3/21/16 ~ Today's TILT! (THINGS I LEARNED TODAY)
March is Women's History Month
Today is
International Day of Forests
Act Happy Day
National California Strawberry Day
National Common Courtesy Day
National Flower Day
National Fragrance Day
National French Bread Day
National Teenager Day
World Poetry Day
World Puppetry Day
We have a very special TILT today! My interview with Kim Ticknor, plus her interview with her sons and their friends' recounting of the day that Donald Trump came to town.
Kim Ticknor is a recent Facebook friend of mine. We got hooked up when my friend, Lori, introduced us. Lori lives in the same small town in Ohio as Kim. Lori and I have been friends for a couple of years. Last year Lori's entire family spent a week touring California, and spent a few hours visiting me.
Lori and Kim's kids are friends. They are all in band together. That's where I came in. Lori knew that Kim's kids had gone to see the Trump speech, and she gets my daily TILTs, so she knew I would be interested in hearing what Kim's kids and their friends had to say about the Trump event.
[Lori and Kim hooked me up with Bart Lennartz. He is the 16 yr old Ohio teen who Trump told, "Go home to your mommy!". My exclusive interview with Bart was in last Monday's TILT. Sorry for breaking the TILT“no links”rule this one time! ]
I spoke with Kim, and she volunteered to interview the kids. She described the town where they live as mostly suburban, middle-class, Republican-leaning. Lori and Kim's families are not the norm. Neighbors might be Democratic, but it is not openly discussed.
Kim said their families lead pretty protected lives, and when she heard that Trump was coming to town, she was concerned about who might be invading their neighborhood to attend the event. Then, when she heard that the kids wanted to attend the event, she became concerned for their safety.
She was afraid that "the kids might say something sarcastically, joking around or under their breath, and someone might take offense at them being silly and smart-alecky, because some redneck from two hours away decided to come to this rally to see their hero."
Kim said, "The kids wanted to see the circus, to see if something like Chicago would happen in Vandalia. They wanted to be able to say, 'I saw Trump speak, and it will be like saying I saw Hitler.' The kids realized the historical significance of it."
I asked Kim if the kids follow politics. She said, "They are now. Jon Stewart, Colbert, John Oliver, caused them to be more aware. They also watch The Young Turks (TYT Online's) YouTube Channel."
I asked her if she discusses politics with her kids. She said,"Yes, I do. Even the youngest one is interested in the process. She asks, 'What does it mean to be a Democrat or a Republican? Why don't we like Trump? What are the votes about?'"
Kim said she gets her news online — from Huffington Post, and Facebook Shares of political web sites like Daily Kos, Politico, Alternet and other similar sites.
Here's Kim's description of what happened in her life when the Trump Circus Came to Vandalia:
The Interviewees:
CJ Ticknor– first year student at the Ohio State University, studying Chemical Engineering
Aaron Ticknor– Sophomore at Vandalia Butler High School in Vandalia, Ohio
Charity Makin– Junior at Vandalia Butler High School in Vandalia. Ohio
Brandon Fisher– Sophomore at Vandalia Butler High School in Vandalia, Ohio
Kim Ticknor– (me!) Vandalia, Ohio (mom)
(CJ and Charity were turned away at the gate, as they arrived later and the organizers had overbooked the space. Brandon and Aaron went in to the venue, but were closer to the back of the crowd.)
Kim’s Notes
Friday, the day prior to Trump’s Vandalia, Ohio rally, we had several visitors at the door.
The first two that came to visit were two nice-looking, clean-cut, college-aged men. They asked if I would be interested in some literature about Donald Trump. I glared, and said ‘No, thank you’ as adamantly as I could, but noted that they said they were ‘passing out flyers’as opposed to ‘campaigning for’ Trump. They very nicely said, ‘that’s fine, we completely understand.’But something made me stop them. I asked them,‘You seem like intelligent people – what in the world would make you want to support this man?’
