The presidential election concluded a little more than a week ago with GOP nominee Donald Trump named president-elect. Trump will become our nation’s 45th president weather you like it or not. 

Reports toward the end of the election process said that more than 60 percent of Americans were suffering from stress related to the most heated, immoral and tasteless presidential election of our time. So it is not surprising that when one candidate wins over the other, a negative reaction would ensue.

The separation between those who voted for Trump and those who voted for Clinton could not have been bigger if planned. The 2016 election was closer than anyone anticipated. At the time this column was written, Hillary Clinton led in popular voting by only 797,724 votes. However, Trump won the electoral vote (which is what counts) by 58.

Supporters of President-elect Trump have been called many things over this election process, such as, racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic and Islamaphobic, to name a few. However, the one that everyone seems to have focused on is being called “deplorable.” Remember when Secretary Clinton said, “To just be grossly generalistic, you can put half of Trump supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables”?

Not a word that you hear or use very often. Most of the time it’s used to describe the condition of a place or object. For example, “that building is deplorable” would mean it’s in terrible condition. Other words or synonyms used to mean deplorable are disgraceful, shameful, dishonorable, unworthy, inexcusable, unpardonable, unforgivable, reprehensible, despicable, abominable, contemptible and heinous.

The word is rarely used to describe people. Calling more than 30 million people deplorable can definitely cost you an election.

If it is so easy to call a group of people deplorable simply because they supported someone or something you don’t agree with, then shouldn’t the acts of violence stemming from protests that have become daily headlines since the election also be viewed as deplorable? Many of the words used above can definitely describe the mindset and acts of many frustrated citizens who are lashing out.

Let’s face it, we all have it in us to be deplorable by its definition. But the real difference is whether we act upon it, or not. Ultimately, both candidates have been deplorable well before and throughout this election process. Maybe that’s why some feel it’s OK to be deplorable as well. But let us remember, even if a president says “Let’s go jump off a bridge,” if you do it, that’s on you and nobody else. 

Rich Macke is publisher of The Port Arthur News. Contact him at rich.macke@panews.com.