Let’s set the metaphoric scene. We are cruising at 38,000 feet and were just notified that as of January 20, 2017, all of the aircraft engines will fail. On this particular flight, we are still months or perhaps even years away from even a glimpse of the runway where we are supposed to land let alone knowing whether we will be able to land smoothly or will experience a rough landing. And even if we are able to land – smoothly or otherwise, will we be able to safely taxi to the terminal without being torn apart by another departing or landing aircraft that is not aware that we must cross their runway while we are taxiing?
The only ones on board our aircraft with parachutes are the white supremacist and those who voted for President-elect Trump. So, should they choose to, they can at least bail out rather than risk a crash landing. The instructions ring out from the aircraft’s speakers; ‘assume the crash position!’ Those of us without parachutes are left waiting for the remainder of the announcement which never comes; ‘put your heads between your legs… and kiss your a** goodbye!’ Although things might sound pretty bleak, this is not the end of the world for people of color, targeted religious groups and those who are a part of the LGBT community.
The best words that I can come up with to describe where those of us without a parachute stand are these. At best, we are in a position where it is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick (simply because we are quick enough to parry it and thereby avoid being poked) before the potential crash and at worst before this crash, when we are poked at, we are only grazed on the side of our face (because although we were not quick enough to parry it and totally avoid it, we were quick enough to avoid being poked in the eye). Sounds real encouraging, right? I wish that I could do better but I cannot. That is how I see things going forward until we can change them. President-elect Trump is completely unpredictable; it is likely that even he doesn’t know what he will do next.
I must admit that I am still somewhat depressed and struggling with how to deal with the trouncing that the Democrats took in this presidential election. But I will continue to stand on principle, fight for those things that I believe in and believe that most other Americans believe in, refuse to believe that America is the kind of America that the Trump administration appears to be espousing, and look for a silver lining in the dark cloud that America has encountered with the election of President-elect Donald Trump.
This will be a tough assignment since all of the congressional Republicans have now kissed President-elect Trump’s ring and have fallen in line in support of him and his vision of how America should move forward. Still, I hope that the rest of you who are without a parachute will be just as determined to fight for your rights and for a unified America as I am. Because no matter how tired we might be we must continue to fight for what we believe to be right. There is no guarantee as to what will happen if we continue to fight but if we do not, we are guaranteed to lose.
Those poor and middle class rural white Americans who voted in droves for President-elect Trump likely do not want the same thing that those Trump supporters like David Duke and Matthew Heimbach, the founder of the Traditionalist Worker Party, want. Most of them do not feel the same way about America as does Mr. Duke and Mr. Heimbach, who has heaped praise on Russia and its president and made statements like “I see President Putin as the leader of the free world.” They simply bought into President-elect Trump’s divisive rhetoric and hype about how he will bring jobs back to America and make America and their lives great again.
From this posting forward, I do not want to focus on President-elect Trump’s tweets, his convoluted selection of his cabinet members, his shun of the State Department or how he is upsetting Americans and foreign leaders by ignoring proper protocol. That is all customary Washington Republican smoke-and-mirrors on his part to sucker Americans into looking in the wrong direction while he works his dastardly magic. While it is not the normal smoke-and-mirrors, it is still smoke-and-mirrors but simply on steroids because it is being carried out by President-elect Trump. And I believe that all of us would concede that President-elect Trump’s actions are seldom if ever normal.
Instead, I want to focus on President-elect Trump’s policies and how they will hurt all middle class and poor Americans including those who voted for him based on his empty promises. When it occurs, and it will occur, I want to shed light on how he is stiffing them just like he stiffed Americans in the Trump University fiasco and many other Americans during the course of his business career. I am inclined to believe that President-elect Trump wants the American people to believe that he is stupid so that we will continue to underestimate him. President-elect Trump may be ignorant but he is certainly not stupid. He destroyed all of his Republican opponents during the primaries and defeated Secretary Hillary Clinton in the general election because he was successful in convincing us that he is stupid. Let’s learn from our mistake so that we can make sure that the same thing does not happen again. As a part of that learning process and to keep abreast of what is happening, I ask that you watch (and read) this space.
Eulus Dennis – author, Operation Rubik’s Cube and Living Between The Line