Thoughts about post-election possibilities and preparedness to meet the reality that comes forth. I have to imagine there is a possibility of a Trump win won fairly (by the rules in place) or otherwise. There is always a possibility. Yet, recall pre-Trump and the election that put him into office. The possibility of a Trump win was there and, yet, prior to the actuality, there was little talk, little done to prepare for that possibility. What if Trump does somehow win? How will those who understand the meaning of such an outcome respond? Imagine, Trump in power with the courts in the hands of those appointed by him and his friends in congress! How will we respond to the continued rewriting of the rules so that what should be legal is not and what should be illegal is legal?
Perhaps such an eventuality is thought impossible. The possibility of one Trump administration was thought to be so until it was our reality. Would there be remedy, civil means for dealing with what would transpire? To whom would people go, to what institutions, to seek remedy? What of intimidation and harassment, threat of death even, for defying Trumpian edicts? Would there be agencies and agents to protect the defiant? Who? Police, sheriffs, U.S. Marshals? Who?
This opposing Trump, for the most part, are the unarmed. Those who oppose Trump, for the most part, have no sense of how to organize to do battle, know how to defend themself from the violent. Biden’s bus pulled over to the side of the road and, for reasons of safety, did not follow through on its journey to a rally. Sensible! Those in the parade of Trumpians stopping them were armed. LEGALLY armed.
There is the problem too, say Biden does win election, with how, with Biden in office, the perils that Trump has both exposed, exacerbated, created will linger. The militias will not stand down. The armed and intent on having it their way by means of violence if necessary will not disappear. The forces in this society that made Trumpism possible will not give up and give in no matter what the arguments are for unity, fairness, equity, and justice. The system will remain resistant and those who benefit by it will fight to maintain it as it is, republicans and democrats.
For the sake of unity and a semblance (it will be only a semblance) of peace the guilty are likely to be forgiven. They were after Bush. And that will, because it will be viewed as the peace possible, make meaningful change to the system more impossible than it has ever been, the new and possible peace justifying great amounts of inequity and injustice as the best we can possibly do under the circumstances. A bad reality will be made to be understood to be the best reality we can possibly have, under the circumstances.
Or……
