Within the past few months, I’ve had numerous conversations with family and friends about how the actions of Trump and the Republicans threaten our democracy, freedoms, and the rule of law. While they express universal agreement about the threats, there is no commitment to join the fight to save our country beyond voting. It’s not that they don’t care enough, but more that they aren’t inclined to join the fight.
The mindset that I’ve found to be most prevalent is apathy or a lack of concern. I’m assuming that many people are like my close associates. Some believe that none of what happens in the country’s politics will actually affect how they live. As a result, they believe it’s a waste to invest their time, energy or money in a political struggle. The completely apathetic have to be convinced to vote. Others believe in the power of prayer to the extent that they take this burden to the Lord and leave it there for God resolve on our behalf, saying that perhaps these are the end times and things are supposed to get really bad before Jesus returns. And then there are the “don’t worry, be happy folks” who don’t want to hear, “no bad news”. They surround themselves in positivity and blissful ignorance. Apathy makes authoritarianism and legalized oppression possible.
Another reason expressed for not engaging in our current political struggle is a legitimate preoccupation with work, illness, and family life. It makes sense that work, illness, and family life take up massive amounts of emotional and physical energy and time, leaving little to no time nor energy to watch the news, let alone do anything about it. The busiest among my family members and friends were largely unaware of some of the issues we were facing. They had a vague idea that something was wrong but had no time nor energy to get sucked into it. There are others who are willfully distracted by the desire to enjoy life above all else. They are too distracted by television, video games, sports, and partying to engage in real life issues. This group of distracted folks will vote only if it’s convenient and if they aren’t too tired. The overly distracted are the unwitting enablers of authoritarianism and legalized oppression.
And then there are the fearful. They are afraid to speak up about their beliefs for fear of offending people, alienating people, losing relationships, or being judged. Others are afraid of current threats or future threats should things turn south. They don’t want to leave a trail of opposition that might lead to violence or imprisonment in the future. They point to the KKK cross burnings, the lynching of black people, the acts of intimidation, the arrest of protestors, and the growing number of death threats and believe their personal safety depends on their silence. The threat of armed poll watchers may stop them from voting. However, history tells us that intimidating people into silence is a tool of the authoritarian and the oppressor. The tyrant depends on the coward to gain ground. We are seeing this play out in real time with Trump and how he took over the Republican Party and is making them disregard our Constitution, decency, and the rule of law. The cowardly silence and compliance of the Republican leadership has opened the door to an overthrow of our democracy in favor of a Trump authoritarian government where elections are truly rigged in his favor and opponents are thrown in jail.
And finally, I’m amazed by my family and friends who have no sense of agency with regard to what happens in their lives or in the country. They are resigned to a false notion that others, not them, decide everything. They throw up their hands and say that they can’t do anything or that nothing is going to change. When I was in education, I encountered students who didn’t believe their voice, nor their actions mattered. I would spend time convincing them that this was their community and that they had a say in its future, too. I would tell them that they did not have to accept injustice nor mistreatment. I had to convince them that just because that was how things were didn’t mean that was how things had to stay. I truly believe that each person can be an agent of change and I was able to convince many of my students of this fact. Those with a resignation mindset don’t bother to vote because they don’t believe their vote matters. Given the Republican efforts to install partisan election officials who can disregard election results, they might be right if we don’t stop these changes.
In my retirement, I am doing my best to convince as many people as possible to join the fight for our democracy. I’m witnessing firsthand the apathy, distractions, fears, and resignation among family and friends and it scares me. If we don’t collectively get beyond our immediate self-interest and do just a little bit in this fight, like vote, then our democracy will be lost and restoring it will be an even harder task.
In truth, even the busiest, most distracted, or fearful person can donate to upstanding candidates or organizations like NAACP or ACLU or Moveon.org who are fighting the legal battles for civil rights and voting rights. How long does it take to send an email to a local lawmaker expressing your support for equal access to voting or your opposition to banning books in our schools? Is it possible to carve out 15 minutes in the day to watch NPR for news? Will enough people be determined enough to defy history, overcome voter suppression, and vote in the mid-terms this year to increase democrat majorities in the House and Senate?
Our collective future as a democracy is at stake. So, these days, I’m sounding the alarm along with others with the hope that enough citizens will join the fight to save our country before it’s too late. I’ve determined that I’ll keep sounding the alarm, keep donating, keep writing to lawmakers, keep supporting good candidates for office, and I’ll vote in the mid-terms. My hope is that others will join me and that the apathetic, the distracted, the fearful, and the resigned will at the very least vote in 2022 and 2024 to preserve our nation.