Trump declared victory last night. I don’t know why I did not expect it. I don’t know why I thought he would wait until the ballots were all in and counted and offer some sense of decorum. He didn’t and here we are. This is going to ignite his base, and his base is the one that is largely armed and doesn’t appear to actually give a damn about the truth. I don’t believe his base is the majority, but I also don’t believe his base represents as small of a fraction of the American society as I once did. The supporters of Trump that represent his base are the same sort that went out and caused havoc during the BLM protests, but they are the sort that believe they are in the right and have the right to do harm vs. loot and take lives vs. argue against that taking. They are the type who are openly funding the defense of the young man who went into a protest armed, got scared, and started killing people in order to ‘save his own life’. They are the people who recognize that stand your ground is shorthand for kill in the name of your supposed security.
They are the poisoned. They drink in the waters of conspiracy and find themselves forever changed and forever thirsty for evidence that proves their worldview.
So, I must admit to a certain amount of fear and insecurity that I am certain that those around me find both stupid and juvenile. I’m an educator and should know better, right? But right or wrong that fear does exist. For all intents and purposes the numbers show that Biden should win. However, should that be challenged I am not sure what happens. I am also not sure what 4 more years of Trump look like beyond him securing his own future and touting his victory and pushing more conspiracy and arguing that everyone wants him to stay forever and in lieu of that let his daughter lead.
I am deeply dissatisfied with this reality and often feel powerless to change it. Perhaps in the writing I do I can find a way to speak to a larger audience and argue for change by showing them, through other characters, what is happening and what is possible. Maybe that is what my writing is meant to achieve.