On Tuesday, August 11th, Presidential Candidate Joe Biden (D) selected U.S. Senator Kamala Harris for his Vice Presidential running mate. Immediately, Trumpists and socialists alike went on the the attack. In response to those on the far ends of the spectrum, I offer the following.
For some people, politics is an abstraction. Their zealous ideology blinds them from how bad things really are. They can’t see others who are suffering under the cruelty of the Trump presidency. There are many suffering, documented and undocumented alike.
Democrat candidates and the Democratic Party are the only ones with a chance at replacing the Trump administration at this present time. Yet left-wing ideologues are so rigid they demand perfection. Ideologues will point to flaws in Biden and Harris although the election is less than 3 months away.
Ideologues will share memes critical of or mocking of Biden and Harris on social media. They will make jokes about these very qualified candidates. Indeed, these ideologues are not taking the election seriously.
They are blind to how their attacks and criticism could soften or even undermine their friends’ and families’ support of #BidenHarris and how that could contribute to a Biden/Harris loss and second Trump term, as if one term wasn’t horrible enough.
How bad does it have to get before they get it? Some of these ideologues are active and frequent protestors. Do they not know that in authoritarian regimes, protestors are some of the first to disappear? (Look at what’s happening in Belarus and Hong Kong or Portland). Maybe at the point they lose that right and freedom, the light bulb will go on?
Maybe. But then it will be too late.
As for myself, I’m a multigenerational American citizen with relatives, may they Rest In Peace, who fought authoritarianism in World War II. I will continue to be a voice for American freedom, liberty, justice, and democracy in memory of them.
And I will continue supporting the Democratic Party and it’s candidates who are our best shot at saving our democratic republic for my generation and generations to come.