Today’s Republican party is turning more far-right and white nationalistic daily. Lost is the art of compromise. Lost is legislation to help every citizen regardless of social standing. Ever since Reagan dismantled protections and lowered the tax rate for the wealthiest and corporations, it appears Republicans are interested in only two things: power and staying in office perpetually through gerrymandering and voter suppression.
The warning lights have been flashing for years but no one paid attention. Fewer people voted or were even allowed to vote. The Republican form of authoritarianism is spreading like a cancer throughout the nation. In Congress the most hateful, racist, and ignorant Republicans in history are in control. The last administration, full of hatred and contempt for the rule of law, has spread to every state legislator. The last State of the Union address was interrupted by several Congress persons screaming and heckling like junior high hooligans at the President of the United States. Those same idiots are on Fox (News) nightly spewing their hate and ignorance. Apparently, every Republican wants to outdo the soon-to-be-indicted ex-President. They thrive on fear and division. Our own Gov. Abbott is beginning to impose a Republican dictatorship in Texas, telling universities and school districts what they can or cannot teach. He is trying cheap political stunts that are costing Texas tax payers billions of dollars to build an unwanted and unnecessary wall.
The book bannings of Nazi Germany are in full bloom with teachers and professors being threatened with arrest and prison time. The draconian Don’t Say Gay bills in Florida are being copied in Texas by going after minority groups and being applauded by their base. They try to see who else they can go after. The Netflix documentary “Final Account” chillingly reminds us that the horrors of the Holocaust did not happen overnight. It took years of racism, illegal laws, and approval by cowardly politicians. An Auschwitz survivor stated the following: “Monsters exist, but they are too few in number to be truly dangerous. More dangerous are the common men, the functionaries ready to believe and to act without asking questions.”
The prominent Lutheran German pastor, Martin Niemoller, penned his famous quote in late 1930s Germany “First they came for the socialists”… It is happening here in the United States, brothers and sisters. First they went after our gay brothers and sisters (LGBTQ). I said or did nothing because I wasn’t part of the group. Then they went after Brown people seeking asylum and put children in cages, and I was silent because the former president had taught us to fear and despise them. Then they went after Black history and forbade teaching about the origins of slavery (1619 Project). I did not speak up because my ancestors had not been slaves. Then they went after the Spanish/Mexican and early Texas history. When I tried to protest very few joined me, because they were too immersed in their iPhones or watching football and soccer.
Then they came after the teachers and curriculum because they were concerned their children might be offended. Gov. Abbott stepped in and proposed a parental “Bill of Rights.” Any parent, regardless of education, can tell the schools which books are acceptable or not.
I tried to protest, but they argued I wasn’t a school teacher anymore.
DeSantis of Florida proudly proclaimed an Anti-Woke Bill and said with a straight face that Florida was where “Woke” came to die. All radical Republican politicians seemed to delight in calling anything progressive “woke.” The term “woke” originated in the 1940s amongst Black musicians. The term means “awakened to the needs of others.” It means to be well informed, thoughtful, compassionate, lovable, and kind. It means eager to make the world a better place for all people. It means to be aware, be enlightened, and exposed to different cultures and different types of people. Woke is an antonym of ignorance.
Then they came for me, and there was no one left to defend my arguments.
Are we doomed to the repeat of history? Or have we become so used to the hate and division that it’s become little more than background noise, the warnings left unheeded? People complain that a vote means nothing, that nothing ever changes. Ironically, voting is the only way to change things, even if it is cumbersome and slow. The craziness of the District 2 election proves that, sadly, election fraud can happen. But just think if more than 25% of voters had participated in that election — the alleged 50+ votes that were in question, 15 of those votes that a judge found violated election laws and were disqualified, would be a moot point. It’s a scandal that voters chose to participate in fraud; however, the bigger scandal is that so few people chose to exercise their right to vote. There are less Republicans in this country than Democrats, at a time when the official Republican party has chosen to align with racists, white supremacists, and domestic terrorists, so I continue to be perplexed at how our ugly and ineffective Texas officials stay in power. We really can choose what kind of government will guide our future, will provide for our needs, will protect the health and welfare of our people. Choosing not to choose leaves us with the worst of the bunch.