I was going to hold off on writing about politics, but blog #2 seems about the right time to jump in (insert smirk and eye roll here). Who am I kidding? Even if I tried I could not keep quiet on this subject. The recent events in the United States has made even the most politically neutral, or indifferent, person to be moved, to question their safety, or possibly ponder what we truly value as a society. Yes, even as a Canadian it has been difficult to watch from afar without an emotional outburst over group chats or social media platforms. The recurring theme on social media appears to be ‘how did we get here?’ and ‘could we have seen this coming?’.
I’ll start with a popular scientific belief (which I find fitting, especially when recently science has been interrogated and bullied into questioning its own validity at times). For every action there is an opposite, but equal, reaction. White supremacy, and other hate groups, never went away. The hate just festered deep in the hearts of few. They were pushed into the fringes of society for awhile, unable to see the light of day, akin to cockroaches. Until, the internet began to help like-minded people to find each other on social media platforms, around the time that former President Barack Obama was elected, and re-elected four years later. In fact, it was these very platforms, grassroots movements, on the web that contributed to his successful elections.
Simultaneously, the dark side of humanity began to unite as well, and this did not just include one group, or type of people, but all who felt disenfranchised by the political culture at the time. The results of the dark web were proudly displayed, to our horror, on January 6th, 2021 in Congress. They did not even bother to hide their faces on that day. They entered with bravado and conviction, with no regard for property or human life. President Donald Trump’s success, like the eve of the rise of many dictators, came at a time when the hatred towards ‘them’ was well organized, they just needed a leader to bring them back into the light. I am not suggesting that all who voted for Trump or follow him have hate in their hearts, but his view points are undoubtedly divisive, to put it mildly. It’s an all or nothing rhetoric that leaves little room for critical thinking. Follow him, or be part of the false narrative of others. His path is the path to truth, think not critically, if not to think ill of others who do not see it his way. Sounds familiar?
I feel as though I’m in a constant state of anger. I’ve been saying to whomever would listen, ever since Trump’s election, that words have power. Tweets and antics from POTUS are not harmless. People are listening to him. People are believing in him. Most importantly, the most dangerous people are being called to action. The results of these events became evident on January 6th. I wish I could say I was shocked. I was shocked that such an event took this long to occur. Trump’s words have been toxic for many years. Late night dialogues with my husband, long hours with my sisters over the phone, group chats and private conversations with friends, have all served as a release valve. I’ve been asked, ‘why do you care, you don’t live in the States’ (or from my politically savvy 8 year old son, ‘people are going to think you are American’). My response is simple. We live in a global society. Like it or not, we are well entrenched with the US. Civil unrest over there has a great potential to influence our peaceful way of life over here. We have experienced generations of peace between our two countries. This turmoil has shaken us as well. Couple this political and social tornado with a tsunami of a pandemic, and you’ve got yourself a life altering earthquake!
I long for the days when politics was boring to most, except for the occasional relationship scandals that now seem as outdated and uninteresting as an antiquated action movie from decades ago. It’s the unsettling idea that democracy may be on a tipping point in North America. You know, all that fighting and lawlessness on the news are things that happen ‘over there’ not here. No fences around the perimeter of our properties, symbolizing our view of the world. A naive thought, but a blissful one that helped me sleep at night. Politics needs to get back to boring. Boring means trusting that whomever is in power, regardless of party affiliation, life–peaceful life, goes on. A return to a time when democracy stands strong, and the fear of losing footing is but a distant fear away. Not to be mistaken for disillusioned complacency by society, but a politics that in the end feels safe again. This is what I long for. This is what I hope for. This is what I pray for. A return to boring political days…
Thoughts At F___ It Forties 