Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.

John Stuart Mill

At the time of writing, there are 70 days remaining until the next presidential election of the United States of America.

I look around and I see a government that is purposefully attempting to destroy its own postal service in what is obviously, by Donald Trump’s own statements, an attempt to reduce the ability for the citizens to vote. It is clearly a brazen attempt to sow chaos during the election in order to maximize the chances of remaining in power.

Although the center of this fascist hurricane is Donald Trump, as with the wreckage a hurricane leaves in its wake, the remnants of Republican actions to retain their power in the face of increasingly heinous acts by their elected officials are on display around the country and across the world. Starting with a refusal to demand more and better from one of their own, and allowing Donald Trump to drive a racist narrative, this has led to increased violence from white nationalist groups as well as given rise to the worst elements of disinformation and hate in our country. Donald Trump’s active cheering on of these groups, with not a word to countermand him from his Republican allies, has bolstered the attacks, verbal and physical, against those who stand against fascism and violence.

Beyond rhetoric, already a powerful weapon in the hands of a highly visible world leader, Donald Trump and those around him have personally profited, not just from their roles in government but specifically from the misery of others. From the wall, to the detention centers, to the FEMA contracts unfulfilled but fully paid, to the faulty PPE gear purchased from contractors with insider contacts… the list could go on for pages. Donald Trump has not only personally become wealthier by abusing the office of President, he has gone out of his way to hurt people in order to build up political power, stoke his base, and provide an “enemy” that allows him to be as aggressive and hostile as he wants, in order to channel the unrest of his base toward his own ends, by demonizing anyone who tries to stand in his way.

Finally, the Republican party in 2020 has chosen not to modify its platform, instead deciding that “support Trump” is the new platform. In history, this has typically been the rallying cry for fascist regimes and strongmen. Hitler notoriously altered the military swearing in to cite obedience to Hitler and not to the sovereign nation of Germany. Republicans, certainly any who still support Donald Trump, are complicit, willing partners to every denigration of this country at his hands.

I do not have much of an internet presence. I don’t even have Facebook and Twitter accounts. My website is not a high traffic stop. That has been a reason I have given myself for not posting anything like this; what is the point if no one reads it? But that excuse no longer holds water.

So… I’ll say it.

Vote Blue. Vote Democratic. Vote for freedom. Vote for free speech. Vote for peace. Vote for healing.

Vote against anyone who has tried to extend the Republican regime’s grip on the United States.

And more than that, be vocal.

Be heard. Be seen. Be known.

We are surrounded by fear. Fear can be used to control us. It can be easy if someone uses our fears to keep us from thinking for ourselves. When we are shouted at with nothing but terror, when we are shouted down when asking questions and told to stay in line, when our attempts at reason are met with appeals to emotion, when we are told that it is okay to hurt or demean a group of people solely because we fear them… when we succumb to fear, we are susceptible to hate. And hatred cannot be the foundation for justice and equality.