They replied, ‘Oh, we’re not supporters, we’re being paid. We’re being paid a LOT of money to do this.’ My response was a sarcastic, ‘Well, he can certainly afford it.’ And the first young man said, ‘oh yeah, we’re getting paid just about double minimum wage!’ They smiled conspiratorially as we all shared a ‘Go Bernie’moment, I wished them luck, and they very nicely wished me a good day.
About a half hour later, two more high school students drove by and asked the same question – would I be interested in some Trump literature. Again, no mention of ‘campaigning’– just asked if there was an interest. I told them that another pair had already been down my quiet little street, but felt compelled to ask them the same question I posed to the previous two. I got a similar answer. They weren’t supporters, either. They were just doing this for extra credit in government class. We laughed that they weren’t getting paid as well as the first two.
But it did make me wonder – is someone being compensated? Did the school receive any money for their labor? Are other candidates asking students to pass out literature? There is certainly a potential for unfairness, an abuse of the system, etc.
(incidentally, Tara, I am going to email the local High School government teacher about this)
The Interview Questions
What made you want to attend the Trump rally initially?
CJ– I wanted to go to see the “circus.” I wanted to observe the crowd and see the kind of atmosphere there. It’s a part of history in which to indulge.
Aaron – I thought, “wow, this guy is kind of crazy – just how crazy is he?” Curiosity won out and I wanted to attend.
Charity– I think just plain and simple interest – nothing happens in Vandalia, and this is part of history. One day I want to be able to tell my children that I witnessed a piece of history.
Brandon– It seemed like a spectacle of stupidity – and I wanted to see it
When did you decide to go?
CJ– As soon as I heard he was coming, I decided I wanted to go.
Aaron– as soon as I heard he was coming, I wanted to go.
Charity– My friend got tickets, so I thought, “I’ll get tickets” so I ended up getting tickets a few days before the event.
Brandon– as soon as I heard about it, I wanted to attend.
What did your friends / peer group think?
CJ– They thought it was funny. I talked to some friends who said, “seriously?” and were surprised that I wanted to go. They didn’t think I was a supporter, however they were surprised that I wanted to see the “other side” of the fence.
Aaron– they were all in. Most of my friends wanted to go as well.
Charity – my boss at work was kind of upset. She initially assumed that if you go to a rally, you support 100%, but that’s just not the case. Many of my friends were going as well.
Brandon– They were all in – most of my friends felt the same way
Why did you feel it was important?
CJ– It’s a part of history. I’ve often said that this could be what it was like to see Hitler speak.
Aaron– he’s very likely the Republican candidate, for better or worse (really worse), so therefore it was important for me to witness this.
Charity– Because whether I was showing my political views or not, it’s still my country. People seem to feel that as a minor, I don’t count or that my voice isn’t important. The next president will be in charge of the country and the economy that I will inherit, including any college debt I incur. I feel like I have a right to be there, because when I do vote, I want to be informed. So many see the label –“liberal or conservative” and they judge based on that. And why should I only go to ralliess that are more far-left. Why be completely blind to the right side because I happen to be more left? I need to be informed whether I like it or not. Whether I agree or not.
Brandon– I wanted to see that people were actually like that – the stereotype, “build a wall, kick out the foreigners,” etc. I wanted to see if the stereotype was here in Ohio as well.
Describe the actual event –
Traffic
CJ (was not inside the event – remained outside) – Traffic was really bad, backed up pretty far. We decided to turn around and park further away, but it ended up being faster to walk.
Aaron– car traffic was bad. It was more efficient to walk. It was very crowded, and there was a long line.
Charity– car traffic was slow. We parked and walked.
