What have we normalized? I say "we" meaning society. Not the republicans or the democrats or independents or any other large political faction. I say "we" meaning all of us.
Together, we have allowed something historically shameful to happen, but it is not something new. I could share the similarities between the rise of the third Reich and the successful campaign run by Donald J. Trump, but no one seems to care.
No one cared when Trump mocked a disabled man.
No one cared when Trump claimed on record that he wanted to grab women by their genitals.
No one cared when Trump didn't release his tax returns.
No one cared when twelve women came forward to accuse Trump of sexual harassment and assault – no one blinked an eye; we assumed they were all lying.
Russia actively and knowingly worked to undermine our democratic election. Our intelligence agencies – the best in the world – have proven this fact over and over again since the election. Not only did Trump lose the popular vote, our intelligence agencies have discovered extremely disheartening evidence of our over 200-year-old democracy becoming weak and frail.
To use a cliché, it was a perfect storm. An unprecedented candidate with a past of racism, sexism, no government experience, conflicting interests and a complete lack of empathy became the president of the United States.
I find the term, "The Divided States of America" rather fitting. There are people who think he is a smart businessman and exactly what this country needs. Then there are people who think he is about to destroy this country.
We can't ignore the facts. We are about to enter a critical period of world history where the longest running democracy to ever exist is about to be – if it hasn't already been – challenged greatly.
The world has just had its third straight year of record-breaking temperatures. The United States is still a hegemon as China and Russia rise to the top. The hegemon of the world, the country that has determined futures for others, has elected Donald J. Trump, a person who has said climate change is a hoax.
He has appointed the CEO of Exxon Mobil – Rex Tillerson – as Secretary of State. I want you to stop and think for a minute about what is happening. We can not be comfortable in our homes. We all need to read and think critically. When the President starts to discredit every news source that has covered presidential elections and presidential terms for hundreds of years, and only credits the sources who publish what the President wants, we fall into fascism.
Our country is on a slippery slope towards something unknown.
I don't want you to be afraid, but I want you to be uncomfortable.
I want you to read and educate yourselves. Pay attention to what our president does. Make him work for us. Do not allow him to make money illegally. Participate in democracy.
I'm not predicting a doomed fate for America, but I feel we must be prepared.
