost in 2020 was a major reveal. I think that this pro-Trump guy is entitled to support whomever he wishes, and for reasons known to only him. But he admitted the outcome of the election. In my mind, a resident in such a pro-T environment admitting reality about 2020 is a encouraging.
Yes, we can be civil and disagree. Thanks for the upbeat news for the start of the holiday weeekend
I know plenty of friends that are longtime DEMs & have Trumpers for parents. Their kids are smart, kind, intelligent people & they won't even listen to them. I don't think the parents would ever try to overthrow an election or go to a Trump rally but it's their vote that sucks.
Mine aren’t, but some of my parents friends are, so I know what you mean...:)
After 1/6/21, I’m not sure we know who will or won’t attempt to sabotage an election. In DC where I live, if our votes become greater “R” in number or Trump signs appear on more than tourists - the most egregious are the ones worn at the African American Museum, often by teens, who I’m guessing are the same “fetus on sticks” January visitors - I will fear. I’m happy in my bubble of thinkers.
Steve, thank you for your writing. It takes me on a trip I never made and I am thoroughly enjoying it. You see I am a seventy year old Black American woman. When I was a child, my family never felt it was safe for us to travel by car to this area of the country and explore and enjoy it. We would take the train, when I was younger, and then fly over as I got older, to Los Angeles to visit relatives. Your writing of this trip with your son brings me joy thanks again!
Oh Ylonn, I feel sadness that our country made you fearful of exploring the U.S. by car. Driving through the southern parts of the U.S. back in the '60's, and again in 2010, and reading books and studying black history these past few years, I know you had reason to be fearful and it makes me feel broken-hearted.
The African American museum in Washington has an entire section dedicated to the fearful, odious travel restrictions on our fellow Americans. It is dedicated to travel with the Green Book as the “road Bible.”
My husband was born and raised in Denver. The museum exhibit revealed to him that black Americans had nowhere to stay or refuel in Denver. This was during his early youth. Chilling
I live in Alabama & I feel fearful to drive through Ewing country & I'm
White.
Recently we drove from Indianapolis to Clarksdale MS on the Blues Highway 61 for the Juke Joint Blues Festival with our African American friends. Since they were originally from MS, and still had family there, we visited them. Driving down those lonely backwoods roads, seeing all the trees, all I could think of was "Strange Fruit"; it was a sad, eerie feeling for this California girl.
I am so sorry to hear this. As a white person, I have never had to deal with anything like that. Learning about white privilege in the last 10-20 years has made me so much more aware. I worked with an amazing African-American principal in the Indianapolis school district who was born and raised in the area. He expressed similar thoughts, and told us about several sundown towns in Indiana that he wouldn’t go near.
Can you tell us more about your conversation with the Trump supporter. I'd like to know how a former military officer, who swore to defend and protect this great country, could support someone who vows to tear it down.
I agree Mary. This is really baffling to me. I understand there bent towards " conservative" thinking, but the current disregard for democracy and upholding the constitution is inconsistent with there oath to there country.
This came immediately to mind -
The Song of Hiawatha 1855
On the shores of Gitche Gumee, Of the shining Big-Sea-Water, Stood Nokomis, the old woman, Pointing with her finger westward, O'er the water pointing westward, To the purple clouds of sunset….
https://www.hwlongfellow.org/poems_poem.php?pid=283
Worth reading again, Heather.
I came to the Comments section to mention this as well. I learned The Song of Hiawatha from an old book at my grandparents' house as a young child in the late 1960s, several years before Gordon Lightfoot sang about the Edmund Fitzgerald. In my little phonics-trained brain., "Gumee" was pronounced "goo-mee" (like Gordon Lightfoot eventually sang it) and not "gummy" which would have been closer to the correct pronunciation.
That’s the pronunciation I learned as a Michigan girl growing up - “goo me”. We read that poem every fall in elementary school.
Do you think he heard you worked with republicans, and that got your foot in the door....and when you mentioned the "Lincoln Project" - did he know what that was?
Also very curious and would love for more hints from Steve on this. I get so emotional, and I feel myself getting so angry and reacting. I am so completely fed up that it is hard for me to even respond intellectually.
Welcome to Pure Michigan...It's a place of so much beauty! And the fact that we have Democratic women as Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General has impacted our progress in a terrific way. The Democratic majority in both houses of our legislature resulted in school budgets being available for the first time this year in time for districts to plan thoughtfully and move forward in a stable manner without disruption of layoffs, re-hiring, and dysfunction. Our progressive legislators are advocates for women and minorities as well as voting rights. Michigan is a wonderful place to be---Enjoy your time here!
MI has come on my radar as an option to move as CA is pushing the limit around climate and fires, cost of living. Never been to UP but have a friend there and she loves it. Concerns about the winters tho. We shall see how they change.
