Brunswick Beacon, 07.21.22
It’s human to be disappointed at a loss. When our beliefs are challenged, we often use willful ignorance to escape reality. Remaining ignorant of the facts doesn’t change them. We don’t want our faith in someone to turn into a myth that isn’t relevant.
Trump is uninterested in facts that dispute his claim about widespread election fraud. He can’t accept losing and will support any conspiracy theory even if there is no evidence for them. His arguments never had merit nor need to be consistent because so many of his supporters choose to ignore the facts. The willful ignorant will listen to and read commentaries (opinions) that aren’t true instead of the actual January 6 hearings.
When people “defend” President Trump, they’re defending their own belief systems. They perceive him as their champion: a powerful man who’s fighting to ensure that their values will dominate mainstream American culture.
Many of Trump’s Advisers were ambitious lackeys who were punching way above their weight. These hacks and impostors would have been nowhere near the Oval Office in any other administration, so they were not going to miss their opportunity to enable a president who was using willful ignorance (a decision to avoid becoming informed about something despite the facts) to support his need to win at any cost.
Democracy is based on the concept that election losers agree to accept the results and encourage their supporters to do the same. Trying to force your way to victory isn’t victory. It’s an admission that you don’t know how to play, you don’t care to learn how to play, you don’t respect the other players, and you don’t respect the constitution. In other words, a sore loser.
“There are two ways to be fooled, one is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” Soren Kierkegaard.
You can’t have a rational conversation with someone who believes in falsehoods, and I know many will reject my words, but I have to try.
Dan Leonard
Oak Island