In today’s America under President Trump, Political Dissent is dangerous and has resulted in physical assaults, verbal harassment, DOJ political tribunals, doxing, assassination threats and actual assassinations. Trump and his followers have brought all of this, and more, to bear on people who publicly disagree with their latest version of Fascism.
Some, like Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, not to mention their dog Gilbert, paid the ultimate sacrifice for believing in and working towards a better America. Others, myself included just have had scary crazy people yell at them and seen their names and addresses plastered all over the internet.
None of this is good or fun or excusable, but none of it is new, either. From Christ’s political assassination for resisting the Roman occupation of Israel to the deadly attack on the Depression-era Bonus Army to the horrific bombings of Black churches where patriots organized for civil rights, authoritarians have consistently lashed out at their critics. People who resist authority, who see a better world around the corner if we can just get there, have always been ridiculed, assaulted, sidelined and killed by those who fear their messages.
America’s current challenges are not that different from yesterday’s challenges and the Trump Regime’s tactics are not that different from HItler’s tactics or Stalin’s tactics or Caesar’s tactics or…..
You get the point. We’ve seen this movie before. Trump and Company will continue to assault our American values until we either shut up and take a knee or until we stop them.
For many of us, stopping them is the only option but we need to know what we’re in for. It’s going to be a long, painful, bumpy and uncomfortable journey to an unknown destination.
And like most journeys, the road is smoother and the destination better if you know and trust the people you’re travelling with.
So- find your buddies, strap yourselves in for the long haul and start pushing back. Now is NOT, and has NEVER BEEN, the time to be silent.
