Am I the one who changed?

Ididn’t write this, revamped it to fit me, I don’t know the author.

“I’m a regular woman, born white, which now makes me a racist. I’m a moral conservative, which by today’s standards makes me a fascist. I am heterosexual, but according to gay folks, I’m homophobic. I’m non-union, so now I’m a traitor to the working class and an ally of big business. I’m Christian, which labels me an infidel. I believe in the Second Amendment, so now I’m a member of the vast gun lobby. I am 83, which makes me a bit less than I used to be. I think,

“I reason, therefore I doubt much what the mainstream media says, so I must be a reactionary. I am proud of my heritage and our American culture, which makes me a xenophobe. I value my safety and my family’s and appreciate the police and legal system, which makes me a right-wing extremist. I believe in hard work, fair play and fair compensation according to each individual’s merits, which now makes me an anti-socialist. I believe in the defense and protection of my country and all citizens, which now makes me a militant.

“Once a sick old woman called me and my friends a basket of deplorables. I thank my friends that stuck with me through these abrupt, newfound challenges in my life and my thinking. I just can’t imagine or understand what’s happened to me so quickly. Funny — it’s all taken place over the last 10 years. Words I seldom heard growing up — racist, fascist, heterosexual, homophobic, infidel, reactionary, xenophobe, extremist, anti-socialist, militant, bigotry, deplorables — are all front and center. And now I’m afraid to go into either restroom. Am I the one who changed?

Judy Watson Lancaster