As Inauguration Day approaches, the country awaits in nail-biting anticipation; torn and divided, bruised up and bleeding, sad and angry, and collectively hoping that this ominous, threatening cloud of anger and violence hanging above us will not rain bullets on our parade. And the whole world is watching, also in anticipation. They have BEEN watching in anticipation. Because, in reality, what happens in our country does not just affect us citizens, it affects the whole world.
The United States of America has been viewed around the world as “The Land of Opportunity” for years and years and years. We have a reputation as one of the most, if not THE most, powerful and influential countries on planet Earth. Other countries look up to us. We are a paradigm for Democracy. The blueprint for progression. We give humans in less fortunate countries hope. We are the land of freedom. The land of opportunity, where ones dreams have a chance of becoming reality. We are a country that has been built on traditions and cultures and dreams and experiences from all around the world. We have portrayed ourselves to be ever accepting regardless of race, religious belief, sex, political preference or economic status. But during the last four years, everything that we thought and said we were; everything the world has believed us to be, has been thrown in to question.
It is no secret how I feel about the current Administration. Four years ago I was struggling inside to figure out what being an American meant. Everything I thought it had meant was suddenly endangered. We now had a leader who’s definition of an American was different from what I had always believed it to be. I felt like I was having an identity crisis. And then the whole country began its seemingly endless battle to find and solidify our identity as Americans.
I started this blog as an outlet for my thoughts and feelings surrounding the election outcome. I went through a roller coaster of emotions, trying to understand and process them. I wanted to have a voice. I also wanted to try and understand what happened. I was disappointed in our country. It wasn’t about “winning or losing”. It wasn’t that simple. The man elected to the most honorable position in our country was seemingly a threat to our country and world in so many ways. But ever the one to put the shoe on the other foot in hopes of better understanding, I tied up those laces and tried to find the good in what SO many feared would be bad. And time and again, plain as day, that man showed us that our fears were justified. It was no longer what we feared, it was now what we knew.
The days of arguing sides have proven to be pointless. It does not matter that there is an endless catalog of audible and visible proof of what a danger this destructive man has been to our country and the world during his tenure in office. The fact of the matter is there are still people, despite the very obvious and undeniable truths presented before our very own eyes, whom believe that this man is the right man to lead our country to “success”. Understanding that extreme level of denial is beyond me. I can not do it anymore. This argument about denying the President his right to freedom of speech is tired and baseless. He has utilized his many platforms in individual states and on social media, to abuse that First Amendment right, consistently spewing his lies and alternative facts, promoting hate for anything “non Trump” and invoking personal attacks. His right to freedom of speech has lead us to where we are now. Everything we have feared; everything we have been saying and fighting for or against for the last four years proved to be justified on January 6, 2021. There is absolutely no doubt that the leader of our country, his sons and his closest enablers incited the insurrection of our countries Capitol building. There is blood on their hands. Death on their hands. And they still deny it despite their very own “die hard” supporters telling on them from their jail cells. But I don’t believe that this is the time to say “I told you so.” I don’t believe that will help anything at all. It has become so much deeper than that.
My initial reaction to the storming of the Capitol stemmed from seeing a very graphic video that was most certainly not shown on television, of one of Trumps supporters leading the group of terrorists through a broken window, only to be shot to the ground for her actions. I have never felt an anger or sadness like that before. I was cursing her directly and praying for God to forgive her soul at the same time. Like, on my knees in the shower praying with my tears being washed away just as fast as they were coming out.
It took me a few days to settle down and process what had happened. These people were not “special” American patriots like Trump said. They were not patriots at all. And the more I saw Republicans coming out and condemning Trump and what had happened, I realized that they weren’t Republicans either. What those domestic terrorists did on that Wednesday at the Capitol was similar to what the looters did during the protests over last summer, in the sense that they took away from the real message. These men and women that stormed the Capitol weren’t there to peacefully protest. They went there trying to use scare tactics to bully our Government officials and the Vice President of our country to overturn the undeniably LEGITIMATE election results. They were there at the command of Trump, because he can not accept the fact that he simply lost the election, fair and square; his ego just won’t allow it. They were there as the direct result of Trumps lies. They were there to fight Trumps made up war against people who were falsely deemed enemies.
The protests over the summer were taking place for a real reason. The culmination of repeated acts of violence inflicted on minorities by police and racial injustice as a whole and the lack of support or condemnation of said injustice from the current administration was undoubtedly the reason that people were in the streets, standing up and speaking out. There were voices that had been silenced forever and we felt in our hearts and souls that we could no longer be silent and let it happen. Closed mouths don’t get heard. But then there were people who tried to muffle the sound of our voices with their violent hate for our peaceful message, provoking and enticing and bullying us. And with that came opportunists, using this rift to their advantage and choosing to set fires and loot and destroy businesses in a fit of rage. And those inexcusable actions muddied up our message. It made the situation worse, giving fuel to people like Trump who in turn poured it on the flames, furthering the rift. Rather than taking the time to understand the pain and hurt of the American people, listening to our concerns and fulfilling the honorable position of leader of “the Free world”, he left us hanging. Rather than setting a good example for all, actively looking for a solution to mend the inevitable cracks in our justice system as well as the hearts and souls of millions of Americans, he left us hanging. And now the tables have turned.
We can say karma is working. We can say God is showing us the truth. We can say things are coming full circle. We can say all of these things, but the fact is that now there is not only a division in our country, but now there is a division in the Republican party. You have so-called Republicans who, despite what happened at the Capitol, are still entertaining Trumps lies and “fighting his fight” and washing their hands clean of the “traitors” in their party. And then you have Republicans denouncing the actions of Trump, his enablers and his “very special” supporters as they finally see and understand what we have been trying to say for the last four years. It is very unfortunate that it had to take a mob of domestic terrorists attacking our countries Capitol to wake them up.
Many are saying “too little too late”. I am going to say “better late than never.” You know why? Because it is no longer about Republican vs Democratic anymore. It is so much more than that. It has become the American people vs self-proclaimed Trump enthusiasts. Because let us be clear, those were not honorable Americans or true patriots that stormed the Capitol. I recognize that the Republican party has been undeniably tarnished by the Trump administration. I know people, both family and friends, who voted for Trump because he represents the Republican party and they voted for him for that reason alone. Their beliefs, both political and personal, are aligned with those of the Republican party. Conservative. But now the Republican party is having an identity crisis. Because Trump has claimed it to be HIS party yet many Republicans don’t agree with what Trump has done to this precious country and its citizens. He has given the Republican party a bad name.
I understand the conflicting feeling that these Republicans feel. It was how I felt when Trump got elected as President in 2016. This “thing” that we have believed in and supported and been proud to be is seemingly no longer what we believed it to be. But I am here to say fuck that. We can not let this man take away from us what is ours; our Country. Our democracy. Republican or Democrat, Black or White, Brown or Yellow, Muslim or Catholic, Buddhist or non denominational, woman or man, adult or child… WE ARE AMERICANS, despite what Trump has been saying to all of us these last four years.
The light at the end of this tunnel is getting closer and closer. Four more days until change can officially begin. I pray that us Americans take a look at these last four years that we have endured as well as the last 245 years as a whole, to identify our mistakes, stop denying them, learn from them and fix shit. We need to reach deep down into our souls and grab a handful of that love and strength that I know we have, and do our part as Americans to help put this country and our people back together. Because no one party alone can achieve that. This fixing that needs to be done can not be done solely by one man or woman. We all have to take part in the healing that is vital for our countries future. We all have to take part in preserving the democracy that is the very essence of our great country, The United States of America.
Awake, Aware & Uncensored 