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Michael Shannon Declares Trump Nation Has Made Us Orphans

By Kristy Puchko | Celebrity | November 16, 2016 |

By Kristy Puchko | Celebrity | November 16, 2016 |


Since the election, many cold, ugly truths are being faced about the state of our nation. But on a personal note, millions of Americans are confronting the uncomfortable and downright disturbing reality that they have loved ones who voted for a presidential candidate that openly appealed to racists, sexists, anti-Semites and homophobes. How are we to sit down at Thanksgiving with parents we know voted Trump? Michael Shannon’s advice is simple: Don’t.

Speaking to Metro in a provocative interview about his upcoming drama Nocturnal Animals, the esteemed character actor—and Pajiba favorite—didn’t mince words:

“The wall isn’t between the U.S. and Mexico; the wall is between people who voted for Trump and people who didn’t. And we’ve got to do something about it. I don’t want to live in a country where people voted for Trump. I want to live some other fucking country. But I don’t want to run away. So we’re just going to have to bust this thing up…There’s a lot of old people who need to realize they’ve had a nice life, and it’s time for them to move on. Because they’re the ones who go out and vote for these assholes. If you look at the young people, between 18 and 25, if it was up to them Hillary would have been president. No offense to the seniors out there. My mom’s a senior citizen. But if you’re voting for Trump, it’s time for the urn.”

Metro reporter Matt Prigge admitted, “My parents voted for Trump and I’m still not sure how to talk to them about that.” And again, our creepy crush laid it out no-fucks-be-given style:

“Fuck ‘em. You’re an orphan now. Don’t go home. Don’t go home for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Don’t talk to them at all. Silence speaks volumes.”

I totally get where Shannon is coming from here. But he admittedly has an advantage over many of us, because none of his Kentucky family voted Trump. For those of us dealing with this personal and political devastation, silence might indeed be a strong action. But is it one that will help or just hurt? If we shut down toward our relatives who voted Trump, we shut down the conversation that could allow them to understand our fears and concerns moving forward. We shut ourselves off to forging new allies who might like the idea of a political shake-up, but don’t want to see social politics take giant steps back. It’s a tricky situation. And as the holidays approach, many of us are struggling with what to make of it.

Kristy Puchko misses October.