Pixabay
American society has changed since Donald Trump came on the political scene, and it's not for the good. When Trump became President the heretofore hidden dregs of society were emboldened to come from underneath their rocks and into the mainstream culture. Among them were racists, bigots, Nazis, fascists, and plain evil hate-filled people. Trump loved and embraced them, making up the bulk of his supporters. He fired them up at his frequent rallies held, before his election, during his presidency, and after he lost re-election. He attacked immigrants, the handicapped, women, the LGBTQ community, women, and people of color, to the delight of his followers.
After his bid for a second term failed, he attempted a coup to stop the transfer of power and remain in office. He did not attempt this coup alone. He had the help of numerous Republican members of the House of Representatives and Senate, and even the wife of a Supreme Court Justice. As the January 6 Commission continues its investigation, the United States Secret Service has been implicated. The coup is not over, even though the insurrection of January 6th is over. The "big lie" continues with a majority of Republicans frozen in their fear of Trump's retaliation and the Red States scurrying to make it as difficult as possible for the poor and people of color to vote and setting the stage for the Republican state legislatures to overturn the election results if a Democrat wins.
We are now seeing the disastrous results of Trump and McConnell packing SCOTUS with 3 unqualified far-right Christo-fascists, who have overturned Roe vs Wade, New York State's common sense concealed weapons law, crippled major climate policies, and now set their sights on same-sex marriage, contraception, and possibly interracial marriage. For the first time in our country's history, SCOTUS has become a political body founded on the Christian Bible.
We have become a society where not only do a majority of the people have to fear losing their Constitutional rights, but we have to fear our fundamental right of simply being alive. Because the Republican party and now SCOTUS represents the NRA we have to fear carrying on with our everyday lives. We have seen 19 children and 2 teachers killed in a classroom in Uvalde, Texas. We have seen 10 people killed and 3 wounded in a Buffalo grocery store simply because they were Black. Seven people were killed at a 4th of July parade in Highland Park, Ill. According to GunViolence Archive, there have been over 45 mass shootings from the July 4th shooting to today, July 24.
The Uvalde, Buffalo, and Highland Park shootings, as well as most, if not all of our mass shootings, had one thing in common, they involved military-style assault weapons. Yet Republicans in Congress have refused to ban assault weapons. Even though Congress, with bipartisan support, passed a gun bill limiting the age for gun purchase and ownership, as well as ownership by domestic violence offenders, Republicans still oppose sensible gun control.
In the meantime Americans fear for their lives going to the grocery store, attending school, going to church, enjoying a parade, celebrating a holiday, going to a nightclub, shopping in a mall, or simply leaving their home! Who is going to be the next mass shooter? Is it the kid next door, the guy in the next aisle at the grocery store or Home Depot, a fellow worshiper, or someone in our family? It's a gamble merely living your life.
At the same time, Americans fear losing their rights, their right to control their own healthcare, the right to choose to bear children, the right to love and marry the person of your choice, their right to clean air, the right to our Social Security, and even the right to vote. We don't fear the gunman, we have to fear the ones who will vote for those people who have said they will take those rights from us. In other words, we have to fear those who support and vote for Republicans, who have declared war on our democracy and our right to live as we please. Please read my blog post, "You're Not My Ally and You Are Not My Friend" and be aware of who you trust.
