Fears For Tomorrow

"Matthew 6:34

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Tomorrow is voting day. Americans are going to the polls in record numbers. The current thing sitting in the Oval Office has declared it to be a referendum about him. On this, he is mostly right. I said before the elections in 2016 that with him as POTUS, this country would be in trouble. Maybe not economically, since Obama put us on a path that would be hard to screw up. (Though he's doing his best to blow that up, too.)

But in the past two years, we've watched as the far right has become normalized. Hatred against non-white, non-"christian", non-straight, and even non-male people has spiked. We have an administration that has been encouraging this. Giving "thoughts and prayers" after horrific attacks, yet stirring up fear at their rallies and making sure their supporters know who the "enemy" is.

We've all seen the things that have been happening. Many of us can see the dangers this administration presents, especially at the words and actions of their leader. Some are fine with it because hey, the economy is fine, so they can overlook the hate and fear mongering and chalk his threats up to "hyperbole" or "just kidding around".

The rhetoric has been amped up in the weeks leading up to tomorrow. We've heard more about such ridiculous things as the "dangerous invasion" caravan of people coming from South America, painting them as the Next Big Threat to our Country. Regardless of the fact that they have as yet done nothing illegal in accordance with our laws. Coming here to seek asylum is completely legal, yet our faux-president is sending troops in a "show of strength" to stir up the fear and hatred in his supporters. And it's working. Even people that I once considered rational and the LEAST likely to be a trumper because of their heritage are posting things to social media about the "invasion" and how we should be "taking care of Vets instead of illegals" (Again - they are not illegal). It is mind boggling how anyone claiming to be a Christian or not fitting into the category of white, male, straight, and sane can support the things this administration is doing and saying. 

Digression time...

I need a better way to refer to the "in-group" that Trump fights for. Those who are white, male, "christian", straight, Republican and the people that support him even though they have few - if any - of those traits. I will hereafter refer to  them as... RedHats.

I also need a term for the rest of humanity that the RedHats stand against. All of the people and cultures that trump and his RedHats rail against at their rallies and their news feeds. Immigrants, non-whites, non-"christian", non-straight, non...well... them. And more and more, the enemy they seem to be promoting the hardest are "Democrats". So let's call everyone else...Blues.

End of digression...

At the Trump Rally I went to, I was shocked at the level of animosity and hatred directed specifically at Democrats and "those on the Left". Even our local candidates were spouting the party line about how all Democrats want open borders, want to take away all the guns, want to punish "christians", are happy to have criminals in our communities, and make anyone not agreeing with Trump an "enemy of the people".

Which brings me to the reason I'm writing tonight. I have some fears for tomorrow. I know the bible says we shouldn't. But I'm not perfect, and I have a tendency to run different scenarios in my head. So here are some of my fears...

1)Worst case, we have a "red wave" and Republicans not only solidify their hold on the government, but elect fanatics at the State and Local levels so loyal to Trump that the slide into the "Fourth Reich" they've been pushing for speeds up. Without any checks and balances in any branch, the corruption of the SCOTUS, and with his new "yes-men" in place, Trump ramps up his hate speech, and violence against "Blues" increases. New laws will be enacted to disenfranchise Blue voters. Protections now in place for Blues are "legally" rolled back. "The Handmaid's Tale" seems less a work of fiction than our new everyday lives. Blues that will not tolerate this protest in large numbers. So the "Government" outlaws protest and dissent. Violence increases as trump riles up his base against these "enemies". The military is called up to "help" keep the peace, but since half of the military leans blue, there are internal command conflicts that increase until the military divides along partisan lines as well. (Much like what happened in our Civil War) Then, instead of being a unifier, the RedHats declare martial law, the right wing militias line up to "fight" with the "Government", the Blues show that they too are armed and trained (much to the disbelief of the RedHats), and we head into the Second Civil War. But since there are no real dividing lines like the North and South had in the first one, RedHat and Blue forces are scattered all across the country fighting for control of cities and regions. Eventually, regions become red or blue and form their own countries. All assuming we aren't first invaded by a foreign force while we're killing each other. No more US of A.

