By the time I knew what the term “blue collar” meant, I wasn’t.

I come from a long line of blue-collar people, proud Italians and Irish who were carpenters and cooks and iron workers, and in the case of my beloved Pop Pop, a trashman.

My parents were able to move way up in the social and economic ladder through lots of sweat, even more tears and dedication to each other.

And while my maternal grandparents will always be two of the four most important persons in my life, I grew up relatively privileged.

But being blue-collar adjacent, so to speak, has formed my conscience and my view of the world. To me, class has always been more divisive than race.

Donald Trump figured that out, and here we are today.

The upcoming elections, like the last few, are about how people see themselves, and how they think others see them.

More specifically, it’s about the respect they believe is owed to them simply because they are Americans who pay taxes, obey the laws and raise their children to salute the flag,........

© Yuma Sun