A plea to Hillary people to listen to me and not call me a “Bernie Bro” or generally disparage your fellow citizens Will Pflaum Follow Nov 9, 2016 · 5 min read

Most of the people on my Facebook feed were all in for Hillary. My mother was in, my sister. People I love and respect. And so I am not happy that Clinton supporters are down, depressed, angry, etc. I am sorry for you.

I am a Bernie, turned Jill Stein supporter who would have been down, depressed, angry if either Hillary or Trump won, in different ways. If Hillary had won, all these people I know would have been celebrating, not concerned that I was unhappy about the outcome, but I cannot so celebrate because Trump winning isn’t good. Think for a second, Hillary people, would you have been sorry for me if Hillary had won or thought about how bad I would have felt about it?

I live in an upstate New York hamlet where most of my neighbors are Trump supporters. Maybe half, maybe a bit more. As I said, I know plenty of Hillary people and few misfits such as myself. So, to generalize, three categories of people, for convenience sake, Hillary folks, Trumpers and misfits.

My daughter is the only black person in the village. We had a long battle with the zoning and planning boards of the town-- the town government tried to ruin us and put me in jail for false charges and do all kinds of mischief — and it went on for years shortly after out adopted daughter came home. At the time, I discounted race as a factor in the hostility but as Trump came along, I began to wonder how much racism played a part in that strange episode. There were some strange racial posts on the internet at the end of this weird adventure. Most of our neighbors were super supportive and wonderful at this difficult time but a small cabal of them conspired with the town to make up false charges and lie under oath for no apparent reason. I didn’t even know who they were when they started defaming me.

I see confederate flags when I go out the door. I hate that flag. It means treason and hatred. But I have to say, the ones flying the flag were not the ones who gave us trouble and have not been bad neighbors in any other way. More American soldiers died fighting that flag than against all other US enemies combined, so no patriot should fly it. And Make America Great Again: how can you imagine America being great without Black America? The story of Black people in America is one of the world’s most incredible collective stories. We all should be honored to live in the same country with so great a people. If you’re not, you got a screw loose.

If Trump’s victory emboldens racists, we, our family might actually feel it. We might not. And his victory might not embolden anyone, or at least not here. And maybe a Trump loss would have been worse. Who knows? Something I can’t change that hasn’t happened yet and may never happen seems like a stupid thing to worry about.

I learned to keep my strong anti-Hillary views away from my pro-Hillary friends. I didn’t hide my views but I tried not to throw them in people’s faces, although Hillary people do seem mad sensitive to even the most mild criticism, let alone the profound hatred I have for Hillary and her clique, but certainly not for the great people who supported her.

I think my Hillary friends think I was constantly bashing her. I was. But I did it away from them. No reason to badger them: their minds were made up, fine. No problem. We disagree and you don’t really want to debate. Okay. Doesn’t bother me.

I was called a Bernie Bro as if it wouldn’t bother me. Okay, so I let if go. No point engaging on that one. Tried to make a joke. What can you do?

When the Democratic Convention came around, I was following events through the livestreams of the delegates. I knew the convention was a disaster and the nomination of Clinton was not going to work and I said so for awhile. Then I shut up. But the writing was on the wall in July. I raised a red flag, emergency, but no one listened, I mean even among my Hillary friends.

So, if you would care to listen now, I have a couple of points, just to kick around. Let’s say Trump supporters are stupid, racist, sexist deplorables. For the sake of argument, let’s grant that it’s true. That is not what I think, but, as I said, for the sake of argument. Can you do anything about it? Will insulting them to your pro-Hillary friends help in anyway, other than making you feel better about yourself?

Let’s grant that the Republican party sucks. Okay, fine. Are you a Republican? So how is criticizing Republicans going to change anything? They aren’t going to listen to you and stop being Republicans.

What could you change? The Democratic Party, if it’s not too late. Maybe, if you would, please listen to me. Wikileaks is not lying. The Democratic Party is a crime syndicate. Obama is a sell out. All of your senators and representative, with very few exceptions, aren’t worth a warm bucket of spit.

Your party sucks. You can force people to shut up and ignore Wikileaks and try to shame people and insult them but it isn’t working out too well as an election strategy, even if you are in fact right that Bernie Bros and deplorables are fucking up your otherwise perfect society.

Could you, just for a moment, stop and consider that you are the one that is fucking up the society? Could that be? I mean, you just walked into a disaster and cheered and put on a white pants suit and made a complete fool of yourself supporting a mob boss for president because she happens to be a woman.

Now is the time to brush your shoulder off, stop dismissing other people’s opinions, and get down here in the mud with us basement dwellers and deplorables. Y’all been way to arrogant.

This election did not become a crisis when Trump won. The crisis started in August 2015, a pattern of cheating. The evidence of a crisis was readily available the whole time. In a crisis, you can be stoic and face your doom. You can try to alert people to the danger. But cheering and clapping, putting on a white pants suit and pretending everything is fine is nuts. Sorry to give it to you straight, no chaser.

If you think I said stuff that’s too harsh — like Obama is a sell out — then you have to argue with me and not get offended.

Enough said. Won’t mention it again.

No one, not one person, should even have voted for, endorsed or in anyway supported Hillary Clinton. She is a mobster. You can’t force a mobster down the people’s thoats. You don’t have to apologize. I love you.