Heading west on Grand Avenue in Laramie a week ago Saturday, I had a front-row seat – briefly – to the “No King” demonstration over there.
At around 15th Street, I started seeing people here and there, heading east, holding signs. Some waved their signs at cars driving by, and some drivers honked in agreement.
Those first stragglers must have been the sunshine soldiers, lacking in true Trump derangement, heading home early. Not down for the cause.
The closer I got to the Albany County Courthouse, the more demonstrators I saw. The people in the car next to me were honking their horn in agreement. Maybe they agree that the guy we elected twice – by almost 70 percent here in Wyoming – is evil incarnate, Beelzebub, even Adolph Hitler in the minds of some of the more hysterical.
At the courthouse, it was standing room only along the curb, with signs, people pointing fingers (not any middle fingers that I could see), and shouting, making their point that democracy will be dead by day after tomorrow at the latest. And there I was, just driving past on my way to the mountains.
These were the hard-core Trump derangement people, investing a beautiful Saturday morning to do their part to further the 10-year jihad against a guy who got elected twice (kings don't get elected), and racked up some pretty good results.
That's despite the furious campaign by his opponents from day one to paint him as a Russian spy, an insurrectionist, a traitor, a crook, a failed businessman, a tax cheat, a threat to democracy, a predator... Am I forgetting any? They never gave the guy a chance. And it goes on today, to such an extent that it's kind of a joke to the rest of us.
“There they go again.”
In my 14-year-old pickup, loaded with cabin gear, wearing my “Tractor Supply” hat, I was not about to pull over and discuss whether or not Trump is a dictator king with those shouting, angry people.
I figured some of those folks were the ones who greeted Rep. Harriet Hageman with foul language, middle fingers, and about 45 minutes of fury a few months back when she held a town hall meeting in Laramie. (The quote of the night, I thought, came from Hageman herself, after it was over: “This is why we can't have nice things.”)
In this column, I like to refer to “our Democrat friends,” and it's true that I have some. You can't work in newspapers for 50 years without having some Democrat friends. (I can count the number of newsroom Republicans I worked with on one hand.)
So, in the spirit of helping out, we should give the poor dears a few tips that might help in their difficult quest to prove that the guy we elected is, indeed, the root of all evil. Hey, they need the help.
First off, if you're going to quote something you think will change the minds of the masses, and put it on a piece of cardboard and tack it to a stick, remember that people driving by probably aren't speed readers. Your supposedly devastating point won't be read.
So keep it simple, like, “Trump Eats Babies for Breakfast!”
Or, “Trump Killed Elvis.”
And please do something about your penmanship. Some of the signs were so poorly printed that even if I had time to read them, I couldn't have made out the words. I know you're so angry at Trump that your hands are literally shaking with fury, and that makes penmanship difficult.
Maybe find a friend or neighbor who doesn't have Trump Derangement Syndrome who could write the words for you and tack the cardboard on a stick.
And lastly, if veins are popping out of your neck because you hate Trump so much, you might consider seeing a cardiologist. Long-term hatred like this can't be good for your ticker.
As they used to say on the Andy Griffith Show, “Put your feet up. Set a spell.”
Maybe find a hobby other than Trump derangement. Something less stressful, like needlepoint.
Or clog dancing.
Give it a try.
Because we're concerned about our Democrat friends.
Dave Simpson can be reached at: DaveSimpson145@hotmail.com
