My friend, Nancy, sent me a piece written by Heather Cox Richardson about Hitler's gradual rise to power. Ms. Richardson included the story about Dorothy Thompson, a foreign correspondent for the Saturday Evening Post. Ms. Thompson was expelled from Germany in 1934 for remarking (in 1931) that Hitler was a man "of startling insignificance." Sound familiar? Safely back in the United States in the mid 1930's, Dorothy Thompson began to report on the dangers of facism. Many are aware of the history of demagogues in the United States, during the 1920's and 1930's and the popularity of racist theories. If not, I suggest you educate yourself.
While the United States is not Nazi Germany, horrible events could happen here (again). Japanese American citizens were interred in the 1940's due to the fears brought on by the attack on Pearl Harbor. From 1838-1839, Native Americans were forced to march thousands of miles and were slaughtered in skirmishes and wars. Then there was the Jim Crow period. Another Trump win portends a President and administration, mandated by an election, in peace time, hell-bent on spreading fear through outrageous lies, to discriminate against, demean, and deport minorities. Our country has never quite faced this scenario before.
I have never prayed for our country. But now I do. I pray Kamala Harris wins. However, I have been thinking about our morning after, November 6, 2024. After the tears, anger, shock, disappointment, and disgust of a Trump victory, I believe most Americans will settle back on their sofas to watch sports, go to work, take care of their families, etc. I will be distraught. However, most people (or at least half of the population) will be fine. They simply do not care about the implications of a Trump victory. They identify dreadful predictions by Democrats fake news.
Trump and his ilk are the ultimate in selfishness. Our American individualism has reached new heights, evidenced every day by impolite behavior, dangerous driving, disregard for organized religion, not voting, silly entertainment on our phones, citizens interfering with public education, and the delegitimation of voting, to name a few. Americans are spoiled and uninformed, unless they have paid attention. We have not yet experienced a Hitler, Mussolini, or Putin rise to power as President, thank goodness. Approximately half of Americans will vote for Trump and Vance, the other half of us must reckon with this reality. Either these Americans want a dictator supported by cronies and enablers; they simply do not care; and/or, most probable, they do not understand the dangers.
Many wise Americans understand the significance of a Trump victory, as was the case in Germany. People who recognized danger left Germany in the 1920's and 1930's. I have listened closely to experts delineate the potential dangers of a second Trump presidency. I was born with an inherent sense of anticipatory anxiety; my parents and grandparents were the lucky ones who escaped the Nazis in the nick of time. I am atuned to trouble coming my way. I have gained German citizenship, just in case, which is an irony of all ironies.
I would predict that Trump, who is incompetent, would rely on his more intelligent, younger cohorts and enablers to finagle unconstitutional acts which most of us may not recognize until it is too late. We have already experienced serious challenges to our rights and have been powerless to counteract. Who would have thought that a law which legalized abortion, that helped uncountless Americans, could be rescinded? Who would have believed that the Supreme Court become a rubber stamp for abrogating people's rights? Who would have believed that judges could be politicized? AND WHO WOULD BELIEVE A TWICE IMPEACHED, FELON WOULD WIN THE REPUBLICAN NOMINATION? Those of us who favor a continuance of democracy realize that Project 25 represents a serious plan for a future that could occur. We take Trump's words seriously.
I think the destruction of our democracy would be gradual which is all the more insidious. The diminshment of rights would slither in like a lizard capable of unimaginable growth and spread its body throughout the land. Most probably, after the rights of political enemies, minorities, women, homosexuals and gender fluid individuals are destroyed, religious groups would be the next targets.
Scariest of all would be a denial of climate change coupled with less regulations provided by the federal government. A drastically altered environment would be a complete disaster. The dystopic novels I have read and the horror films I do not watch are no longer figments of a colorful imagination. We have observed the havoc of two hurricanes in two weeks. The images of the dreadful governmental response to Hurricane Katrina will forever be in my mind. I remember watching TV and being horrified by images of poor African Americans trudging into a hot, airless stadium which was supposedly a shelter. These were the fortunate survivors. About 1,400 people were killed in their neighborhoods by storm surge, now a well-known danger from hurricanes. I remembering thinking, this is America? Now I know it is.
To quote our President: God Bless America! A phrase I never thought I would utter.
© 2024 Karen Levi
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