Once upon a time, columnists would occasionally put their feet up and run a day of reader mail, a chance of them to take a breather and let their audience to gape in wonderment at the carnival of humanity that is out there, lurking in the shadows.
That died with the Internet, when space in the paper became too precious to waste, and online comments sections made us all wearily familiar with just how mean and crazy people can be. You couldn't have a two inch news story about a kid being hit by a bus without a Greek chorus of malice offering a peek under the rock.
Mere anthropological interest isn't why I present this letter from a reader in Bensenville, written last month but delivered only Tuesday--he seems to have held onto it for a while, adding fresh thoughts as they came to him.
Typically I get such letters and read a bit, and toss them out. But this one struck me as having value, in that it answers the vexing question, "Just who in God's name supports Donald Trump?" far more eloquently than I ever could. He printed his name legibly on the envelope, but I'm going to let his scrawled signature protect his identity — no malice here.
For those reading on their iPhones, it might be a bit hard to decipher; wait for your coffee break and call it up on the computer at work; it's worth the effort, I think, because you see the sort of reasoning at work. This is why Trump is doing so well. Any further comment from me would be unnecessary. Enjoy or, I suppose, more accurately, despair.
The letter- Oh. My. Wow.
ReplyDeleteThe photo- PBR, Jack, and crossbows, what could possibly go wrong?
Actually, the photo is of a man I know in Michigan, for illustration purposes only. He might share the beliefs in the letter -- I couldn't say -- but would never waste his time by writing them out.
DeleteCoey, Rest easy, it looks like the PBR and Jack belong to the guy sitting to the left of the crossbow dude. :)
DeleteP.S. Sorry, Nikki (and Coey) -- I addressed my reply to Coey by mistake.
DeleteThat is frightening, Mr. Steinberg-watch your back.
ReplyDelete( besides that person can use some spelling & logic lessons)
Mrs. G.
Well there is something in G.S.'s letter that speaks to my heart. An IBM Power7 External Test Failure has occured.
ReplyDeleteWhat's that supposed to mean?
DeleteThe numbers 646-302 are an error code.
DeleteHow does anyone get that way? He seems extremely unhappy.
ReplyDeleteBarbara P.
That's what was going through my head while I was reading it. I hope he's single.
DeleteTo clarify, I hope he lives alone and no one is subjected daily to his rants. Not saying I want to date him!
DeleteI was worried there for a second Coey. I was going to say, I have his address, I could hook you guys up.
DeleteClearly, despite her clever attempt at a retraction, George Clooney has been bumped down a notch on Coey's "free pass" list! ; )
DeleteI try to stay away from the married ones, so George is off limits...for now. Jon Hamm is back on the market, but I don't know if, in real life, he has as much of a way with words as G.S.
DeleteI never understood what any lady saw in Clooney or Hamm.
DeleteWell, if Mr. Draper's Emmy acceptance speech was any indication, he might not...
DeleteAnd I'm sure your husband appreciates the strict morality you bring to bear on the issue of who you'd consider cheating with! ; )
Hey, he thanked his dog and his ex. What a gentleman. He was no doubt stunned due to all his previous "snubs."
DeleteHe does have a point....it's at the top of his head under his tinfoil hat!
ReplyDeleteI WARNED YOU THAT THE NEW RUNWAYS AT O'HARE WOULD MAKE PEOPLE GO CRAZY, BUT YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE MEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSays it all. Now we know what a Trumpist stands for and against.
ReplyDeletejohn
All you need is the banjo music from Deliverance in the background lol
ReplyDeleteAll you need is the banjo music from Deliverance in the background lol
ReplyDeleteSeriously Neil, how do you face this kind of hate and vitriol as often as you do? I understand you expose yourself to it as the cost of doing business, but how do you brush it off and not let it get to you? You're a stronger man than I.
ReplyDeleteThis is actually mild, in the realm of things. You just can't let stuff bother you, or I'd be in the wrong job. I don't think strength has anything to do wit hit. As Bruce Springsteen sings in "Straight Time," "Sooner or later it just becomes your life."
DeleteI don't know if either of you are familiar with Mikey Weinstein, but you should read some of the mail he gets. I am sure that President Obama gets way worse and probably doesn't see. Some of these people are really unhinged.
Delete"As every beggar has his cur so must an author have his critics." Alexander Pope
DeleteTom Evans
When we moved into our new home 4 years ago and met our next door neighbor, he started talking politics and went right to the point: the only person he would vote for in the next presidential election was Donald Trump! I was speechless, and avoided this neighbor until they moved away this year. This family had emigrated here from Eastern Europe!
ReplyDeleteat 9:50
DeleteI would have told them I vote Socialist USA party, that should stop him in his tracks.
As they say...College is important but beer is importanter!
ReplyDeleteThe scariest thing is that this person has the same number of votes I do.
ReplyDeleteYou can read all the same sentiments, some of them expressed more grammatically but no less frightening, in the comments that follow most articles in the other Chicago newspaper.
ReplyDeleteHe gave you a compliment! See -- fair and balanced. ;)
ReplyDeleteThe new Exhibit A for the case that, just because somebody is willing (and perhaps eager) to identify themselves, that in itself does nothing to indicate that his/her opinion is more valuable, civil or well-considered than one offered anonymously...
ReplyDelete*sigh*
ReplyDeleteSo many things.
"I'm sorry that mexico and central america suck and have corrupt governments. isnt my fault of problem" is my favorite. If our neighbors to the south aren't our problem, then how in the hell are countries on the opposite side of the world our problems?
*heavier sigh*
Thank you for sharing.
So much anger and hate; I can't imagine what any of his perceived "enemies" have done to him to produce this rant, yet apparently he can. The angry rants by Trump and others obviously satisfy a visceral need for what? Revenge? Even if it destroys his own country, it's worth it to take down every offender of his insane prejudices? I can't imagine what leaders of a party that now dedicates itself to this extremism think of themselves or how they justify this hate within their own minds.
ReplyDeleteYes, so much hate and anger- as with Ann Coulter.
DeleteIt wasn't written in crayon. It seems like it should be.
ReplyDeleteOnly partly kidding here,but that isn't far from the logic of some of my coworkers
ReplyDeleteOnly partly kidding here,but that isn't far from the logic of some of my coworkers
ReplyDeleteWhat did he write it on the back of, Neil, it looks like he used the back of some paper he had. Junk mail? Is he a "presser", getting maximum use out of every item he has? Scary, but I know they're out there.
ReplyDelete