The Wednesday Pop Culture Rant tried to stay away; we really did. But apparently America is a like a teenager that swears to be responsible if left alone and promptly sets the house on fire. During an unauthorized party. That features beer purchased by the creepy guy down the street in exchange for attending. For pity’s sake: can we not relax for five seconds without the cops getting called?
Since we’re discussing idiotic children, The Rant might as well start with you Ryan Lochte. For all of you getting self-righteous about Ryan, let’s just remember our own indiscretions. Lochte’s behavior is just called a typical Friday night on most college campuses.1 What interests us is the fact Lochte apologized for moronic behavior, everyone acknowledged the moronic behavior, and with the exception of few Twitter zealots, moved on with their lives. We can declare actual progress in this country when a brown or black athlete can do the same thing and move on as easily. Because had someone like beleaguered Gabby Douglas done the same thing, there would have been endless hand-wringing about The State of Race in America and whispers of thuggery and drug-dealing and some tool of a District Attorney in her home state would have indicted her for something. So run your fingers through your carefully dyed blond hair Ryan and thank the universe for accidents of birth.
The Rant now turns out attention to the meth-addled elephant in the room: the Republicans under Trump. Come on GOP. Your tusks have fallen out; Reince Priebus is offering to do unspeakable things on street corners for TV ad money; Paul Ryan can find no answers in Atlas Shrugged. And all of this out of fear of a man that wants to rule a country of one.
No culture knows the moment when one system fails and another rises to take its place. Trump’s racist, nativist, obscene take on the American dream is over. The question now will be how painful the transition will be for our country. Slavery as a viable institution died with the Dred Scott decision, but because of our unwillingness to confront this fact we had to undergo the destruction of countless lives and the further misery of enslaved people.
So show a little courage Republicans. The Rant wants to send a shout-out to The Dallas Morning News for rejecting Trump and endorsing Clinton to mark the first time they have said no to the Republican candidate since 1968. That’s called common-sense. That’s called fortitude. That’s called sanity. Too bad the leaders of the party don’t have the same resolve. Set aside short-term fear of loss for the long-term reality of a more diverse, less belligerent country.
Voting for Trump because you vowed to never vote for Hillary is like marrying a serial murderer because you said you’d never wed someone that smoked. One person merely has a bad habit; the other is a psychopath that will eventually have you on his list.
Oh, it’s good to be back.
