Spotted yet another massive crew-cab pickup tuck parked on the curb half-humping it with a slew of Trump-friendly stickers on the back window. But also an “Active Firefighter” card displayed in the front window, and the cognitive dissonance was palpable. The are few others voluntary jobs where you directly put your life at risk to save other people, and this is in direct contradiction with everything Trump is, has done or ever stood for, including as a draft escapee.
I was used to this sad and scary political display (car and stickers) from law enforcement officers where the link with a self-serving promise of violence is clearer, but I didn’t expect fire fighting would be a likely outlet for machismo bravado given the obvious community service aspect of it and the absence of likely confrontation with other people.
So I’m disappointed and surprised, this time.