I would be lying if I did not admit that I am feeling anxious today. As we near the end of the campaigning season and have one final day to vote tomorrow, I worry about what the outcome of our American democracy will be. It seems as though a very needed sea change lies ahead but I actually believed that in 2024 when Kamala Harris was running for the presidency. To say that I was shocked by the outcome of that election would be an understatement. To this very moment I find it difficult to understand why so many Americans chose to return Donald Trump to office.
The damage that Trump has inflicted on our nation in just under two years is stunning to me and yet I still see very nice people that I know insisting that he is the chosen one who will keep our nation moving in the right direction. They do not understand my incessant warnings that Trump is running the United States into the ground. I have been accused of everything from being incredibly naive to being abnormally hateful simply because I express my concerns about how Trump and company are harming our democratic republic.
It frustrates me that Trump still has so many believers of his toxic political views. Most of what he sells to those who still follow him is based on creating fear in my fellow Americans. In targeting immigrants, Muslims and transgender women in particular he has created a dangerous situation for so many people who have done nothing wrong other than attempt to exist in our society without being harrassed. He has no positive policies to offer, only a grim vision of the world that demands his guidance. He rants and raves and encourages violence against anyone who would dare to challenge him. He sues individuals for having the audacity to point out his flaws.
Somehow in spite of the mountain of evidence that Trump is nothing more than an empty suit bullying his way in the world, he manages to keep a legion of faithful voters who truly believe that they are saving our nation by voting for him. It saddens me that he has managed to keep the truth of our situation from them with the help of media outlets that preach only the views of Trump no matter how absurd they may become.
I see so many signs that Americans are truly done with Trump. There appears to be a wave of voters determined to turn our ship of state away from the disastrous decisions that Trump has made in his second term of office. They seem ready to send a loud and clear message of what they believe to be the way the United States should be. Still, I have held out hope before that seemed to always be dashed in elections.
I live in Texas where we have been dominated by Republicans for many decades. They have created chaos in our public schools, brought data centers to our small towns, enriched themselves beyond what seems to be fair. My political views have not been heard or honored for a very long time. Again and again I have held out hope only to see that the candidates I supported lose by narrow margins. I worry that this will be the inevitable outcome for years to come. If we can’t break through now with outstanding choices like Jame Talarico and Gina Hinajosa I fear that we never will in my lifetime.
I will be seventy eight years old only a few days after tomorrow’s election. I have seen both good and bad in our American politics but nothing seems as horrific as what we have had to endure ever since Donald J. Trump came down his golden elevator in 2016. He has inflicted his bullying and vindictiveness on all of us for far too long. His name is not on any of the ballots but his will is very much there. He has shaped the Republican candidates and the Republican mindset into one of fear and the need for dominance over nations and groups. It is an ugly way of thinking and living that is based on hyperbole and lies. Surely there are enough Americans who want their voices to be heard. Surely this time we will overcome his dominance.
I am delighted that the people of Brazil refused to return to a far right government. I see people all across the globe asserting their freedoms. I have participated in protests and written blog after blog warning my tiny audience of the horrors that I see unfolding under Trump’s dominance. Now is the time to bring in new voices, new ideas, opportunity to negotiate rather than to blindly obey. I hope that the American people from state to state are ready for the change that we so desperately need and yet my fears keep me centered on realities that may curb my enthusiasm.
We shall see what tomorrow brings. I am hoping for at least some victories for those intent on checking the audacious power of the Republicans. It is the way our nation’s governing was meant to be. We should never accept being one voice. It is in allowing our differences to be heard and respected that we become stronger. I dream of a new day.
