All's "Fair" in Love and War

If there's ever a place to gauge the political mindset of a specific geographical area, it's the Fulton County Fair. "Fulton County is very Republican, with strong support for Trump in Ohio." Therefore, every year, when we set up our booth for the Fulton County Democratic Party of Ohio, we also prepare to handle harassment and aggravation from Trump loyalists.

It is challenging to resist the temptation to engage in a nonsensical argument with them about specific issues or policies. You can immediately discern their information sources and distinguish between fact and fiction. Debate rapport becomes difficult when discussing divisive topics such as abortion, socialism, climate change, and immigration with dedicated supporters of the former president.

"There are those brave enough to stop and engage in an illogical argument with one of our volunteers, and then there are those who walk by and express their repulsion with facial and body expressions. Some would whisper a short comment such as "communist" or "baby killers" and then walk on by."

I favor one-line zingers that leave them either speechless or embarrassed. I also favor displaying simple signs that convey a message without speaking, such as "LIES," "MOVE ALONG," and my favorite, "YOU ARE IN A CULT." My experience has taught me that trying reason and logic combined with facts does not work with the Trump supporter, who is hooked on cable news or social media that panders conspiracies and lies.

"A group of young boys, aged 14 to 15 years old, came to our booth with cell phones in hand and started firing questions at us, not really caring about the answers we gave them." They have clearly been influenced by their parents and perhaps even coached by them, thus the constant look at their cell phones. I hope that as they grow older, they will learn to consider multiple perspectives and employ critical thinking." But alas, they reside in Fulton County. The likelihood is slim."

Then, we received a fantastic response from the public in support of the Harris/ Walz ticket. Several people completed the voter registration forms, and we gathered more emails to reach individuals interested in joining the Fulton County Democratic Party of Ohio group. In a county where you feel like you are the outlier, it can be pretty lonely, so there's a good feeling to find out you're not alone. We suggested a voluntary donation for the buttons and signs we were offering, and we raised over $2000 towards the cost of goods. Ultimately, we managed to make a small profit, which was unusual for us at the fair.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention all the volunteers who helped manage our booth, contributed their time, sometimes gave away trinkets for the kids, and helped set up and tear down our booth. We upgraded our booth and added banners and signs to promote our values, which caught a lot of attention. Presentation is everything, and showing the public that we are serious about our cause and love for our country was on full display.

I never got the chance to visit the Republican booth, but I wanted so much to ask them if they had received belligerent, obnoxious people challenging them about their support for Trump. I would like to think that when they go low, we go high, so my fellow Democrats, Independents, and never-Trumpers would walk by the Republican booth without incident. I sometimes worry that things may get out of hand at our booth, and we may have to call for security. It bothers me that the discourse is so profound that we cannot have a civil conversation about our political choices. Since Trump descended the escalator and I became an activist, I've learned that democracy is fragile. It needs constant nurturing and should not be taken for granted. I've never woken up after an election afraid of the choice voters made. If it wasn't my candidate, I simply thought, "OK, let's try it your way and in four years we'll decide how well you did." 2016 was vastly different, and I am committed to doing my part to get Trumpism out of our politics and restore unity to our country.

The election is around the corner, and it will likely get messy between the candidates. On Tuesday, October 10, Kamala and Trump will have their first debate. Although I think Kamala has the advantage, Trump always seems to get a pass for some reason. His lies will likely capture the viewers' attention, much like a spectator at a carnival show. I hope the moderators and Kamala will fact-check Trump in real-time. Can you imagine? Not only does he lie, but he also uses only superlatives to describe policy, which makes no sense. He calls it "The Weave." Give me a break!

Hopefully, next year, our booth will display Kamala Harris as our president, and we can be proud to participate in the Fulton County Fair once again, reaching out to people who feel disenfranchised and letting them know they are not alone.