Love our ladies ... Gretchen, Dana, and Jocelyn. Competent, smart, humble, and all for the people.
https://apple.news/An2i6L7kMQ4izkT6NDGuqcg
This article by Peter Sagel in the Atlantic is informative. The end will come for the cult of MAGA
I do hope
Nothing is “forever.” Including the myth of American exceptionalism
This is how we overcome authoritarianism in America. It’s not about beating the other side. It’s about finding the middle ground again. It’s still here.
There is no middle ground and to suggest you do not live with fear would indicate ignorance. This is a bare knuckles, no holds barred cage match with people actively attempting( today) to over throw our democracy.
U.S. Grant said after the war, “There had to be an end to slavery. Then, we were fighting an enemy with whom we could not make peace. We had to destroy him. “
This is what we are dealing with. They want a fight. They are itching for it and the billionaire class that owns Supreme Court members are itching for chaos.
Read this article I will link from WAPO. This group in Llano, Texas is attempting to pass ordinances to restrict abortion travel on public roads with citizen vigilantes.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
https://apple.news/AgCTM7neeRL-9xMPl3ooBbw
Surely no one believed the institution of White Supremacy was going to give up easily without a struggle and a death rattle.
That mode of thought, while understandable, only exacerbates the problem. Forgiveness is hard. Finding common ground is complex. Strong people committed to the Common Good find a way. It's what America was built on and it still is. I refuse to give in to "otherism," just because someone else has put me into a box of others.
From my readings on the Dutch colonies sent to the USA in the early 17th century, I read that the first Europeans on US soil were only sent here as a financial investment intended to send raw materials back to the Netherlands.
Later we committed genocide and to this day and have never made reparations or that and never will-, and then at the same time, we became the biggest slave owners on the planet,, and even today, we are the most racist nation on earth regarding blacks and whites. No other nation has as many police killings of blacks as we do.
We are no better and no worse than other countries. We were blessed with unlimited raw resources and we have now about ruined them all. All nations do that, since time began. Our constitution is a good one, but as Plato said so famously, tere can never be good Government by man...then he said, famously, "I made a mistake. A philosopher should not use the word 'Never' "
There were some Utopian communities here, some fine ones, , just as there have been since the dawn of time, They failed. But as a people, we never were committed to being our brother's keeper. Let me ask you; Where does it say, anywhere in the constitution, that we are all, because of morality, our bother's keeper? That is not a religious matter, it is only a moral matter. If we were indeed obligated by law, required to be our brother's keeper, then free health care and fine liberal education and training for jobs would already have been our rightful due. So, I disagree, that we were founded on any actual collectively shared moral basis. The electoral college is there because as John Jay said "The people that own the country ought to run it". Like all nations, we exploited mother nature, and now we are going to have to suffer droughts and famine, and floods and nw diseases, etc.. That is because we never respected mother nature. This country is pure capitalism, and was saved from being an autocracy for one reason: to keep the status quo of the rich in place.
In the world such as Henry George would have imagined it, this world could have been a paradise. But, people known nothing about Henry George.
I adore it when people want to fight me about my optimism. Your time is better spent elsewhere.
Where and what are the middle ground? I ask seriously unable to find an issue on which to agree.
Brother, if living in a world of fear gives you some of control or hope, then more power to you. That’s not my world. I don’t have enemies. I teach.
You are right, in a wider context (media etc). However every individual can try to connect in a civil way with another individual, as Steve has done.
There is more than one path to resetting our American civilization. They must happen concurrently.
The man Steve encountered in ND may have been swathed in Trump gear.... but he admitted the true 2020 election outcome. I count that as a win.
Good to hear civility is still in existence!
Steve, thank you for sharing your trip. My husband and I have traveled extensively in the West visiting the places we love best, our national parks. This country is wondrous in its beauty, and rich in history, much of it not pretty, as you well convey. I’d like to add a request that may benefit many (or some) of your readers. You often quote passages from others in your writing. Would you recommend some of the many books you have read that are pertinent to your various columns and musings?
People often complain they have never heard of certain things and why weren’t they taught it in school (the subject of history is vast, and there is only so much teachers can get to over the course of one short year, especially when we’ve become a nation of standardized test takers as a measure of “progress” not to mention the demonization of liberal arts. And don’t forget what state sets the standards for textbooks.)
While sadly many Americans do not read books, hopefully there are many among your readership who do or would be open to, and can benefit from your vast knowledge. The GOP is trying hard to limit and even stop the dissemination of knowledge, banning books and closing libraries, even threatening to jail librarians. The greatest way to push back is to read!
Thanks again, and safe travels. Looking forward to the next leg and your observations and reflections on the entire adventure with your son.
I wrote a post prior to the holidays with some book recommendations. Hope this can serve as a start!
https://steveschmidt.substack.com/p/holiday-reading-recommendations
Steve
Yes, these are some terrific books. Looking forward to more. Thanks
You will LOVE the UP!!!!!
