Happy Father’s Day, Dad
June 15, 2025
Why We Can’t Be Friends
I didn’t want to write this.
I didn’t want to believe I’d need to draw this kind of line; with neighbors, coworkers, people I once called friends. Even family. For a long time, I clung to the belief that political differences could be endured. That “agreeing to disagree” was a noble act of civility. That common ground could always be found if we just tried hard enough. That disagreement on policy didn’t have to mean a divide in character.
But I was wrong.
Because this is no longer about politics.
This is about decency.
A Man with No Decency
Donald Trump is not a traditional conservative. He is not a charming outsider. He is not a misunderstood populist. He is a billionaire charlatan who has:
- Mocked the disabled
- Encouraged violence against journalists
- Called Nazis “very fine people”
- Lied over 30,000 times while in office
- Bragged about sexual assault
- Belittled U.S. service members, calling them “losers” and “suckers”
- Incited an insurrection against his own country
- Sought to dismantle the foundational institutions of American democracy
- Exploited the presidency for personal profit
- Cut off humanitarian aid to people fleeing violence and poverty
This is not a disagreement over tax policy.
This is a moral collapse.
And now, in 2025, if you’re still standing by him after all of this, you’re not just looking the other way. You’re looking directly at it and saying, “Yes, this is what I want.”
And if that’s your position, then the differences between us are no longer intellectual or political. They are moral. And they are too vast to support any meaningful relationship built on trust, truth, or mutual understanding.
The Myth of Unity at All Costs
I’ve been told not to let politics divide us. That family comes first. That we need to find common ground.
But let’s be honest. Those words almost always come from people who’ve never bothered to examine the policies, behaviors, and ideologies they defend. People whose views are not just uninformed, but corrosive. And they expect me to meet them halfway while they stand proudly on ground I cannot touch.
But here’s the truth:
There is no common ground between democracy and authoritarianism.
Between fact and conspiracy.
Between compassion and cruelty.
Between building bridges and cheering on walls.
What kind of meal can be shared with someone who has poisoned their own food and expects you to share in it?
The Billionaire Who Made You Hate Your Neighbor
One of Trump’s greatest political tricks, and perhaps his most enduring damage, was convincing working-class Americans that poor immigrants were their enemies.
He told struggling white families that their pain was the fault of desperate brown families fleeing violence.
He told laid-off factory workers that refugees were stealing their jobs, while billionaires like him shipped those jobs overseas and dodged taxes.
He redirected justified rage away from the rich and powerful and aimed it downward at the poor, the powerless, and the voiceless.
He turned economic hardship into racial resentment.
He sold scapegoats instead of solutions.
And millions bought it.
And if you still believe it, you weren’t manipulated.
You were empowered to hate, to fear, to exclude.
And that’s something I can no longer ignore.
Why I’m Stepping Back
I’m not walking away because someone is a Republican. I’m walking away from those who believe lies, deny facts, and celebrate a man who has shown repeatedly that he values power over principle, loyalty over law, and ego over country.
When someone tells you who they are, believe them.
And when someone supports what Trump has done, after everything, they’re telling you exactly who they are.
Their vote wasn’t just a preference.
It was a declaration of values.
And if they still support him
They don’t just support him.
They are him.
Let Me Be Clear
- I’m willing to listen, but equally willing to tell you to shut up if your argument is stupid.
- I’m willing to discuss, but only with people who have prepared an articulate, coherent position.
- I’m not interested in your conspiracy-podcast nonsense, QAnon ramblings, or TikTok theology.
- I’m not going to do business with you if you support anti-democratic policies.
- I’m not inviting you into my home if you’re a racist, an antisemite, or a defender of white supremacy.
- And if you quote a cherry-picked Bible verse from a Bronze Age shepherd’s handbook to justify your allegiance to a cruel, authoritarian president, I have zero respect for your morality or your intellect.
Here’s the simple truth:
I only have so much time in this beautiful life.
I’m not going to waste another precious second tolerating intolerant stupidity.
And yes—that includes you.
What Separation Actually Means
It doesn’t mean hate.
It doesn’t mean rage.
It means boundaries.
It means saying:
- I will not excuse your racism
- I will not pretend your vote didn’t threaten the most vulnerable among us
- I will not sit at your table and pretend this is normal
It means choosing:
- Truth over comfort
- Justice over nostalgia
- The future over the past
This Is Bigger Than One Man
Trump is a symptom. But the disease is a movement fueled by fear, resentment, disinformation, and tribal loyalty. It didn’t begin with him, and it won’t end with him.
The damage will not stop until good people stop pretending it’s harmless.
This isn’t division.
It’s self-respect.
It’s a line drawn not in anger, but in resolve.
Because there is no peace without accountability.
No healing without truth.
And no future if we keep pretending everything is fine.
To Those Still Standing With Trump
If you still support him, I see your choice, and I reject what it stands for.
I choose:
- Democracy over demagoguery
- Compassion over cruelty
- Dignity over dominance
And even if I have to stand alone, I will stand.
Because some lines must be drawn—not out of hate, but out of hope.
Hope that we can still build a future where decency matters.
Where truth matters.
Where humanity matters.
And so, in the name of my children,
In the name of our nation,
In the name of what we must not lose,
I will not be silent.
I will not pretend this is normal.
I will stand. Even if I must stand alone.
Enough.
