Trump's Cult: Tell Them

Trump fans will try and backtrack. They may try and engage in proverbial gymnastics in years to come...to make their behavior acceptable. Or they could try and erase the very mention of the repugnant person for whom they were willing to lose so much. To lose their businesses, to lose their integrity, and for some, Herman Cain comes to mind, even their lives.

But history must remain true. We know that Trump and his allies have been a huge stain on the United States. The damage done has been enormous both tangibly, and to our reputation. The history books will show them to be brainwashed, morally bankrupt, cultists, and we have to let them know that. The time for coddling them and protecting their feelings has long been gone. We do not speak fondly of the KKK and honestly, for the snatch-kids-from-their-parents-enablers, what is really the difference?

If there are people who admit their wrongs and are willing to support other, more decent candidates in the future, fine. Work with them. Talk with them. Mostly white folks. We black people are largely uninterested in mingling with those who were totally comfy with our demise, but our white friends can have at it. Numbers are numbers. Margins are margins. And yes, every vote counts. But do not feel bad about speaking truth to power and letting Trump's cult know what they have uplifted; the racism, xenophobia, trauma on immigrant families that will probably never go away...and we cannot forget the 250,000+ people killed from COVID largely due to Trump's wild incompetence and egregious lack of empathy.

These people were and are, for now, okay with the destruction of our very democracy. Calling them out is perhaps, literally, the least we can do. People need to put aside their need for comfort; the holidays are approaching and I have constantly heard the desire for people, usually white, to just have peace. This usually means to not discuss politics with their family members who may be Trumpers. But guess what. People of color, women, LGBT folks, the disabled, immigrants, all who have been attacked especially by this administration and his supporters, do not have the luxury to hide from the despair and toxicity that has permeated this nation. I have cut the Trump people in my family mostly out, refusing to engage with them even in non-political affairs. I did try, to be fair, to alarm them to their racist-enabling ways, to no avail. I encourage everyone to reconsider making nice, yearning for peace and comfort as if that will get us closer to liberation.

But lastly, it feels darn good to put Trumpies in their place. Letting them know the harm they have caused and the disgusting imbecile of a "man" they have supported. I want them to squirm. I want them to feel sad. I want them to feel anxious. Let's be honest-they deserve it. We have been in a constant state of panic, desperation, fear, and even worse, some people had just plain given up. We have questioned the very foundations of our government; how can we have allowed such a traitorous, tyrannical, hateful person to run our country? And how did he get over 70 million votes even AFTER he wreaked such havoc on our nation for four years? The metaphorical punch to our mental health will linger, for who knows how long and to what depths. There will be a lot of Monday-morning-quarterbacking, from professional pundits and Twitter activists alike, but don't let your think-pieces include a myriad of excuses for this cult. They need to be ridiculed and feel the hopelessness that we have been enduring...even it for just a few moments.