To the Editor:
Ah, life in The Villages! We attended the Trivia Night at Brownwood and had a good time in spite of a group that tried to bring politics into the mix. The group featured a guy with a “DeSantis in 2024…Make the USA into Florida” T-shirt and they giggled like disrespectful middle schoolers when their team name was announced, “Let’s Go Brandon”!
Nonetheless, we had fun; that is until we were walking to the parking lot past a row of golf carts, some of which featured Trumpublican slogans. I made the apparently horrible mistake of shaking my head as I passed a golf cart sign that said “Don’t blame me, I voted for Trump.” The owner happened to be about to board his vehicle with his female partner and, suddenly, a verbal barrage ensued. “Grow Up!” he shouted and she echoed. “Grow Up!, Biden is a Moron! You are a Moron!, Pay $8.00 for gas!”
I replied of course, but simply said, “Why do you immediately go to the insult? Why?” Of course, they did not hear me over their own shouts. If I had the presence of mind and if these folks were willing to listen for a moment, I might have responded with some questions and a statement.
How many law degrees do you have?
How many years did you serve in the United States Senate?
How many years did you serve as Vice-President of the United States?
When were you elected President of the United States?
How many world leaders do you know personally and can call directly?
How many times have you bonded NATO together in opposition to Russian aggression?
How often have you had to confront a pandemic that was mismanaged by your predecessor?
How often did you try to serve the needs of real people with a vile and aggressive right wing opposition throwing all kinds of insults and lies to undermine your efforts?
When have you expressed sincere empathy for people massacred for being black and innocently doing grocery shopping? When did you have to do the same when beautiful children, anxiously awaiting the end of a school year, were callously executed?
When did you take a stance against the NRA and for common sense gun control legislation?
Perhaps, when you want to see an immature moron, that would be best achieved by looking in the mirror.
Jerry Ragan
Village of McClure