Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man

While on Goodreads recently, I saw a friend had read a book called, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson. It discusses, or rather compares, the caste system of India with the unspoken, largely denied, caste system of the United States. Our caste system here in the States revolves around the man-made construct developed and implemented in Europe and the United States with whites always at the apex of power.

Wilkerson vividly describes how the Dalits (the untouchables), of India were treated by those in higher castes, especially the highest, the Brahmins (blessed by the gods). She then compares this to how Blacks have been, and continue to be, treated in the U.S. ever since bringing them over as slaves from Africa. Sadly, we have acted worse than any other country, especially in the denial, extreme denial, of our history.

Did you know, because I didn’t, that the Nazis of Germany, in seeking knowledge on how to write laws towards the Jewish people, and others considered less than, extensively studied the laws and treatment of slaves and Blacks in the U.S. Yes, Hitler and the Nazis used us as a model for how they wrote laws and demonized non-Aryans in Germany and then throughout Europe. Let it sink in as well, that as horrific as the Nazis were, even they didn’t pass some of our most egregious laws we had/have as they went too far even for them.

Additionally, once the Nazis were defeated, they were prosecuted to the full extent of the law and suffered consequences. The German people owned up to what they had done and rather than erect monuments to what some may consider war heroes, they erected memorials to the victims of the crimes against humanity. Students are taught from grade school the history of their country. The German people, as a society, don’t whitewash or work to say it wasn’t as bad as it was.

This is quite unlike the U.S. in how so many want to believe, and push propaganda that slavery, with its atrocities and crimes against humanity, was a “jobs program” that the slaves enjoyed having in place. The Confederates suffered no real consequence for their actions. Rather, they were put back in power to continue to this day to treat non-whites as non-humans, to erect monuments to confederate generals, to name schools and streets after Confederates, places in which former slaves who were subject to the atrocities and all of their descendants must see and live around even now. Remember the huge outrage of the Confederate flag being taken down from the South Carolina Statehouse, or the violence that occurred in the recent south when removing confederate monuments, or even within Congress when military base names where changed from being named after Confederates.

So where, you may be wondering, am I going with all of this?

I give the above as background for the precipice on which we currently stand in the 2024 elections of not only the president, but also governors, state legislators, mayors, and school boards, across our great country.

Often many of us wonder how a poor white person can vote against their own best interests when voting for Republicans, whose sole purpose seems to be to take rights away from citizens, lower taxes on the rich, and demolish the social safety net millions of citizens rely upon for everyday survival. It all seems to come back to this quote by President Lyndon B. Johnson, “If you can convince the lowest white man he’s better than the best colored person, he won’t notice you’re picking his pocket. Hell, give him somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.”

Think about that for a second. Many in our country have fallen into this thinking trap. The Republicans fundraise on fear—fear of gays, fear of women, fear of immigrants, fear of freedoms, fear of liberals, fear of blacks, fear, fear, fear (and now we know many Republicans and their media outlets are also accepting Russian payments to spew Russian talking points and mis/disinformation—shameful and despicable).

Now think about what Democrats fundraise on. They fundraise on saving democracy, of lifting us all up, protecting our bodily autonomy, of freedom, of the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. Quite the opposite of MAGA, Republicans, and Trumpists.

Think too about the part, “give them somebody to look down on, and he’ll empty his pockets for you.” Many of the lowest white people have been convinced they are better than people of color and are sending millions of dollars to the Trumpists/Republicans. They are buying gold sneakers, trading cards, t-shirts, flags, caps, and helping pay the legal fees of a convicted felon candidate, and also to politicians compromised by Russia and other accused of sexual assault and pedophilia. Even when the truth comes out, these people ignore it, even so-called Christians, all because they are white (and therefore superior), and believe only they have the market on religion (theirs is superior).

Because so many whites believe themselves superior, even those whites with the least (but have been convinced they are still above people of color), will vote against their own best interest. They will vote against universal healthcare because a Black or Brown person might benefit. They will vote against protecting social security because a Black or Brown person might benefit. They will vote against funding education because a Black or Brown person might benefit. They will vote against increasing the social safety net (welfare, WIC, quality daycare, etc.) because a Black or Brown person might benefit. See the pattern? Get the picture!

Our country would be so much better if we, as a nation and society, would acknowledge and accept our dark past, make restitution in whatever that may look like, and live up to the words of the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” These are the words uttered by our founding fathers, who were by no means perfect, who they themselves did not live up to these ideals.

But, these are our common ideals and ones in which most American’s believe to be true. We have made great strides, such as expanding “all men” to mean all people, to the right of all women and people to vote, to the passing of civil rights legislation, and such. In truth though, we all know we still have far to go, with each move forward a step in the right direction to meet the ideals set-forth on the founding of our great country.

What matters right now, most importantly what matters right now, is, do you believe in democracy? Do you believe we are all created equal? Do you believe we are all entitled to the pursuit and achievement of happiness, of liberty, and quite importantly, of life? Do you believe we can and will do better as we grow and evolve as a nation?

If you believe these things, then you must vote Blue up and down your ballot this election cycle. Take nothing for granted and nothing by chance. Don’t trust the polls saying one or the other is ahead, get out and vote no matter what the polls are stating (again, take nothing for granted).

The power is truly in our hands at the ballot box. No one is in that voting booth with us except ourselves and our conscience. You can help move our country towards meeting our ideals as a democracy.

Or, you most certainly have the right during this election to vote red, knowing full well Project 2025 will be implemented and you will lose the ability to have any say in future leaders. Trump has stated himself, “get out and vote, just this time…You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what? It’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine, you won’t have to vote any more…” He has also stated he, “won’t be a dictator, expect for day one…After that, I’m not a dictator,” which is true. If you are a dictator except for day one, once you have absolute power, which was given to the presidency by the Supreme Court, you “just” become the leader. One who will have the sole power of who lives and who dies; you support the dictator, life is hard, but you live. Speak out against a dictator, you will suffer and possibly end up dead. Which supports what Trump himself stated at a rally, “I don’t care about you, I just want your vote.” Exactly what a dictator would say and how they feel about their subjects.

The choice is yours, imperfect but with freedom. Or, imperfect with no freedoms.

Seems a very simple easy choice to me.

P.S.—As election day approaches, make sure to check your voter registration status. Republicans across the nation are purging voter rolls, kicking hundreds of thousands of people off voter rolls, thus hindering their legal right to vote. Check your status at vote.org at least weekly to make sure you have time to take any necessary action to have your vote counted should you no longer show as being registered.