“Let your life be a counter-friction to stop the machine. What I have to do is to see, at any rate, that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn.”
― Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience
The question on the table is what is a person like myself supposed to do in times like these? I’m not trying set up any specific point, I’m just working out my own thought process on a keyboard. If nothing else, I want to put myself on the record so there can be no doubt for the history books. For a few years now, after leaving a career as a journalism professor, I’ve largely stayed away from the “news.” I was too jaded, and felt my soul was slowly being poisoned. Those same symptoms were also reasons I left working in law enforcement some twenty years prior. You simply come face to face with too many things that the average person is allowed to be blissfully ignorant.
But the days of ignorance are behind us. We know what’s going on. We know the majority of republican lawmakers despise Trump. But, they’re either afraid of him or they’re afraid of the MAGA party. What we know is regardless of their opinions and domination of both houses of Congress, they don’t have the backbones to do anything about it. So for all of their talk, they’re basically worthless as legislators.
We know the Republican party was voted out of office and the MAGA party was voted in. They just chose to wear the same red ties and place themselves on the same ticket.
We know the Democratic party is also impotent by trying to be all things to everyone. They have no defined vision, leadership or anything resembling a sense of organization or strength. Lots of words and angry tweets, but again flaccid and worthless.
The modern right is defined by what they’re against. An empty bowl that keeps everything out.
The modern left is defined by standing against nothing. Soup poured out on a table.
Both too stupid to realize that their strength comes from their collaboration. Hot soup served in a big bowl for hungry citizens.
I’m not even sure how to define “Media” today. There is no “The Media.” The words and voices of professional journalists have been diluted, algorithmed, gaslit, and poisoned by ideological broadcasts and influencers posing as journalists, that the average person has no idea what to believe.
We know the 2nd Amendment “Patriot” crowd is MIA. Apparently government overreach and violating their constitutional rights wasn’t such a big deal after all. Everyone wants to be a patriot, nobody wants to be a citizen. Turns out they aren’t good at either. So add them to the worthless list.
So all the institutions that were built to serve as checks and balances for a government of the people and for the people, seem to be completely helpless.
But then I have to remember that we’ve spent a few decades now crippling those same institutions.
We know that all it takes is a few minutes of doom scrolling on your phone to feel like civil war is breaking out all over the country. Chaos spreads like wildfire across the internet even if in small town America it seems like everything is perfectly normal.
We know that we keep redefining normal.
We know sending militarized ICE agents into cities that primarily vote blue isn’t coincidence.
We know Renee Good should be alive and healthy right now. I can tell you as a former cop, the ICE agents who killed her were either incompetent or murdered her. I use agents, plural intentionally. What I saw was militarized immigration agents escalating an already tense situation. Perhaps those tactics were acceptable in Fallujah during the War in Iraq, but absolutely not in that situation. The agents on the scene couldn’t have operated worse if they tried.
We also know Minneapolis isn’t some random event. It’s strategy.
Push the tensions up. Send goon squads in. Make people angrier and angrier.
Until they do what?
Escalate?
You push people and you push people and you push people and then one day they push back.
And you get to stand back and point a finger and say, “See! I told you this is what they are!”
And then what?
Everybody loves a good self-fulfilling prophesy.
Isn’t that how this country ended up with the American revolution?
But instead of George Washington or Thomas Jefferson in the room, we have a moral abomination who has a history of committing fraud, paying pornstars to crawl in his bed and seeking underage girls to sit on his lap.
Meanwhile the former “Moral Majority” gives a big thumbs up and says, “That’s our boy!”
Doesn’t it seem like there are too many voices calling for revolution when they mean civil war?
What we know is the MAGA party smells and acts a lot like fascists.
From Merriam-Webster:
Fascism : a populist political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual, that is associated with a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, and that is characterized by severe economic and social regimentation and by forcible suppression of opposition.
From Google AI:
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian political ideology characterized by extreme nationalism, a powerful dictator, forcible suppression of opposition, militarism, and severe economic/social control, placing the nation or race above the individual. It emphasizes national unity, purity, and restoration through a cult of the leader, often targeting perceived internal enemies (minorities, immigrants) and opposing liberal democracy.
And as the old saying goes, if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck.
Undoubtably they’ll argue this. Because all they need to do in any situation is change the definition so it fits their beliefs and talking points.
So back to the question for me, and I suppose maybe you if you’re still reading this. What is a person like myself (or you) supposed to do in times like these?
What I know, is whatever version of America the MAGA crowd is selling, I don’t want any part of.
I know there are more more of us than them.
I also know that what we do right now that makes the difference.
Not what you say.
What you do.
As my friend and pastor Jason told me years ago. Love is a verb. Love is what we do.
And the first thing to do is call things what they are.
There’s something else I know.
You know that scene in The Princess Bride where Inigo Montoya finally confronts the six fingered man? And utters the line, “I want my father back, you son of a bitch!”
I want my flag back.
Whatever MAGA are, papers or not, they don’t represent the America I know. MAGA stand against everything the United States was built on while wrapping themselves in the flag and their stench has soiled it.
And for those of them who still claim to be Christian? Also, no. They’ve rejected the teachings of Jesus and bowed before the golden throne of a lesser god. I’m afraid you can’t have your Trump and Jesus too.
But one other thing we know.
They’re also looking for a fight. They’re hoping for one. In the book of 1st Kings in the Bible [1 Kings 3:16-28] there’s this story about two women who went to King Solomon. They brought a baby with them and each claimed to be the child’s mother. Finally, after some arguing the king told someone to bring him a sword so he could cut the baby in half and give each of the women half of the child. One told him to go ahead and the other begged for the child’s life, offering to renounce her claim in order to spare it.
The good king then knew she was the true mother.
So whenever I hear someone cheering for a new civil war, then I know who they really are. They are the person willing to destroy a country so they can have the dead landscape for themselves.
They do not deserve to hold that flag.
It’s what we do that matters.
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
– Jesus [Matthew 25:40-45]
The Amish have a practice known as shunning. It’s a form of punishment for members of their community who have violated their rules or left the community. The goal is to encourage the offending person’s return through painful separation.
Call it tough love. Basically, you don’t get to play with us anymore. You don’t get to eat here. You don’t get to shop here. We don’t acknowledge you as a member of our family anymore. I love you, but you don’t get to sit at my table.
I think that’s where I am. I think collectively that might have the largest impact.
I’m not going to hate you. I’m not going to fight you. But you don’t get to be part of my life anymore. I will be acting as a counter-friction to your ideology in all the ways that I can. And as far as I’m concerned, you don’t belong to my community anymore. You are an outcast.
Or as the Catholics would do. Excommunication.
At least until they throw their red hats and hate into a fire and burn them.
And while you’re at it, consider the words of John Wesley.
“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”
― John Wesley
