Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man

For the first time since we started putting our flag out daily, it will not be flying this Fourth of July. It seems more a day of mourning than a day of celebration. Daily our rights, norms, livelihoods, and our civil liberties are eroded by a cut here or a slash there or a coward who cares more about elections than people’s lives everywhere.

How did we get here? 

It has been a journey of a thousand cuts that started decades ago when minorities started gaining some power and influence, and when white supremacy began to realize it was only a matter of time before they became a minority in comparison to people of color.

Although it has been a marathon, there have been recent events that have given the runners a nice shot of adrenaline to sprint towards the goal of a white Christian nationalist society. 

Example of these events include:

• The nomination and confirmations of three Supreme Court justices: Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Coney Barrett. Gorsuch because democrats didn’t fight hard enough to fill the vacancy left by the death of Scalia when McConnell wouldn’t allow any action on Obama’s nomination; Kavanaugh after the abrupt retirement of Kennedy; and Coney Barrett after the death of Ginsburg—who’s ego kept her from retiring at a point when she could have been replaced by Biden.
• The lack of impeachment for Justice Thomas, whose scandals are well known in terms of who he hangs with, gifts received that were not reported, and not recusing himself on cases on which he should not be a party.
• Biden’s poor choice of Merrick Garland after the January 6th insurrection, an attorney general who did the most barest of minimums to prosecute the leaders and planners of the insurrection.
• Biden’s poor choice in not replacing Garland as Garland non-walked or slow-walked important legal cases to protect democracy and the Constitution.
• Biden’s poor choice and ego in announcing his re-election campaign, thus tarnishing his stellar record up until then (and Democrats not handling this internally long before it became too late).
• The vote of six senators for the confirmation of Krisi Noem—John Fetterman, Tim Kaine, Andy Kim, Gary Peters, Jeanne Shaheen, and Elissa Slotkin—thus lending to her legitimacy.
• The embarrassing vote, and killer of respect, after his marathon speech in the Senate, by Cory Booker for Jared Kushner’s father, Charles, to become an ambassador for the United States.
• The vote by John Fetterman for Pam Bondi as Attorney General, his general disrespect of the position of U.S. Senator, and his whining about actually having to do his job.
• The vote of 46 Democratic senators for Marco Rubio as Secretary of State (Chris Murphy was the lone Democrat to not vote).
• Senator Sheldon Whitehouse missing a vote on the Republican White House’s global tariffs after all of Whitehouse’s speeches on corruption by Republicans and SCOTUS.
• Schumer’s, and nine other Democratic and Independent Senators’—John Fetterman, Catherine Cortez Masto, Dick Durbin, Brian Schatz, Gary Peters, Maggie Hassan, Kirsten Gillibrand, Jeanne Shaheen, and Angus King—cowardly caving and voting to approve the March 2025 continuing resolution budget.

All of these, and many other events, have brought us to H.R.1 passing yesterday, ICE kidnapping and disappearing human beings, insurrectionists being hired to work for the Republican White House, and the implementation, as promised, of Project 2025.

On this Fourth of July, a day in which we proclaimed independence from a tyrant king, we are now back to living under a tyrant king thanks to Congress and SCOTUS.

Rest in peace to the Declaration of Independence, democracy, our republic, and U.S. Constitution. 

I miss you already.