Type of Rally-Goers
CJ– We saw groups of protesters – drag queens with signs that said “Trump is a Drag”, more held signs. One man handed out papers with CNN articles about Trump’s made-in-China suits. The protesters were very nice. The ones we saw really impressed me – they were polite,saying things like “have a nice day.” They were very accommodating with pictures. They gave out candy. They were very friendly and not at all antagonistic. In contrast, the supporters there were more apt to bicker, talk amongst themselves. The supporters were mostly white, older, a little rough around the edges
Aaron– inside the actual event – he echoes what CJ says
Charity– there were many on the protesters’ side – there were the gay pride groups, the drag queens, the transgenders with gay pride flags and many were handing out candy. There were signs protesting racism and people holding signs promoting trust versus building a wall. Then there was a third group with machine gunsstrapped to their bodies, stars of David on their clothing, and signs saying “F**K White Supremacy” and “F**K Donald Trump.” Those were more violent signs. I felt a little intimidated and scared. No matter the race or gender, when you see a group of people openly carrying, you feel intimidated. It was scary. I avoided eye contact. With the other protesters, we were friendly and much more open. With this group, we kept our eyes downcast, didn’t make any eye contact. They felt a lot more intimidating.
Brandon– they were very much like the stereotype. They were old, white, and male. There was no diversity in the crowd. We did see some non-white protesters, but the supporters were all white.
What was the Mental Climate like?
CJ– (he was outside) – it was really strange. You had these clashing parties. We were among the crowd of supporters as we got closer. I definitely didn’t feel like I belonged. As we were walking, we kept telling one another to lie low. It felt as if we made one wrong move, the supporters would be able to tell, zero in on us, and turn on us.
Aaron (inside) – There was a bit of a mob mentality, with the chanting.
We were leaving the hangar, as we met up with some other people outside, and they were just shutting off the entrances, as they had overbooked the event. The lines were dispersing. At that point, I saw a man pay a volunteer some money, and he went past a table that they had to block the entrance. After he paid the money, the security people turned him away, and then he got his money back from the volunteers at the table.
So essentially it seemed like he tried to bribe his way into the event, after the doors had closed. And the Trump volunteers took his money and let him in! I wondered, just how legal is this? How ethical is this? Other people were turned away – people that had registered for the event and should have been allowed in. But this man had obviously not pre-registered for this free event. Yet he thought it would be okay to pay his way in. And the Trump people obviously thought it was okay as well. But thankfully security turned him away.
Charity– (outside) it was definitely like I felt that I couldn’t say want I wanted to say. If I said one “wrong” thing, I could offend someone. And people were prepared to fight back. To retort. And you either had to be 100% willing to fight for what you believe it, or you had to shut up. Or they were going to oppress you.
When we arrived inside, there was beautiful, serene music playing. It was Benedictus, which is a very pretty piece. The title means Benediction – a Blessing. As the music played, the crowd was chanting “Build a Wall!!” The entire scene reminded me of stories that I have heard of about Hitler’s concentration camps. I learned that as children were being marched to gas chambers, other Jewish children would be forced to play or sing traditional Jewish songs. This almost seemed to create some sort of a façade – throughout all this madness, to the supporters, the music was their peace. Trump created peace in his rally for his supporters as they chanted violently, but to us it seemed like madness. The whole dichotomy of feeling was so surreal.
Brandon– The mood was kind of scary. Because when we walked in, they were shouting “build a wall.” It didn’t give off a good attitude.
Were you afraid?
CJ– a little. I was not really terrified. But since silent protesters and those who attend and don’t cheer are occasionally called out, I was afraid that we would be noticed. I felt conspicuous. I wanted to observe, but I feared the potential for anyone noticing me.
Aaron– not really, because there was not really a moment that I felt singled out.
Charity– I wasn’t afraid. I was intimidated, though. I didn’t feel physically in danger. I didn’t feel that I would be in any kind of physical altercation. I felt like I had to watch my body language. I felt like I had to watch my eye contact with people in order to maintain peace with the people.
Brandon– yes. I was afraid because in the mass of people, they were shouting “build a wall,” and “get ‘em out”– It felt very much like they were just following what Trump said, not thinking for themselves.
How did the Trump fans seem? Friendly? Neutral? Hateful?
