I've been noticing something troubling. Whenever someone speaks out against the inhumane policies of the current administration, there's often someone who says "This /is/ America, otherwise it wouldn't have happened... I bet you didn't know America did bad things in the past." 1/
We know. Seeking to create a more perfect union doesn't come from an ignorance of the past, it comes from knowing how far we have to go.
Understanding the past is important, as it can guide us in the future and help us avoid pitfalls that hampered our forebears. 2/
Understanding the past is important, as it can guide us in the future and help us avoid pitfalls that hampered our forebears. 2/
But using history as a way to cloak inaction in the mantle of cool hipster aloofness isn't insight. It's posing.
Also, I often talk about the history of Britain in soaring terms full of optimism and wonder... But no one throws a fit over that. Just America. I wonder why. 3/
Also, I often talk about the history of Britain in soaring terms full of optimism and wonder... But no one throws a fit over that. Just America. I wonder why. 3/
And as for the "This is America otherwise it wouldn't have happened."
That's not true. We are dealing with a minority who managed to twist a quirk in our system to seize power. Polling and voter rolls confirm it. 4/
That's not true. We are dealing with a minority who managed to twist a quirk in our system to seize power. Polling and voter rolls confirm it. 4/
Polls show that large majorities of Americans are against child detention, in favor of access to healthcare, in favor of gun control, and are against white supremacy. It goes on and on.
Our views are mainstream. 5/
Our views are mainstream. 5/
Also, even with voter suppression, Russian interference, and Comey doing a ridiculous October surprise... Trump /still/ couldn't win the popular vote. Just on raw numbers, they are the minority.
That's not an opinion. That's a fact. 6/
That's not an opinion. That's a fact. 6/
The truth is that America is fundamentally an optimistic project, even when it stumbles in pursuit of that ideal. And it has stumbled a lot over the centuries, but it's the hope for a better future that resonates with me, which is why last year I became a citizen. 7/
It was a dark time to take that step. That's why it was so important because if we don't defend the aspirational message of America, if we smugly say "Trump is America" and slip into a warm bath of despair, we cede this project to a minority of nationalists and regressives. 8/
Hundreds of years of work trying (and failing and then trying again) to deliver on Americas promises will be abandoned. And for what? So you can light up another clove and say "told you so"?
Fight. History tells us that the future belongs to those who show up. Fight. 9/9
Fight. History tells us that the future belongs to those who show up. Fight. 9/9
