There were hopes in the 2020 election that America would seek to promote “our better angels.” We managed to end the nightmarish reign of the cult leader; but we have not ended our nightmare. Over 72 million Americans voted for the cult leader. The did so knowing how despicable, dishonest, and destructive he has been. These same voters rewarded his congressional and state enablers to continue their Dark Side work of destroying everything that once made America great.
The motto of the Dark One was “make America great again.” He has not done that. He has embarrassed us around the world; has attacked the very essence of what once made America a beacon of hope around the world; attacked the post office, the census, and the electoral process itself to win an election; said he might not honor the election if he didn’t win – unprecedented in American history; misused the powers of his office to attack everyone and everything that dared question his actions; has placed “loyalty” to him as the most important qualification of jobs – like a Mafia boss/dictator.
Worst of all, he has attacked the concept of “truth.” itself. The very notion of facts, of numerical, historical and scientific facts. very early in his reign, a close advisor raised the concept of “alternative facts.” The Dark One went downhill from there, into a “1984” fantasy world of over 20,000 lies. Is anyone even counting his lies anymore??? Are we so numbed by the hourly barrage of lies??? Without an accepted body of what was once considered factual truth, we cannot have “democracy.”
In the Academy Award winning film, “Judgment At Nuremberg,” a once highly respected German judge is on trial for war crimes. His lawyer defends him as a good man trying to do his duty; in so doing cruelly berates a witness. To this point, the judge has said nothing. Now the accused man stands and says “are we going to do this again?” And in that speech, the once great judge approaches his former self when he says “we all knew.”As in, “we all knew” of the war crimes and the barbarity.
In 2020 America, “we all knew.” We all knew of the cruelties and corruptions of the Dark One; and of the guilt of his enablers. They were in plain, public, sight for 5 years – just like the Holocaust and other Nazi cruelties and crimes were in plain sight. “We all knew,” but 72 million of us still voted for the Dark One. Millions “all knew” yet voted for the accomplices, his enablers. Why did they?
Supporters of the Dark One stated publicly their rationale was false propaganda talking points of the Dark Side: “doing a good job, doing a good job on the economy, doing a good job on COVID-19 [incredibly!!!], kept his promises [which ones???], not backing down,” etc. In extended comments, the Dark One’s voters gave as “facts” things proven wrong. They had drunk the cult’c Kool-Aid.
And there were dark reasons too. Some proudly admitted prejudice and bigotry. One poll showed 19% of the Dark One’s voters had refused to admit voting for him.
The Dark One didn’t drive into a crowd intentionally; didn’t vandalize Minneapolis – “Umbrella Man” did; didn’t drive across several states to commit arson and incite violence; didn’t assault and shoot protesters; didn’t burn churches; didn’t massacre worshippers; didn’t conspire on the internet to commit violence and start a civil war; didn’t try [again!!!] intimidating vote counters; didn’t issues death threats to anyone not supporting the Dark One; didn’t suggest that America’s leading pandemic health doctor should be beheaded. BUT – his supporters did
The Dark One has denied COVID-19’s seriousness, saying it will all go away, like the flu. His supporters have responded in defiance to all world-wide medical science. Their refusal to wear masks and practice social distancing accelerated the plague. We, the innocents following science, are now at the mercy of the stupid, the reckless, the Kool-Aid drinkers – as daily, hourly cases rise and more die.
Doctors and nurses are pleading, begging, for help. They are stressed out, physically and mentally exhausted, some have committed suicide, others in counseling, many considering quitting. Teachers are breaking under the strain of 15 hour days, about 1/4 – 1/3 considering retirement. First responders are wearing down, many getting sick and dying, some in counseling, some committing suicide. Low-wage “essential workers” have died doing their jobs. A girls’ tennis team in a small rural Minnesota town made a video pleading with their neighbors “to do the right thing” so they could play tennis. Supporters of the Dark One dismiss all this with “I have rights.”
Early in the Dark One’s rule, a Japanese comment discussed America”s leader in terms of a “Voldemort” presidency. Destructive science fiction villainy brought tragically to life.
hitler, Stalin, Mao didn’t murder millions alone – they had help. The Dark One didn’t, can’t, drag America down – unless he has help. “We all know.” There remains a chance America can live up to the hopes of the Founders [“all men are created equal”] and the wisdom of Lincoln [“with malice toward none” and “with charity for all”}. A chance.
BUT – America will not be redeemed, saved, restored, healed – if “we the people” don’t overcome the Dark Side – so often, so cruelly, revealed in 20l6-2020
We can choose to live, vote with love and tolerance. Or – we can choose to live, vote in fear and hatred. Our enemies may try, but only /americans can subvert us.
Over a million Americans have died in combat defending this country. Millions more seriously wounded. Thousands serve at this moment. They took an oath to defend the Constitution. They felt a calling – to protect us.
Theodore Roosevelt’s Mount Rushmore plaque states: “We, here in America, hold in our hands the hope of the world, the fate of the coming years; and shame and disgrace will be ours if in our eyes the light of high resolve is dimmed, if we trail in the dust the golden hopes of man.” Shame, disgrace, trail in the dust, golden hopes of men…………….
We are at Teddy’s tipping point, have in some ways crossed the Rubicon. It is not too late to honor what America once stood for, 1789 – 2015. We have another chance – to redeem ourselves, and the hope of the world.
Whether we succeed my friends – is in YOUR hands. We, collectively, can pull back from the “1984” abyss. OR – we can continue to drink the Dark One’s Kool-Aid, and cross over the Rubicon completely to the Dark Side. What’s it gonna be??? Love and tolerance, or, fear and hatred?
Are “WE” going to be the same country that three times saved the world from autocratic rule – OR _ are “WE” going to allow a plutocratic theocracy to be completed in what was once “the home of the brave?”
The Dark Side is very strong, very seductive, very powerful, extremely rich, has absolutely no scruples. Their messages are very clever – appealing to your fears, rarely your hopes [and then with lies].
Will we do Vladimir Putin’s work {for him] – or, Abraham Lincoln’s?
YOUR choice America – your choice.
With Justice For All 