Broke or Silent?
By Beth David, Editor
Tuesday is election day. We’ve been hearing from both sides about how it’s the most important election of our lives. I believe that, I really do. You all know how I feel about this president by now. I feel he is an absolute danger to our democracy, and not by what he says alone, as a lot of you want to charge. So what if he says mean things, I’ve been told, go by what he does.
I am. I truly am. And the two are inextricably connected. His policies are as cruel as his talk. His actions are as dangerous to democracy as his speech is to decency.
The press isn’t the enemy of the people, the press is the Fourth Estate. Without a free, independent, and aggressive press, there is no democracy. There just isn’t, and it’s foolish to pretend otherwise.
So vote on Tuesday. Both sides. That way, we don’t hear that one side won because the other side wasn’t “energized” enough to get out and vote. If everyone who is entitled to vote does so, then we can see what people really want. I think you Trumpers will be shocked. At least I hope you will be.
I have also often been chastised, sometimes brutally, for voicing my opinion. I’ve been told that if I just kept my opinions to myself I would get more ads and I could stop begging my readers for money.
Well, as pathetic as my finances are, I can’t imagine a life where I don’t speak out against injustice.
I am fortunate to have this platform to voice my opinion, and I will use it. I am staying true to my politics, to my beliefs, to my world view. And if that means I lose advertising money, so be it.
I’d rather be broke than silent.
Eleven people in a synagogue were killed this weekend, for no other reason than one white, middle-aged man with weapons decided they were not good enough for him. Another white (read: non-Muslim, non-Mexican) domestic terrorist sent bombs to opponents of the president. A white man shot at blacks and told another white man, that whites don’t shoot whites. All of this happened within a couple of days of each other. But, hey, those Mexicans, with their smallpox. That’s who we should be afraid of.
There has been a 57% increase in anti-Semitic acts in the last year, coming off a 34% increase in 2016. This timing is no accident. These people feel they now have the freedom to act. They feel it is safe to come out from hiding.
It is not. Or, at least, it should not be.
Racist attacks and attacks on gays and questioning youth have also increased in the past couple of years. None of this happens in a vacuum.
There are so many bigoted policies being pursued by this administration and associated cronies it’s almost impossible to keep track: From the fear of the “caravan” to blatant voter suppression efforts, to talk of eliminating birthright citizenship.
Think about that one for a minute. What happens to a child born in this country if he or she does not automatically become a U.S. citizen? Do we really want to be like those Banana Republics that create “stateless” individuals?
We do NOT do that in America.
I said it when he was running for president, and I’ll say it again: Donald Trump does not know what it really means to be an American.
And that’s scary. And those of you who are still defending him are scary, too.
Happy Halloween
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Click here to download the entire 11/1/18 issue: 11-01-18 Horribles
