By Dave Devereaux
Reel Urban News Politics
As we are less than two months away from the 2020 elections, it’s apparent that this one will be more contentious than most of the past. We have an incumbent President who is clearly acting on his own behalf and a challenger that is not what most want to fill that position, but who is not the worst that we could have representing the future.
Donald Trump’s legacy will be built on denial, lies and made up statistics that only he believes. What is so strange about this president, is that he really believes his own lies and has the administration under him either afraid to speak out or they too believe their own rhetoric. To most Americans, it has become a “shake my head” moment every time he goes on national television and throws out some idiotic idea or belief. His comments are so preposterous at times that it’s hard to express any kind of reaction. He is insensitive to racial matters, indifferent about women’s issues, has made fun of people with disabilities and special needs, refuses to acknowledge climate issues and thinks his actions on coronavirus where A+ worthy, despite over 200,000 U.S. deaths. Anyone who believes that this man can lead us another four years also needs help in discerning what’s truthful and what’s fake. To attend one of his rallies without respect for this virus and the refusal to wear face masks will undoubtedly lead to an increase in COVID-19 infections and deaths. One would wonder if in fact that it is tantamount to reckless behavior to have these American citizens sitting in an auditorium, poorly ventilated, and without social distancing all because you are desperate for their vote. This does not sound like a person who deserves any vote. He is using these people who are too gullible to know that he does not care about them on any level. Time and a virus will tell at this point.
And then to top it all off, we have the untimely death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the panic by Republicans to fill her seat with another conservative judge to shake up the balance of the current court in their favor. Not willing to follow their own rule of waiting until the next President is voted in as they demanded when President Obama nominated Merrick Garland at the end of his second term and that was eight months before the election, allowing plenty of time to vet the candidate and hold a vote. Their unwillingness to do this reeked of blatant racism and partisan shenanigans. Yet, Republicans are quick to say that Democrats are partisan. The hypocrisy in Washington is so thick, it would almost make sense to vote out all incumbents and purge both the Senate and House for fresh candidates and a new approach to modern day democracy. It remains to be seen what will happen by November 3rd.
The decision not to charge the policemen who murdered Breonna Taylor in Kentucky is further proof that, to politicians, black lives don’t really matter. The fact that the African American Attorney General, Daniel Cameron, who served as counsel for Republican Mitch McConnell was the figure standing in front of masses and delivering this news is more disappointing than when the verdict involving Rodney King was announced. However, with so much influence as an AG, and his inability to see that her life was worth more than the wall of her neighbor’s that was shot up, is appalling. Yet, none of these actions are surprising to black people. We see now more than ever that our lives are less important, even to some of our own. I often look at those commercials of abandoned and mistreated pets and think that society cares more about them that a black person. And the result is the protesting. Young people will no longer accept the void responses of the past. They demand change and rightfully so. They are our best hope for change as I know they will be lining up to vote and making their voices heard.
With our constant bombardment of Trump rhetoric we cannot lose sight of what we must demand of a Joe Biden Presidency. Biden will not be able to simply promise change, he will have to deliver on it. Starting with shoring up some of the areas that this present administration has worked to tear down. The affordable care act must be cemented into law and made too difficult to change in future administrations. LGBTQ rights must be solidified in a manner that will be so intricate to undo that they become a less attractive target by future conservatives. Women’s rights have to be on the forefront of change to begin the healing process of acknowledging that a woman has a right to her own body no matter what. Our current race issues will be a discussion for the next decade. It took four decades to see that no change has actually been met, yet to navigate these discussions requires honesty and commitment of all people. We can no longer shy away from the unpleasant conversations because they are uncomfortable. We must look at sustainable police reform. I’m not advocating defunding, but we definitely need to start spending our money on proven training methods to stop the killing of innocent black people. It is incumbent upon municipalities to look at how unbalanced techniques prove that police treat black vs. white people differently. There are numerous examples on the internet of how a white cop will negotiate with a white perpetrator, but is quick to shoot a black person without any negotiation. It has to be said that white people can no longer think that blacks are not aware of their indifference, and will not accept that as an excuse.
Many are concerned about our economy, however, realizing that there is no economy without people. Products need people to sell them and negotiate their worth. If we do not get the COVID-19 numbers under control, my fear is there will be nothing left to fight, protest, or even cry about. America is now the joke out in the world, thanks to Donald Trump, where people feel that we let our arrogance and greed drive us to this point. Russia hopes we fall off that cliff so they can sew further discord. China is angry because Trump keeps blaming them for the virus without any real proof of their intentions in the beginning. Yet, investigations have proven that both countries are willing to work to disrupt our election. While the administration is turning a blind eye to this behavior, two forces are working to tear us down. Trump has made America look like the bully unable to accept defeat who is still fighting, but everyone else has left the playground. Proof of this behavior is his refusal to commit to a peaceful post-election transfer of power. Who does that?
My only charge to all people is use your power to vote. If you can stand in line for the latest Nikes or Popeye’s chicken sandwiches for hours, you can lend your voice to vote. It’s as simple as that. We must take our country back from the racist, dismissive mentality that currently permeates.
