Michael J. Stern
That is going to be a scorched earth column, so buckle up.
Sure, former Vice President Joe Biden could squeak out a victory. However even when he does, weve been slapped with the heartbreaking actuality that almost half our nation voted for President Donald Trump after spending 4 years watching him spew unbridled bigotry, interact in blatant corruption, and inform so many lies youd want a magnifying glass to learn the Washington Submit’s operating listing of false and deceptive claims.
My finest buddy simply referred to as in disgust to say he didn’t acknowledge this nation. Sadly, I do.Its the identical nation that constructed itself largely on the backs of slaves who had their most simple human rights stolen and whose descendants, greater than 150 years after emancipation, nonetheless carry the burden of the chains that held them down.
Its the identical nation that closed its eyes to Matthew Shepard, crushed and damaged and tied to a fence in rural Wyoming, the place he was left to die as a result of he was homosexual.
And its the identical nation the place you may see numerous cellular phone movies of individuals telling Latino Individuals to talk English or “keep in Mexico” or return” to the place they got here from.
Our higher and worse angels
True, barely greater than half the nation voted to repudiate Trump. However thats little comfort as a result of those that selectedTrump didn’t achieve this out of a easy distinction of political opinion on which cheap minds can differ.We are able to tease out every strand of the strangle knot, however in the long run this election was a contest between our higher and worse angels.
We have been all the time imperfect however America was nice, partly, due to what we aspired to be: Land of the free, the place exhausting work and equality meant everybody had a shot at incomes a chunk of the pie.We have been born a mosaic of variety and we celebrated it.
However thats not what Trumps America desires to see once they look via the window of historical past.They wish to see their very own reflection.And regardless of Trumps success in main a 67-million-person refrain of Make America Nice Once more, its only a TV jingle.
Not one of the insurance policies enacted beneath the Trump-branded theme track have finished something to really make America nice. Tax cuts for the wealthiest,combating thepromise of common well being care, deadly mismanagement of a pandemic, use of the Justice Division for political acquire anda private monetary windfall these are the cornerstonesofa presidency finest characterised by golf and failure.Whereas half of ushave beenrepelled, the opposite halfvoted for extra.
Withstand it, Democrats: We’re a middle left democracy hijacked by Trump and Republicans
Individuals must cease appearing perplexed about how the polls might be so flawed.How they may present Biden up by 7 factors in Michigan and nonetheless find yourself with a race that’s nearly evenly break up.I by no means once more wish to hear the phrase margin of error. Trump is aware of what occurred and most of us do too, if were prepared to say it out loud.
Lots of people areshopping for the bigotry and division thatTrump is promoting they simply dont need their household, pals, and neighbors to comprehend it, so that they dont inform the pollsters. Theyre scarfing down a Huge Mac of their automotive, at midnight nook of a McDonalds car parking zone, earlier than heading residence and pretending to get pleasure from a plate of baked hen and broccoli.
Fictitious world marketedby Fox Information
Maybe probably the most harmful implication of this election is the willingness of tens of hundreds of thousands of Individuals to reject disagreeable realities and settle for a fictitious world created by an autocrat and marketed by co-conspirator Fox Information.They dont wish to imagine that nearly a quarter-million folks similar to them might be alive one minute and physique bagged the subsequent.And so, they select to imagine Trumps rounding the nook announcement claiming hes conquered the coronavirus pandemic even because the an infection charge is hitting document highs at the same time as my companion referred to as me two hours in the past tosay hes bought a fever, has been vomiting, and is just too sick to remain on the hospital the place he works.
Onerous 2020 classes:Democrats counted on cash and Hispanic voters to ship a blue wave. They did not.
If issues weren’t unhealthy sufficient,Trump pronounced Tuesday evening that hed gained the election and demanded an finish to vote counting in statesthe place he’s forward, whereas concurrently insisting that the depend proceed in states the place he’s trailing. Trump then threatened to take his plan to steal the election to the Supreme Courtroom, the place he appointed a 3rd of the judges and expects a heat reception.He is already filed lawsuits in Michiganand Pennsylvania (to cease the vote depend),demanded a recount in Wisconsin and “claimed” to have gained a number of states earlier than they have been determined.
I cant imagine were right here once more.I cant imagine thatalmost half my fellow Individuals have embraced a person so singularly targeted on satisfying himself, hed chunk his moms breast if sweeter milk caught his eye.
When all is alleged and finished, Trump could also be defeated in an in depth name.However IworryTrumpism, and the ugliness it displays, areright here to remain.
Michael J. Stern, a member of USA TODAY’s Board of Contributors,was a federal prosecutor for 25 years in Detroit and Los Angeles. Comply with him on Twitter: @MichaelJStern1
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