Fear or Hope?
While hyperventilating over imagined affronts such as kitty litter in schools to accommodate kids who believe they are animals or teaching courses that may offend little white kids with history, the hope of the greatest generation is now clouded in fear. When Franklin Roosevelt told America, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself,” America was willing to give up luxury for patriotism. We rationed gasoline and had meatless days. When car manufacturers retooled to make military vehicles and women shaved their legs more because they gave up nylons so American soldiers could use the material and learned to be riveters, the country stood tall shoulder to shoulder.
We are about 2 weeks away from an election that may plunge America into the fascism our great-grandparents fought. Either that or acceptance because milk and gas cost more. It is easy to understand the kitchen table issues that drive our decisions, although America’s inflation is less than Germany’s or England’s. Inflation is a global phenomenon due to war, supply chain disruptions, and greed from corporate gouging. We are nowhere near the hyperinflation rates of some countries.
One of my favorite quotes comes from David Orr, who wrote, “Hope is a verb with its shirtsleeves rolled up.” We tell our kids to overcome adversity, making them better adults. Maybe we should tell adults that adversity does not build character; it demonstrates it.
An old political adage reads, “throw the bums out,” and America has its chance now. Only one current party in America tried a violent overthrow of the government. Only one party willingly takes away women’s rights to determine their health and family needs. Only one-party advocates banning books they fear explaining to their children. Only one current party wants to disenfranchise black Americans by limiting voting rights. Only one party is looking for the power to impoverish the elderly by stripping Social Security and legally stealing the funding for the health of children, the old, and the disabled.
Democrats had legitimate gripes in the 2000 election and fair questions in the 2016 election, but neither erupted into an attack on the Capitol. Still today, after countless and pointless court battles, lying candidates, and lawsuits, Republican faithful still deny Joseph R. Biden is the President of the United States. Republicans like to counter with quotes from Hillary Clinton and Rep. Maxine Waters, calling Trump illegitimate. What is always conveniently left out was Mrs. Clinton putting any chances of violence to rest by calling Donald Trump and conceding the next day. She did not tell her supporters to come to Washington on the day the election was to be certified, promising a “Big protest in DC on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!“
Republicans are running on fear of crime, although statistically, the FBI reports crime is down, a school curriculum (CRT) made up from whole cloth all designed to scare whites and marginalize true history. This election is not about the lesser of two evils; it is an election of who offers hope over fear.
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