Right?? A very special local culture on the UP!!
Steve, since 2015 I have become emotionally estranged from my mother who is a hard-core Trumper, and I've done my duty as a son and loved her as best as I can, but our relationship will never be the same again. Knowing who she was when she raised me, and seeing her now, it is truly unforgivable. I've heard you say before that both your parents are Trump supporters, despite the fact Trump and his goons called down violence upon you. I shudder to think what my mom would do if placed in a similar situation; I can't say for sure that she wouldn't continue to support him even if Trump called me out for violence in a rally. No doubt, there are many others in this community who are similarly situated with some of their family members.
When Lincoln said "malice toward none, with charity for all", he was delivering his Second Inaugural Address and the country was at war with a group of people in the Country who not only thought it was acceptable to own other human beings, but that it was indeed it was moral and righteous to do so. Those people had to be put down by force; they were long past listening to reasoned arguments. I think now we are in the beginning of some kind of conflict with the heirs to those people. Instead of wanting to own slaves, these people want to own the country for themselves, lock, stock, and barrel. They have given in to an evil, though different in scale and dimension to slavery, is in some ways more dangerous to the continuation of our democracy than the Confederation itself.
These people, the Freds of the world, are ready to dispense with the Constitution unless they can get their King for Life. They only recognize the legitimacy of elections that they win; the rest are "stolen". They may not have thought it through fully, but they would support a change in government that would lead to a police state, the legalization of state murder, the end of the rule of law, the "locking up" of political enemies, missile attacks against defenseless immigrant boats, "throat slitting" of federal employees, and anything else that they are told by their MAGA king is necessary to "DEFEAT THE SOCIALIST THUGS DESTROYING AMERICA."
In so many ways, Fred and his ilk are willing to go much further, and to much darker places, than the Confederacy ever dreamed of. They have no lines, other than those set forth by their insane, lying, corrupt, fraudulent, leader, Donald Trump. So, no, I cannot say I feel charity for these people. I cannot say I feel no malice toward them. I think of them as the mortal enemies of our democratic republic, who, if they are not stopped, will help bring about not just the end of free and fair elections, but of freedom in America and the world itself.
I wish for Fred and his fellow proto-fascist travelers to come to their senses, but I'm not foolish enough to think that is possible. Instead, we must fight these MAGA enemies (and enemies is exactly what they are) with every legal means possible, and if there is to be some kind of worse conflict, we must hope that the side of democracy and freedom has the chance to defy and defeat these people before a curtain of draconian darkness falls upon American for the first time in 250 years that will not end in 2028, or perhaps for decades, or perhaps ever. Once MAGA gets power again, real executive power, they will never give it up until they have been militarily defeated.
I’m sorry about the estrangement from your mom. It must be so painful.
On another note, I think you may be making too many assumptions about the gentleman that Steve spoke with on the road.
Thanks :-)
As for Fred, I know these people, I live in Florida!
We co-exist with a younger neighbor who is devoted to Trump. (At least the flags are not flying anymore.)
We don’t discuss Trump with him. And he doesn’t discuss him with us.
There’s no reaching him on the subject. It’s like a fever I hope he’ll recover from
Great story Steve! Although, sorry about the ticket. Your conversation with this Trump supporter is illustrative of what political discourse in the US should be like, Your conversation was polite, cordial, and while perhaps not ending in agreement, was nonetheless respectful. We’ve lost that at a societal level and must regain it. We have to reject extremist thinking that believes we must characterize those who differ with us politically as enemies that must be destroyed. That kind of thinking is anathema to democracy. In my view, a democracy that embraces what I call “the opposition as an enemy “, cannot sustain itself. Democracy must have a political norm that says, “while I may not agree with you, I believe you still must have a seat at the table. Your voice, while different than mine, is still important.”
www.tomthedemocratist.com
U.S. Grant said after the war, “There had to be an end to slavery. Then, we were fighting an enemy with whom we could not make peace. We had to destroy him. “
Great trip Steve. I've been riding my motorcycle north from Nebraska through Minnesota to a rock & roll festival on the Southern tip of Leech lake near the town of Walker, MN.
I have meet so many fine people from Northern Minnesota, mostly small towns but also Duluth, then Superior, WI and lots of Canadians. Most of these folks - at least the Americans - are right leaning Republicans. We generally disagree on most political issues. However, we all love music, especially classic rock. We have know each other for years now and I consider them all close friends. I carefor each and every one of them, irrespective of our political views.
This is what America is about. I love Minnesota and all its people. Thanks for the article.
Jerry Campbell
One of the best vacations I had as a kid was camping in the Upper Peninsula. Then 35 years later, I took my own family there. The UP is a great place, and I have to add that the adjoining parts of Wisconsin are just as nice, both the scenery and the people. Great experiences camping on both sides of that border.