In Search of a Peaceful Transition

 

The service for Ruth Bader Ginsburg left me in tears. I felt the loss as deeply as that of a close friend. To see a Jewish woman of her stature being revered so deeply by so many left me sobbing. Her clerks standing vigilant over her casket in silence was riveting. The care and love by so many.  Just thinking about it gives me hope.  Because these days there's so little of it and so much fear.

I can think of little else than the election looming ahead.  We've adorned Trump with so many adjectives and yet none of them seem to be enough.  He's a Stalin, a Hitler, a monster, a tyrant, a fool, a despot, an ignoramus.  But he's really just a frightened man/child looking for scapegoats to blame for his own ineptitude.  Instead of the Jews or the Capitalists, it's the Democrats or Socialists who are to blame for whatever needs blaming. Or it's the protestors who will take away your rights and destroy your homes. Only Trump can save you from whatever he thinks you need to be saved from. 

But what is really sad, and horrifying, is that he's convinced the Republican Senators that they actually need him, his money and his supporters if they want to win another election.  Trump has convinced these Senators that if they stand up to his lies and deceit, he will take them down. For a while, it worked. Some retired rather than risk losing an election. Others suffered humiliation.  And while many will never admit that they made a mistake supporting him, thousands have turned away from his rants. Because people support leaders who tell the truth, who care, who are smart and capable and willing to work hard for others. Courageous men and women who win the minds and hearts of their constituents with honesty and fortitude.  That's who wins elections.

Think about it. Great leaders of the past had their voice, their words, their purpose and people listened.  Did Mahatma Gandhi or Jesus or Lincoln or Martin Luther King Jr. attract followers because they had a lot of money? Did they ever ridicule or threaten or disparage others to influence people? Never. Thousands are paying respect to Ruth Bader Ginsberg because she believed that "We the people" should include everyone, and she worked hard each day to make that a reality. 

Wake up, Republicans, and stand up to this bully who has always been able to push people around to get what he wanted.  It started with his brothers and sister and continues with his children. That's what a bully does. Intimidates and threatens. He's relentless and in the past, he's gotten away with these tactics. But no more. If every Senator stood up together and said ENOUGH, Trump would slink away into the darkness and suck his thumb. We'd all finally be rid of him.  And your constituents would thank you mightily. Now is the time to stand up and speak up before Trump tramples what's left of our democracy.

It's fitting to remember the words of Pastor Martin Niemoller.  He was a Lutheran minister and early Nazi supporter who was later imprisoned for opposing Hitler's regime. His words are on display in the Permanent Exhibition of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

First, they came for the Socialists and I did not speak out -- because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out -- because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -- because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak for me.

One truly bright moment occurred yesterday. Trump was standing behind a pillar, making a feeble attempt to pay his respects to Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Upon seeing him, the peaceful crowd, moving past her casket, erupted in boos and shouts of, "Vote him out!" Hearing that, Trump disappeared from sight, a fitting image to hold onto in the coming weeks.  

Painting by Jeanie Kachoris