It’s time to calm down, stand up, and be counted–literally and figuratively. I don’t know about you, but I’m sick and tired of being gaslighted, thrown into a state of panic, and overwhelmed by distrust.
While the COVID-19 pandemic is terrifying to some Americans, it is a hoax to others. Why? It’s a matter of freedom. Oddly, it’s this commitment to freedom that is being tested in this election. Once we give up our democratic republic to an authoritarianism/totalitarianism/president-for-life form of government, far more than our freedom to wear a mask or not, congregate or not, and protest or not. Authoritarian governments can and will control every aspect of life choices. There can be limited access to healthcare and reduce access to food and shelter.
Reject genocide. The current President wants to wear the mantle, as the many of his ilk who have taken genocide in stride. “It is what it is.”
- The White Man murdered over 12 million Indigenous people between 1492 and 1900.
- During the slave trade, according to the World Future Fund, White Christian imperialists murdered 60 million Africans for profit.
- Hitler’s German White Nazi Arians murdered over 6 million Jewish people plus those who did not conform to the Nazi vision.
- The current White-supremacist President of the United States, through failed leadership and inaction, has murdered 206,600 plus (09/24/2020) Americans and has publicly advocated for “herd immunity” which will, conservatively murder over 2.5 million additional Americans.
We must reject the COUP. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed our country’s dark underbelly. Under a government that doesn’t care about people, it will only get worse. No one is immune to complete devastation due to the curbing or removal of all human assistance. It won’t matter what color your skin is or who’s your daddy, these oppressive governments soon run out of money. When people don’t have jobs or can’t pay their taxes and banks have no money to lend, guess who gets to contribute to government coffers? That’s right. You, me, and everybody we know. If we must vote to save our democratic republic country, the authoritarianism/totalitarianism/president-for-life leaders will take whatever is yours, day or night, with “legal” authority or not, your permission or not.
Say b-bye to your bank accounts, your savings under the mattress, anything you own of value – cars, bikes, guns, jewelry, computers, family members, and life as you’ve known it. All gone as well as any feeling of safety from our institutions, climate change, extreme weather, and natural disasters. We will have no say as to what and how we, as a people, move forward in a world that is getting increasingly hostile. Giving up a representational government will only exacerbate our demise.
Reject Apathy. I am tired of the media and polls manipulating my and public perception. They feed apathy — “My vote won’t make a difference because I live in a blue/red state,” – and affect turnout, “If it’s already decided, my vote won’t matter.”
It’s a lie. Your VOTE does matter. Your vote is your voice, your choice, your commitment to a democratic republic.
It’s a COUP. The President of the United States has destroyed the reliability of the Post Office delivery system and declared his intention to invalidate voting by mail just so he can declare the election corrupt and remain in office – self-appointed, self-directed, unconcerned with anything except himself. It won’t get better, and it won’t be the last time. It will happen time after time.
It’s a COUP. Here are the highlights from a MUST READ article at Waging Nonviolence: 10 Things you need to know to stop a coup. Note: if push comes to shove, an all-in-public-strike that shuts down EVERYTHING gives us, the everyday working people, a voice in what kind of government we support.
- Don’t expect results election day night
- Call it a COUP if the government:
- Stops counting votes;
- Declares someone a winner who didn’t get the most votes; or
- Allows someone to stay in power who didn’t win the election.
- Be ready to act quickly and not alone
- Focus on widely shared democratic values, not on individuals.
- Historically, whichever side resorts to violence the most tends to lose. In a moment of uncertainty, people pick the side that promises maximum stability, respects democratic norms, and appears to be the safer bet. It’s a contest of who can be the most legitimate.
- Convince people not to freeze or just go along.
- Commit to actions that represent rule of law, stability, and nonviolence.
- Yes, a coup can happen in the United States.
- Center in calm, not fear.
- Prepare to deter a coup before the election.
For now, plan to VOTE.
- Know WHERE to VOTE.
- Know the DAY you’re going to VOTE.
- Know the TIME you’re going to VOTE.
- Know HOW you’re getting to the polls to VOTE.
- Know you’ve assembled your necessary ID and documents you may need to VOTE.
- Make sure everyone you know is doing the same. Set up voting buddies and go together or in a carpool.
EVERY VOTE COUNTS. YOUR VOTE COUNTS.
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Photo credit: Samuel Branch on Unsplash