Headlights
From loud explosions to snide comments made at a cocktail party, the normal, human, universal response is to freeze. A couple of heartbeats are required to process; “What just happened here?”.
I observed this freeze frame phenomena on live television a few years ago. It was during the days of Trump’s 2016 campaign when the press was all abuzz over Trump’s treatment of women. Readers may recall the headlines at the time. There was the “locker room banter” comments caught on tape and, in an interview with Howard Stern, Trump had bragged about walking through the Miss USA dressing room.
While those headlines were being discussed and analyzed on news channels everywhere, I happened to catch a female reporter asking a man at a Trump rally if he thought Trump’s alleged behaviour and attitudes toward women were appropriate for a man running for President. The man’s response was;
“Does that really matter? At the end of the day? Does it really matter?”
If my interpretation is correct, the reporter’s body language spoke volumes. She stood stock still with the microphone still pointed at the man. Apparently she was caught in freeze mode; neither a second question or an appropriate response came to her mind.
A freeze frame reaction when we are taken aback is one thing. The possibility of Trump winning a second term is another. Meld the two together, and speaking for myself, I feel like the proverbial deer in the headlights. After the proverbial head shake, the reporter could have, should have, said, “Yes! Yes, it most certainly does matter.”
The erosion to women’s rights, civil rights, and aid to those on the margins has proven Trump can walk his talk. At the beginning of Trump’s first term it was easy to believe he would be tempered by others around him. We all know how that turned out. A second term means he will be surrounded by enablers.
I have a general feeling of unease at the possibility of a second Trump term even though I live in Canada. I may lose some readers for this content, I may gain some. But I welcome comments to either side.
Keep your joy.
Anne Milne is an every Sunday blogger, unless it’s a holiday weekend. Or summertime. Facebook or email.
Im not a Trump fan but when Clinton was having oral sex in the oval office then got off impeachment I understand what the interviewer ment by dose it mater.
In that regard, yes, Clinton acted selfishly. In public policy however, Clinton was supportive of women’s and civil rights.
Thank you for your comment.
And if Trump takes over, how long before he casts his greedy little eyes northward to Canada’s wealth of natural resources. History is full of such acts. Witness his hero in Russia doing just that.
It’s a frightening thought.
Thanks for commenting.