Dems please stay engaged!!

This message is for my democrat friends who are losing hope. Increasingly and with rising sense of concern and alarm, we notice the disappointing and cowardly behavior from Republican leaders and citizenry. I notice many Democrats are losing hope. At such a time of divisiveness, I want to point your attention to something else that is simultaneously happening and perhaps indicates things to come, in the near future. 

First let me quote two anecdotal items. Recently I met a friend who is a dedicated trumper. He is a person who believes that the US should get broken into two countries so Republicans can have what they want in “their” country. He has taken the vaccine and the booster but does not believe in vaccines or the masks. We had this conversation.

He: All people who have taken vaccines are still getting covid. I am not going to take any more boosters if they come.
Me: But vaccines and boosters are keeping people safer and many of them out of hospitals.
He: How many exactly have stayed out of hospitals due to the booster?
Me: I don’t have specific numbers here.
He: So you just have a perception?
Me; No. There are some facts that can be checked and verified. So don’t ask me to do all the work. Instead, why don’t you try to check the facts by googling them? And instead of only tuning into Fox, also try tuning into CNN, MSNBC etc. to know about covid.
He: I am not going to. I don’t even listen to Fox. I don’t listen to any news. Sometimes I read some blogs. 

Another example. I saw on MSNBC, one journalist interviewing some Trumpers. One woman has 3000 connections on FB (she hasn’t met over 90% of them). She sends out many forwards on how the election was stolen from Trump and there were few others with the same beliefs. Many of them don’t even listen to right wing media like FOX and they do not trust fact checkers of companies like FaceBook (who are not politicians). In fact, some fact checkers employed by FB have even gotten death threats. 

SO here is the point. 

We are on a cusp of massive transformation and overhaul. Everything that is happening right now is precursor to massive transformation. Right now muck is rising to the top. As they say, it is darkest before the dawn. Isn’t it often the case in history that the muck that rises to the top, eventually gives an impetus for change in society? That is where we are. On one hand, all attempts to negate science and facts, is massively disappointing. AND YET, on the other hand, THAT is the beauty of living in this time that all the muck, false beliefs and insanity are coming out in the open. 

For instance, think of Jeffrey Epstein. He molested so many young girls for so long. When it all surfaced, it was extremely anger provoking. And yet, at least it surfaced and the guilty ones can then be held accountable. 

Also, let’s think of what is happening on the other side. My trumper friend is not listening to FOX along with CNN and MSNBC. He occasionally reads blogs. They are getting disillusioned and disengaged. Slowly many of them will go back to living on the periphery until and when they integrate true information or their children do. 

Why did I write this? I See a lot of disappointment among Dems. Biden can’t make progress, Dems are divided, some in the President’s own party won’t let him pass his bills that they originally believed in, Republicans continue to subscribe to falsehoods etc. SCOTUS continues to remain right leaning and the left continues to fear that with gerrymandering and lack of voting rights reform, the majority may lose due to technicalities. I fear this as well.

And yet Republican leaders are not all united. They are fully aware that the only strategy they have is to block and obstruct but that is not a strategy to govern. Mr. Trump has obfuscated their focus and it will not be easy for them to unite behind a nominee or a message. And consider the people who subscribe to conspiracies. They are divided as well. In fact, many are also divided within their own minds. Many of their beliefs in such conspiracies as the election was stolen, have become riddled with doubt. Some cling half-heartedly to what they knew to be true and some prefer to check out with occasional rants about how they would prefer secession. These assertions may sound more extreme but there is only fluff underneath the conspiracies and extreme stands they choose to take. 

So my friends, it is fine with taking occasional breaks from the news as we all must take care of our health and manage stress. And yet, stay engaged. If it is any help – remember, that a massive transformation needs for things to break down and not work for most. And this year we will likely see the transformation happen. When that happens, we want all hands on deck — all systems engaged – all people fully awake and contributing in building a better tomorrow.