Hi Frank, thanks for reading and commenting. I appreciate that. And I believe you, that you care. I do too. I agree about the adult MAGA/evangelicals using that as a cover to be despicable. I'm looking at the children of those people. It's oversharing, but my mother is a big Trump supporter and it's impossible to have a relationship with her due to some very ugly beliefs/conspiracies and all of that. It also wasn't fun to be raised by someone who believes in complete domination as parenting, which is a common parenting technique in this cohort - which tells me more than ever, the kids are searching for answers and thinking, how can this be right?

I'm trying to make more of a point that Democrats usually are a party that tries to implement social safety net programs, SNAP, HEAD START, Expanded Medicaid, the ACA, and so forth, and their platforms are seen as progressive and compassionate. That is their brand, right?

However, they ignore that Republicans, particularly evangelicals and MAGA types, are petrified of the government and will not fill out the forms with all that info, let an auditor from the government into their home. and will never get these benefits. Veterans, most of them, don't apply for benefits until its desperate. Don't Dems know this? And, unless you've ever applied for benefits, you have no idea how humilating it actually is.

Furthermore, in person, they don't usually act compassionate, not even to the children of what they clearly consider 'poor white trash' - and if you recall, Hilary (who I admire in so many ways) lost the election when she made the 'basket of deplorables' comment. Because a lot of people thought she was talking about THEM.

I'm really trying to focus on using empathy and watching for opportunities to be kinder to children. Its good for them, and an opportunity for better political discourse.