Resetting America
by a Concerned Citizen
Image by Bluehouse Skis from Pixabay
I must confess I’m guilty of being fond of 45, prior to his presidential run. He spoke his mind and walked in confidence. He was the image of power and money. He was admired by me and other blacks. The optics were impressive! I’d gone to Trump seminaries, carried posted notes of his quotes, watched him say, “You’re fired,” and even said there’s my guy during his cameo in “Sex and the City.” Trump was “The Man!” He was and is a “Gangster.” But as layer after layer were pulled back the foul-smell of rot mushroomed into the air. I was highly disappointed and mortified. I’d fallen for the illusion! “Damn, Damn, Damn!,” I said in my Florida Evans voice, Good Times reference. I’d been bamboozled! Now after 4 years of 45’s leadership how can any of my ‘skin folk’ still ride with Trump? How can anyone still vote Trump/Pence, especially Blacks?
My curiosity caused me to question a few Black men and women; why some blacks were still riding with Trump? The majority said, “Oh hell nah! Blacks that still support Trump are dumb idiots and Black men that support him are chauvinist and severely brainwashed,” just to paraphrase a few comments. One uttered the words “job security,” especially for Black men that believe in supporting their families. I questioned, “When were they unemployed?” The reply, “Never.” Until now, when particular oil companies closed shop and laid-off thousands of employees. Personally, I do not know of anyone that’s previously or currently unwillingly unemployed. I concurred with Gee Code’s statement 4 years ago because, “Their memory muscles started working. They remember hearing Trump's name mentioned by their favorite rapper.” Yet I was left mystified when he explained he votes Republican because it is the Republic, he’s not voting for Trump which is the consensus for some black and white Republicans. Wait a minute… Huh? They are not voting for Trump they are voting for the Party. But isn’t he the head, the representation of the Party? If the fruit is injected with a drop of poison, do you eat it? No. If you detect rot in the fruit do you cut it out or discard it? Yes. Why do we cut out the rot in the fruit? Why do we discard the poisoned fruit? We do these things because if left in place, the rot will contaminate all the fruit. We refuse to eat the poisoned fruit because it will eventually kill the entire body. I’m sure Mr. Gee Code (IG: the_wizard_of_flaws) and I will revisit this later.
Nevertheless, the recent ruling for the shooting death of Breonna Taylor has moved me in a new direction. Initially I was going to list and rip apart the belief that Trump has done more for Blacks than any President before him including his predecessor former President Barack Obama. Instead, I’ll just call BS. 45 has thrown Blacks bones with no meat. It’s all been smoke and mirrors. He is the master of manipulation - master of deception – the puppet master. If you believe this, you’ve fallen for the oldest trick in the world. 45 has repeatedly said, “I’ve done more for black people than anyone.” This belief has manifested because you’ve heard and repeated it enough that your mind believes it. Every executive order/law/bill he signed was either bipartisan or an action that former President Obama had taken. As a result, one can conclude 45 has no new ideas or plans. Fact check here for yourself.
Image by _freakwave_ from Pixabay
During this time of civil unrest and the stillness that Corona brought I’ve reflected on the world around me. I question what the Republican or Democratic Parties have done for Black Americans. Sadly, the answer for myself was ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. As politicians continue to create the divide between poor whites and black Americans, they’re behind the scenes creating policies and bills that are not conducive to either of us. Yet, some refuse to believe their main goal is to secure and protect their power and the color GREEN (the dollar bill); not poor Whites, the LGBTQ community, not women’s right, Immigrants, nor other people of color, which includes Blacks and Hispanics. If your focus is on race and racism it is not on them. However, this has backfired. Many of us have been sitting still during the pandemic, paying attention to everything. They’ve shown how they will lie for and support the blatant lies of a tyrant. They’ve shown how easily they can turn their backs on the American people to push their own agendas. Consequently, revealing their own belief that American people are dumb and gullible, which in some cases is the truth. They’ve supported 45’s divisiveness and his lackadaisical response to COVID-19, even after he and several other Republicans tested positive. They’ve shown us who they are and what they stand for. You’d be foolish not to believe them. Supporting this means you support the flagrant lies, racism, hatred, injustices, disparities, and divisiveness that comes with it. They will lie to the American people, they will divide the American people, they steal from the American people, they destroy the American people to stay in power. My moral compass and love for my black brothers and sisters will not allow me to support a political party that accepts this form of behavior. Integrity outweighs all the possible gains associated with this political party. 45 has always been clear about the principles he lives by. He loves to win by any means necessary; he’s doing his job for his team not the American people.
In all actuality, 45 has done a great job! A great job at exposing… He has pulled the curtains back on our elected leadership so we can see who they truly are. He has pulled the curtains back on some of those smiling white faces that politely greeted you at work, but privately despised your blackness. He has pulled the curtains back on those same smiling white faces that you’ve had delightful conversations and outings with, but they were internally cringing at the sight of your blackness. He has pulled the curtain back on all the whites that were painfully hiding their true feelings. 45 set them free to publicly chant and parade their racism; they forgot he can only serve 8 years, but they’ll forever be exposed! He has pulled the curtain back on some interracial couples exposing their counterpart’s lack of understanding about the daily disparities and prejudices Blacks face. He has pulled the curtains back so the disbelieving younger black generation could see that systematic racism is still alive. He has pulled the curtains back so the world could see the continually seedy underbelly of our society. He has unequivocally exposed to the world of our nation’s weaknesses. He has vividly broadcast to the world that the United States is no better than them; we too are easily divided through racism and biases. Again, I say “Thank you for the exposure. This will go down in history and we’ll NEVER forget!”
Although, I am grateful for the 4 years of exposure! I DO NOT want another 4 years like it. We cannot do another 4 years like this; it will destroy us. Vote like your life depends on it. It is time for America to reset! We can only do this by giving Biden/Harris the chance to do this. But we cannot rely on them alone. If they get off track, WE THE PEOPLE must put them back on track. Our vote must NOT stop after the Presidential elections. We must vote for OUR Senators, Mayors, House of Representatives, Governors, District Attorneys, Attorney Generals, and Judges. For us to have a say on who represents us and our country we must stand up, show up, and show out at the voting polls!
Let’s be clear! They have shown us who they are and where they stand. It is time for us to reset America. It’s time for us to STAND! Stand up for humanity. Stand up for democracy. Stand up against what we know is wrong. Stand up for positive change. Stand up for our community. Stand up for the many lives we’ve lost behind police brutality. Stand up for the many lives lost behind COVID-19 because of this administration's failure to care about human life. Stand up and let your voice be heard at the voting polls!
November 3, 2020
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