Dangerous times x2

“Never lose hope. Storms make people stronger and never last forever.”
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

I confess that writing this article is not proving very easy in view of the latest developments outside my isolated bubble. But it's imperative that I find my sense of optimism that things are going to work out for the betterment of us all. I have to believe that; otherwise the darkness of defeat waiting to pounce will win.

Our country has seen strife before. One could argue that it is a necessary part of having a democracy in that people feel free to think and feel certain ways and, through our rights to free speech and peaceful assembly, to act upon those beliefs. The founders recognized this when they created our constitution outlining everything our country stands for. What's more, they even gave us, quite literally, the power to overthrow our government every four years through our right to vote if we no longer approved of it.

But there are some who would insist upon forcing their agendas on us to the detriment of all. The protesters answering the twisted call to “liberate” the states are doing just that. They are not interested in the facts. They are not interested in whether the majority agrees with them. They are only intent on following one person who knows exactly which of their buttons to push. They either can't or won't see that they are being manipulated by a master manipulator. They are but pawns in a high stakes attempt to disrupt constitutional law and achieve total control of the whole. Pawns the president is intentionally endangering, first by having them believe that corvid-19 doesn't exist, then by having them assemble in large numbers. It boggles the mind to think that people can be so weak as to be willing to give up rationality in favor of being led.

The United States was born of rebellion. It emerged from that rebellion as a radical idea that the people of the infant republic could govern themselves. In the nearly three centuries of its existence it has known many internal skirmishes, including a civil war that threatened to tear the country apart. A hundred years later it saw another rebellion over the waging of an unpopular war and against the institutions that would deny equality for all. Yet somehow we survived those threats. Mostly because, in the end, we held on to the laws our beloved constitution contained that would ensure our cohesion.

Now, however, we have a president who was not elected by the majority but by a very flawed electoral college and who now would throw that constitution by the roadside in his own self interest. He is not satisfied with the already awesome powers given to him by the law of the land. By his own admission he wants total control. He wants to set himself up as a king or emperor. And he has carefully groomed a disgruntled, easily aroused base of racists and other malcontents to achieve that goal.

We have another election coming up where the electoral college can once again vote with or against the wishes of America's voters. But does it matter? Has Donald Trump so damaged us that we can never recover regardless of whether he is elected or not? Would it really matter if he was not reelected? Joe Biden has one hell of a mess to contend with should he take office, including a formidable threat in Trump's political base. Assuming, of course, enough of them survive infecting themselves with a virus they believe doesn't exist despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

In spite of all of this, I have to believe in our country's ability to right itself after every storm. It won't emerge the same as it was before but maybe, just maybe, we will be the stronger for it. We will have once again looked the darkness in the eye and survived, just as we have before. I have to believe it because to believe otherwise is already admitting defeat. And I refuse to admit defeat.