Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man

Reminder: 290 and 67. The 290 represents how many U.S. House of Representatives members it takes to override a presidential veto (all Representatives are up for reelection this year). It takes 67 U.S. Senators to override a presidential veto (35 Senators are up for reelection this year with 22 of those being Republicans—the ones we have to concentrate on the most). These numbers are very important this year at the ballot box because it will take this number of votes to help right this vast ship of a country for all of us, not just the billionaire class.

“Truth is treason in an empire of lies.”—George Orwell, 1984

In Hitler’s Germany, the Nazis expanded the definition of treason to include even minor dissent or criticism of the regime. 

Sound familiar?

Trump has said Miles Taylor, a former DHS official, was guilty of treason for criticizing him and needs to be investigated.

Trump has said President Obama, when he called for an investigation into Russia’s interference in the U.S. electoral process as a treasonous act.

Trump has said The New York Times is seditious and enemies of the people, which could be summarized as accusing them of treason.

Trump has called six democratic members of Congress seditious and traitors, even saying their conduct was punishable by death, for a video released by those member reminding the military they can refuse to follow an illegal order.

Trump has called members of the press an enemy of the people more times than one might count for publishing factual stories about him and his administration.

Trump has said, again, The New York Times was perhaps treasonous for reporting on his stamina and health.

Trump told reporter David Sanger, when asked about the war in Iran, that what he is writing about the war as treasonous.

Trump believes decorated General Mark Milley a traitor because of statements attributed to Milley in the book Peril, by Bob Woodward.

Trump has suggested that because some people did not applaud him at the State of the Union, could be considered as treasonous.

Although not labeled as treasonous, Trump’s administration labeled protestors Renee Good and Alex Pretti as domestic terrorists, which some people may think this means they are traitors.

The Trump administration has frequently accused critics and protestors of treasonous behavior. This pattern reflects a broader tendency to label dissent as a crime against the state (which a reasonable person would likely interpret as meaning towards him and his administration).

All this means that if we do not start electing people at the local, state, and national levels who truly believe in the Constitution and all of its contents, we could end up living in the dystopia of 1984 or Nazi Germany. 

It is all playing out before our very eyes if we choose to believe what we actually see and hear, not what they are trying to say we see and hear.

The path out of this mess is for us all to get actively involved. At the very least it is being an informed voter who shows up at the polls to vote. It might mean getting involved with your local Indivisible or similar group. It might mean sending a dollar or many dollars to your candidate of choice. It might mean writing postcards to help get out the vote. It might mean writing a letter to the editor about an issue of importance to you. It might mean standing loud, proud, and peacefully at the next large protest. It most definitely means holding our elected officials accountable to us, the voters.

As a society, we have come to expect almost instantaneous results.

None of this will be instantaneous. It has taken over 50 years to get to where we are now. I know that may seem depressing, but great things are not built overnight.

As someone who is middle-aged, I am well aware that what I am doing to speak out, to stand up for democracy and the rule of law, to help bring a society that cares for even the least of us, is worthwhile, but I may not live to see the results of my actions. 

However, I still do it for my four kids, for my grandchild, for all of the students and their families I have worked with over many years, for my extended family, for your families, and also for all of the young people who know nothing other than the current regime and those yet to come.

I am okay with that because I know what I am doing will make for a better world for all.

The effort is worth it to me!

Is it for you?