I Didn’t Expect This From Us

I am truly disappointed in the people I went to high school with.
It turns out that a whole lot of them ended up MAGA.

I went to Clearview High School in Lorain, Ohio, from 1986 to 1990. It was a culturally diverse school. Different backgrounds. Different experiences. Different perspectives. And yes—I recognize that part of my shock comes from white privilege. I shouldn’t be clutching my pearls this hard.

I should’ve seen more of this coming earlier than I did.

Still, it hits.

I’ve lost friends I’ve had since kindergarten over MAGA. And honestly? That loss hurts more than going no-contact with a sibling over the same thing. I’m not unpacking that here, but yeah—it cuts deep.

What makes this worse is that we had good teachers.
We had educators who taught without prejudice.
Who encouraged critical thinking.
Who didn’t spoon-feed ideology or cruelty disguised as “strength.”

So when I look at people who had the same education I did and watch them fall for the most blatant propaganda imaginable, it’s baffling. Even more so when they don’t just accept it, but embrace the cruelty.

Because that’s the part I can’t reconcile.

When you become friends with someone—especially early in life—you assume there’s shared ground. A basic alignment of values. Empathy. Humanity. A sense of fairness.

I do not share values with MAGA.
Not morally. Not ethically. Not culturally. Not spiritually.

MAGA has done one thing exceptionally well: it’s shined a brutal spotlight on how ignorant and disinformed a significant portion of this country really is. And that realization is heartbreaking when it’s people you once trusted, laughed with, and grew up alongside.

And one more thing—because I am done biting my tongue:

Stop telling me I should love Donald Trump because he’s “punk rock.”

No.
Absolutely the fuck not.

If you think Trump is punk rock, you have no idea what punk rock is.

Punk rock punches up, not down.
Punk rock challenges power—it doesn’t worship it.
Punk rock stands with the marginalized—it doesn’t mock them.

Calling Trump punk rock isn’t edgy.
It’s embarrassing.

This isn’t about politics anymore.
It’s about values.
And some of you showed me exactly where yours stand.

And I’m grieving that.