Recently, over dinner with friends, the topic of Trump and his threat to our democracy came up. The hand-wringing and disbelief about what was happening made me suggest that we needed to speak up, even when provoked by longtime MAGA friends.
Not surprisingly, there was an air of hopelessness given that all of us were retired and without much leverage to affect change. Further, I sensed that we reflected the complacency that characterizes much of the electorate most of the time. We are comfortable with ourselves and busy living our lives. We either don’t have time or don’t want to take time to get involved. And as I mentioned in an earlier post, Americans are hopelessly optimistic that everything always works out okay
Still, despite the despair, the feelings expressed were sincere and at times angry that others, members of Congress and public officials – those with real leverage in the system – could or would not see what is happening and stop the carnage.
The truth is that we can do something, however insignificant or ineffective it might seem. The important thing is to take a stand in face of the unprecedented attacks on our democratic and constitutional traditions. Ordinary people like us can write letters to the editors of local newspapers, contribute to candidates of both parties who stand for constitutional government, attend political rallies and, perhaps most importantly, make our political opinions public in our communities. We can also share political commentaries with those who might appreciate different opinions.
The critical thing is not to remain silent. Silence enables tyranny. Seize opportunities to voice your opinion even when your friends or acquaintances bring up their support for Trump or MAGA politics. They are, after all, demeaning and threatening the America you pledged to support since childhood. Do so politely without malice and you will have done the right thing by yourself.
The common complaint that I hear from people is that they can’t talk politics with some of their friends, that they always scrupulously avoid mentioning Trump, but that the topic seems to always be just below the surface and affects their friendship just the same. Ditto here. None of us wants to lose good friends because of political differences.. I know from experience having lost a close friendship that I miss having in my life. Despite the pain, however, I don’t regret speaking out against Trump and the havoc he continues to bring down upon us. I did the right thing by myself.
THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO DO SOMETHING!