On a fragile democracy.
“Today is a painful reminder that democracy is fragile.”
That sentiment was exactly what I was thinking and feeling when I first saw what unfolded in Washington, D.C. yesterday. Amidst a raging pandemic and an economic slow down, mobs of armed pro-Trump insurrectionists, egged on by the outgoing President of the United States of America, in an act of rebellion and sedition, breached and besieged the Capitol in legislative session, vandalized and looted it, and hurt law enforcement and public officials in order to intimidate and repress the will of the majority of American voters, for the whole wide world to see.
Many have expressed shock. I’m not shocked. What amounted to a banana republic coup d'etat is a consequence of the last four years of an enabled megalo-narcissist's poisoned discourse. So I am more ashamed and sad that one of the central symbols of American democracy was desecrated by an over-entitled mob spewing vile with no appreciation for the sacrifices it took to build it. I’m sad that we have in the halls of power craven and spineless "leaders" that broke democratic norms; that peddle endless conspiracy theories and deliberate misinformation; that questioned our electoral process with baseless accusations of fraud, rejected by our high courts and by state and security institutions. I’m sad that these privileged vandals were not met with the same force that were meted against mostly peaceful protesters of color for racial justice during the summer.
Many have expressed anger and fear. I’m not fearful, or angry, but wary. As someone who came from a region where oligarchical dynasties, theocrats, and despots censor and rule, we are headed on a dark path. The barbaric actions at the gate have happened before in world history. They failed yesterday in the Capitol. But they will simmer and try again, and if we are not careful, they will succeed. Fascists. White Supremacists. Communists. Anarchists. We can’t let the fringes tear us apart at the seams and win.
It's not perfect, of course. Our democracy is noisy and messy. Frustrating. We have so many entrenched challenges to solve together. Our adversaries have said exactly that; that it's our weakness. To me, it's why this country is exceptional. A beacon of creativity and innovation. My family came here to do better than where we’ve been; we put our heads down, disregard the humiliations we’ve encountered, and worked our asses off. There is a direct correlation to me sitting here in comfort writing my opinions without recrimination to the strength, industry, frugality, and grit of my family and community, and to our shared sense that we are part of the grand American democratic experience. There really is nowhere else I would rather be in the world. (Well…I have always loved Canada from afar, so there’s that). If there was ever a time to stand guard for American democracy, it is now.