CJ– the ones that I saw that stood out were not the friendly ones. Overall it felt more neutral. But it certainly was not welcoming or friendly.
Charity– Of course, on every side, there are violent protesters and violent supporters. When the group found out we couldn’t bring purses into the venue, there were people that were very upset and others that were ok. Some shoved signed in our faces telling you how we should feel. I think they pushed people. Some people(Trump supporters) yelled racial slurs at other people, and I think they yelled these things just to see if the people had the “guts” to voice their opinions back. It was like they were trying to incite something.
Example – when we were walking along, there was someone in their car, waiting to park, there was a messenger going back and forth trying to communicate between the people in cars and the Trump organization. It felt like bickering. I think the best thing to do would be to have a rational, level-headed conversation. But everyone is so dead-set on their beliefs, they are unwilling to listen.
Aaron– I saw friendly ones and rude ones.
Brandon– They were not very friendly. They were very hateful.
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[And later, I received this addendum from Kim]:
“Tara, it was so nice to hook up with you! Can’t wait to start reading your TILTs. Have to share one more story from Saturday. I had to take my son CJ back to Ohio State and we returned in the evening. My 16-year old, Aaron had some friends over to re-hash the day, and they had a bonfire going. Then the best part happened. We were greeted by my 9-year old daughter, who rushed out and said, "Mom! You just missed it! We threw the Trump sign that they got today into the fire. Then we stood around the fire and all held hands while we chanted 'Feel the Bern!'"
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APPENDIX:
The Area:
I think it’s important to note the demographics of the Vandalia, Ohio area. Looking at the statistics, it’s no surprise that the rally was attended mostly by older white men.
The text below is copied directly from Wikipedia --
As of the census of 2010, there were 15,246 people, 6,571 households, and 4,166 families residing in the city.
The population density was 1,235.5 inhabitants per square mile .
There were 7,055 housing units at an average density of 571.7 per square mile.
The racial makeup of the city was 91.5% White, 4.1% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.6% of the population.
There were 6,571 households of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.6% were non-families.
31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.88.
The median age in the city was 40.6 years.
23.1% of residents were under the age of 18;
8.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24;
24.2% were from 25 to 44;
28.7% were from 45 to 64; and
15.7% were 65 years of age or older.
The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.
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*NOTE* - Please understand that I do not claim to be a “journalist”. I am only passing on bits of information, which others have researched, that drift through my awareness, on any given day. I watch, read and listen to any number of different news and entertainment sources, and it’s more than anyone could possibly intake and retain in a day, so I created this little daily “cheat sheet” for myself, so that I could remember all these oddball facts. Then I decided to share these tidbits, and thus was born the Daily TILT. I do this for fun. I hope you enjoy it.
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[Snarky comments by me are usually in brackets like this].
All photos by me unless credited otherwise.
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**NOTE: I purposely do not include links or photos in the TILT. The idea is to not have one story be highlighted above all the others. And sometimes links can be stressful. I, myself, sometimes get conflicted when presented with too many choices, so I thought I'd save you the trouble of having to make any of those types of decisions for a few minutes, while you read the Link-Free TILT!
I encourage you to further research any story that interests you, though. They are easy to Google.
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***My Daily Sources are usually one of the following: Democracy Now, The Daily Kos, Thom Hartmann, care2, Mother Jones, David Pakman, Ring of Fire, Jim Hightower, Alternet, Bill Press, Wired UK, John Fugelsang, Lee Camp, Bill Maher, The Huffington Post, The Daily Show, TYT Network, todayifoundout, Truthout, DIGG, Think Progress, Politico, Salon, Star Kelley, Friends of the Earth, Talk Media News, NRDC, Pirate Television, The Upworthiest, The Chase, The View, Soul Pancake, The Petition Site, Bioneers, TechKnow, The Daily Beast, PPP, YouTube and occasionally, MSNBC.
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As Thom Hartmann always says, "Democracy is NOT a spectator sport. TAG, you're it!"