Still StandingAugust 19, 2024Some might think it boorish and rude, others tenacious and courageous. Recently on a visit to a Goodwill outlet, I found among the items a rather old book. The cover was faded, the pages frayed, and I could hardly make out the title and author. It was a collection of short stories, and for the reasonable price of 50 cents, I decided to invest in it. While going through the book, I came across a story with this short verse: ”They reviled him, denied him, made of him an object of scorn, he was a victim of their vicious branding, but they were weak and all their actions failed, and in the end, he was the last man standing.” After having read these words, then reading local periodicals, and going online to review emails, it suddenly dawned on me, the magnitude of what we’ve known for years. Many of the reports and articles dealt with politics, particularly the presidential campaign and the November election. As I reflected on the information and absorbed the content and meaning, it occurred to me that there is one factor that deserves further scrutiny, whatever your political persuasion. As the November presidential election approaches, the American people will decide the path the nation will take - Right or Left. Republicans and Democrats have chosen their candidates for president and vice president; Donald Trump and J. D. Vance vs. Kamala and Tim Walz respectively. The candidates of each party are distances apart, politically and ideologically. Each of the candidates possesses their own life experiences, knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses, but there is one that stands out beyond the others, and perhaps most people and other politicians - Donald Trump. Don’t misunderstand; this has nothing to do with who is the better person, as far as character and virtue are concerned, nor what beliefs one might hold. What it does have to do with, however, is having the wherewithal, strength, and stamina to face adversity. Consider the length and intensity of the acrimony, the all-encompassing hatred leveled at former President Trump over nearly eight years now. This man is not only thick-skinned, but either mad or in fact a cut above the rest, and is able to withstand the slings, arrows, and even the bullets of his enemies, and refuse to give in. From the beginning in 2015, Democrats, the media, academia, the entertainment industry and Hollywood, let loose a daily barrage of criticism, innuendo, and accusations, including Russian collusion, special investigators, impeachments, election tampering, a documents scandal, “lawfare,” a Mar-a-Lago raid, sexual abuse allegations, and accusations of inflating property value for tax purposes. The former president’s detractors sought to bankrupt him and confiscate his property holdings. He was fingerprinted and subjected to a mug shot. His two sons who control the Trump organization were punished, and face a two-year suspension from running the business in New York City. Not in recent memory, or perhaps even recorded history, has any one man or woman been punished and dragged through the mud, whatever their profession, in this case politics. Imagine having to go through what the former president and his family have had to endure. Some will say he is his own worst enemy, and admittedly there are times I would agree. Understand, I’m not making Mr. Trump into a supernatural-like being that transcends the bounds of us mortals, but love him or hate him, you cannot deny that his tenacity and fortitude are extraordinary. Former President Trump is a unique and unusual character; real estate mogul, television celebrity, once a darling of the elite class and glitterati. What happened? Most of his former friends turned their backs on him once he entered the political arena, and ran against their chosen one, Hillary Clinton. The man who entertained them, celebrated with them, and donated money to their shallow enterprises became an enemy whom they have since sought to destroy. But their betrayal and ignoble causes have all failed, and when the dust settled, even after an assassin’s bullet, Mr. Trump is still standing.
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Visit Bob Pascarella's website at www.ShortStoriesInVerse.com
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