If you know me well, then you were totally shocked that I went to the Trump rally in Atlanta, on August 3.

In fact, if you know me well, you know that I never voted for Trump – and never will.

It was the time that Trump first berated Senator John McCain that made the difference for me.  That was the day I became a “Never Trumper.”  And I never looked back.

But before I go down a very long rabbit hole, let me tell you why I went to a Trump rally to begin with – a rally that featured J.D. Vance, Marjorie Taylor Greene and some random person that Trump came across in a Chick-Fil-A. 

It’s not at all important to explain why I dislike the speakers, but it is important for me to explain why I went to begin with.

First, I’ll say that I acknowledge that Trump was our 45^th president, but I don’t refer to him as President Trump, or 45.  Just Trump for me, thank you.

If you’re like me, you have people in your life that support Trump – relatives, co-workers, acquaintances, even friends.  And if you’re like me, you just avoid the political discussions, unless you know the other person very well.  Afterall, some of them you do respect, and do love.

Someone close to me is a Trump supporter – in fact, very close.  My son isn’t a rabid supporter, and to him “Great Again” is the time in 2019 when inflation and interest rates were low. 

So, knowing that he supports Trump, I strongly suggested that he go to the rally with one of his friends.  You rarely find a Trump rally in a large city like Atlanta, so to me it was a great chance for him to view a page out of history without having to drive hours away to get there.

I volunteered to drive him and a friend to the rally and planned to take photos outside.  I love photography, so to me a Trump rally offered a rare opportunity to take photos that just aren’t there in front of me every day.

Decision time came when my son’s friends were busy that day.  Would I go in with him?  Of course!  I wanted to show support not to Trump, but to my son. 

It’s important to me that if you have a passion for something, that you participate as much as you possibly can.  How could I hold that belief, if I don’t walk the walk in support of it?

Also, to be honest, I wanted to know what it was like to stand in line for more than three hours outside, creeping steadily towards the GSU Convocation Center and towards a seat in the arena.

What would the people be like?  Would they be like the people I know and respect?  Why not go inside and find out?

Were there people that not only “drank the Kool-Aid,” but seemed ready to drink until they were ready to bust?  Of course, but they didn’t make up most of the people there.

Were there people that I disagreed with?  Of course – I was at a Trump rally, after all!

Did I feel in danger at all?  Of course not!  I didn’t offer my opinions at all – maybe my most act of “defiance” was not accepting a “Team Trump” sticker that a kind lady in line offered me.  To both of us it wasn’t a big deal.

There was a ton of Trump swag if I wanted to buy anything – or to peruse if I didn’t want any of it.  Trust me when I say, I’ve seen nothing like this in a political setting.  So many styles of hats, shirts, flags – and plenty of people who complain about inflation one moment, buying it up.

Here are just a few quick observations about what I encountered – answers to the questions most people asked me:

People that I met in line and inside did seem nice – while there were some “wild-eyed” crazies, most seemed like just average everyday Americans that we’re all accustomed to.

Was it a joyful crowd? Absolutely not.

The arena wasn’t totally full.  There were seats available in the highest upper fringes – maybe 600 or so, but it’s a rough guess.

There was a large crowd watching the rally outside on a large screen monitor – perhaps a few thousand.  And of course, many were milling around the merchandise.

Trump arrived more than an hour late.  Ironic to me when I watched his reaction at the NABJ Convention, when the forum started around 35 minutes late.  We waited in line out in the Atlanta sun for more than 3 hours, only to learn that the lines for food and beverages were impossibly long and that later the vendors closed shop.

While waiting for Trump to come on stage, there  was an odd choice of videos playing on the large screens.  Celine Dion performing “My Heart Will Go On,” the unlikely duo of James Brown and Luciano Pavarotti performing “It’s a Man’s World,” and for some totally unknown reason live footage from The Beach Boys performing at a fundraiser to raise money to eradicate Cleft Palate.  It’s not as if there were a call to action to support the cause – just the video.

There were lots of Trump rally veterans that go from venue to venue to attend.  Many knew ahead of time that he’d be late, because they had experienced it many times before.  It begs the question of how many new people are at each of the venues – and how many were curious about the experience, like me, who would never vote for him.

After I heard Trump insult my governor and alma mater, it was time for me to go.  My son and I left around an hour into the diatribe.  We weren’t the first to leave – or the last.  It’s as if people just got tired and experienced all that they intended – so they (and we) left.

Would I go to a Trump rally again?  Most definitely not.

I experienced all that I wanted to experience and had my questions answered.

What is my overall impression?  We’re all Americans – not one side is totally just and the other the total enemy. 

What is clear is that there are some opportunist demagogues out there leading people in the wrong direction, while selling them a lot of Bibles, sneakers, flags, NFTs – and a “bill of goods.”

Some will tell you that our country has never been more divided, but they are wrong.  If you look back and dig deeper into our nation’s history, you’ll find that there has always been division. 

Some will act as if everyone on the other side is the enemy, but they are not.  Others will act as if they are all stupid, but they are not.