After four years it finally feels safe again.We can celebrate Presidents’ Day, although now and forever with some trepidation.Even as Republicans still protect the insurrectionist Trump, democracy has survived his tenure of horror.Many Americans don’t realize just how close to Nazi Germany we came.There are many who hold party above the good of the nation, something our founders, one of whom we celebrate today, feared.The outdated safeguards of democracy, such as the electoral college, have been used more than once to “elect” presidents the American people did not want.One guess as to which party this has only favored.Democracy, we’re now being told, is fragile.It shouldn’t be.Only the designs of a party scheming for personal enrichment makes it so.
Today we can at least take a breather and be glad that we no longer have a bigoted, sexist, classist, racist incumbent.We have a female Vice President of color.We are on the long, slow road to recovery.The senate, clearly recognizing Trump’s danger to the nation, voted to acquit him because Republicans fear not being reelected if they stand up to him.Our democracy’s not out of the woods, even this Presidents’ Day.Until the GOP learns to grow a backbone we’ll be in constant danger of collapsing.Anyone with back trouble knows how it can stop you in your tracks.Of course, once you’ve made a deal with the Devil, there’s no getting out of it.Most Republicans could benefit from just a touch of folk wisdom.
When one party sides with armed thugs who’d have happily killed them if they’d been found just a little over a month ago, our grounds for celebrating today remain on thin ice.The GOP, which has no moral compass left, has decided that bullies and armed bandits are the way of the future they’d like to see.Although Trump lost both popular elections they’d still vote for him a third time and support him again if he incited another insurrection.It’s Presidents’ Day but we’re still on the edge of a precipice.When a political party refuses to learn from its mistakes, and indeed, tries to build upon them, our celebration of democracy must, by definition, be subdued.We do have grounds for hope.Efforts to get the coronavirus under control are starting to take effect.We have a sane human being in the Oval Office.Until the GOP disavows evil, however, we’ll continue to live in fear.
Photo by Stephen Walker on Unsplash