2)A slightly better case... There is no wave, but Republicans keep control of the government. We've got two more years of insanity before we are able to vote again. Violence still increases against the Blues. Laws are passed to justify it, and to make it easier for RedHats to stay in power and we are back to scenario one... OK. Hopefully scenario one doesn't play out, and we are able to elect sane, rational people into positions of power once more, regardless of party affiliation. This would require the Republicans to save their party, but it could happen...maybe... It still takes decades to undo the damage done in the last four years. The Republic is still here, but unstable, because the RedHats haven't crawled back into the shadows they emerged from in 2016. Still feeling emboldened by the words and actions of their Dear Leader, they continue to act out against the Blues... too much violence against the Blues would lead to reprisals and continued division. Yeah... Still not too great.

3)A bit better still... No wave, but Democrats take the House and leadership positions at the State and Local levels, and are able to slow the dumpster fire known as the "Trump Train" a bit. The RedHats aren't able to pass their laws ensuring their continued power. The Republic is still here, still unstable, and we look ahead to 2020. Unfortunately, with the government now (thankfully) gridlocked, the RedHats are angered by the lack of their Leader being able to continue to "protect" them, and since he continues to stir up fear and hatred in lieu of having any actual power, they increase their violence toward Blues at the seemingly indirect encouragement of their leadership. While said leadership denies responsibility, they will continue to demonize the Blues, leading to the violence. More division, more conflict. More bloodshed.

4)Even Better... There IS a Blue Tsunami and the Democrats take not only the House, but maybe the Senate, AND Democrats also regain state and local leadership positions. Now the RedHat Trump Train is slowed even further, and the insane dictates coming from their Dear Leader are more easily turned aside by Federal, State and Local entities that actually understand the Constitution and rule of law. Trump spends the next two years as a true lame duck. Unfortunately, this angers his RedHat Base who, pissed at the metaphorical castration of their Idol and encouraged by his continued labelling of Blues as the "Enemy of the People" increase attacks against Blues. More division, more blood spilled.

Basically, any outcome tomorrow could easily lead to violence from the right, retaliation from the far left, and descent into Very Bad Times.

As a "civilized" society, we naturally assume that calmer heads will prevail. Sanity will win the day. We are in denial that our fellow Americans would do anything like what I describe the RedHats doing above. And honestly, I hope to God that I'm completely wrong about any and all of these scenarios. I hope that we can regain some civility and basic respect for each other as human beings.

But here's why I worry. I went to the Trump Rally here in town. I saw fellow citizens, Mayo and IBM employees, regular, "ordinary" type people go from light hearted laughing and chatting about the weather or the Vikings to Angry At The Blues in just about no time at all. I heard the cheering as trump called Democrats "the party of criminals". Saw the smiles at the mention of building walls to keep brown people out, or shutting down the "fake news media". Heard not just the boo's, but the truly vile comments at the mention of the name of anyone in the Democratic party. I saw the fanaticism in the eyes of his loyalists. The love they had for him, even as he spewed lies and half truths and slander and petty name calling. I saw how quickly they turned on a group of young people that they identified as "liberals" and chased them out of the line. I was out of place and outnumbered, and for the first time in my country I felt unsafe, threatened by the people surrounding me. It really felt like what I'd imagine a Nazi Rally would have felt like in the 30's. Not calling for outright killing of their "enemies", but certainly planting the ideas of who the "real enemies" are, and how dangerous they are, and how all hope will be lost if they get any power, and how we must all stand together and fight them if we cherish our way of life. I remember thinking to myself "What the hell is wrong with these people that they would eat this slop up and cheer for it?" Stunningly scary stuff.

So if mild mannered Rochester, Minnesota can rally a crowd of thousands so fanatically devoted to this dictator wanna be that they can so easily stir themselves into a hate filled frenzy, then the idea of him whipping his 25% of our citizens into violence at the outcome of tomorrows elections isn't too much of a stretch. I fear that one way or the other, violence against "Blues" will spike after tomorrow, either because the RedHats won, or because they lost. And without a leader that wants unity, that thrives on division, I fear that it will escalate.

Like I said. I hope to God I'm wrong.