I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist.

Not much introduction is needed for prolific commenter Pennagain‘s eloquent Comment of the Day on the despicable conduct by Trump supporter Ken Shupe. The news media really don’t comprehend what is important here: it almost seems that if the motorist he left stranded because she had a Sanders sticker on her car wasn’t handicapped, this might never have been a news story at all, especially since the conduct is not far removed from what would naturally be expected from most Trump fans, or to use the technical term, idiots.

Pennagain does get it, though. Here is his Comment of the Day  on the post, Do We Really Want To Live In A Society Where Tow-Truck Drivers Refuse To Tow The Cars Of Bernie Sanders Supporters?

In all the years — about forty, I think — during which I wore backpacks whereon buttons could advertise my positive preferences (social, political, philosophical or just amusing, never sports since I wasn’t suicidal), I never thought of removing one unless it was outdated for one reason or another. People often commented (that was part of the pleasure of it unless I was late to work) as either just a passing acknowledgement pro or con, or as an invitation to an argument. If the latter, I turned it to discussion as far as possible and usually succeeded, even if it meant one of us getting off the bus or the elevator with the other, or standing with a group on a street corner or at a park bench, and twice that I can remember adjourning to a nearby eatery for several hours.

Usually, people were satisfied just to state their preferences (“sharing” was big — a few jump in front of me or turn their backs so I could view their statements). More often than not and usually with tourists (or out-of-state, especially in small towns) there was an exchange of views, even if just for a few minutes, with those who were more curious than aggressive. The plus side was gathering acquaintances whom I ran into regularly, exchanging greetings or insults of the friendlier kind. Verbal aggression, yes, nearly always from fringe religious groups; physical threats only from very old people (…never understood that) and those clearly with psychological problems. I don’t know if I changed any minds, but I do know I set several people to thinking, and they did the same for me. [if they hadn’t, I probably wouldn’t be posting here now]

So why mention this here? Because I read Jack’s post shortly after it went up this morning and realized there were no current political posters up in any windows. Not one; not in my neighborhood, not in any neighborhoods I passed on the many buses I rode each day. Nor do I remember hearing any of the deliberately louder-than-normal voices raised in unnaturally frequent mention of candidates names during an election year. Religious rants are either absent from their usual haunts or lower key than usual.

But I’d seen posters up a few weeks ago in a friend’s home. So I called him. He called back awhile ago and said they’d had a rock through that particular front window so they thought better of putting the poster up again; said he’d email after work. He did email at lunchtime: “The kids were playing by the window. You could see from the sidewalk. Same thing with the ____’s”

I don’t need to hear any further. It reminds me strongly of another time … in another country. Across the Bay, the same but different: BLM rules and the rest of the population of a county of 1.57 million, including dissenting black people, are virtually silenced. In the end, it doesn’t matter what is being said by the leader or would-be or who just jokingly, accidentally became one: it’s their followers who do the damage. I am also predicting the strong possibility that it will make no difference how the national election comes out: this country is going to have to deal with the madness unleashed.