You Didn’t Vote for Biden, You Voted Against Trump

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Earlier this month, U.S. residents across the country held their breath. An 8-month period of coronavirus, a slumped economy coupled with rising unemployment rates, and uncertainty about who our Commander in Chief would be invoked anxiety around the recent “unprecedent” presidential election. Even more, so many people including myself were exhausted by the constant racial profiling of people of color, particularly Black men and the fleeting protests surrounding abuse and violence against Black women in this country. So, we mailed in our ballots, raced to the polls, and watched our television screens as we waited for CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, or our relatives on Facebook to tell us who won the election. And then it came.

Four weeks ago, those who voted blue celebrated the victory of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the first, Black, Indian, and woman Vice President of the U.S. Except we weren’t truly celebrating their victory. Instead, we were celebrating Donald Trump’s defeat.

I was frantically texting my family when it hit me. We defeated Trump and no longer were to be under a chaotic and destructive administration. But I realized there were still 73,786,905 people who voted for him, despite the lies, deceit, and manipulation. The people who voted for him still believed in him, reinforcing their support for white supremacy. From the “nice” suburban white mom to the raging “redneck” deep in poverty to the black republicans vilifying their race for a taste of political power, and the southern Latinx populations supporting Trump’s machismo and toughness, the other side of victory, defeat, matters as well.

And what’s also important is that Democrats, particularly those who are marginalized, don’t necessarily have the same agenda to equal the playing field. Kamala Harris being conservative in her role as District Attorney General of California hurt people of color – criminalizing them for their poverty. Additionally, Joe Biden sponsored the Crime Bill of 1994 that disproportionally affected people of color as well. We shouldn’t ignore this. Whether there’s representation on the federal level, doesn’t negate the brewing discontent and white fear on the local level and how progressive people can continue to be complicit in the systems that affect people of color, particularly Black and Brown folk.

So where do we go from here? I propose we continue to keep our leaders accountable for their actions and adopt a critical lens of politics that doesn’t put binaries on people because of their political party. We need to watch candidates closely and see their actions instead of their words. Politics is who gets, what, when, and how and for Biden he happened to run at the right time, arguably invoking our nostalgia for the Obama Administration. Nevertheless, communities are the ones who are catalysts of change and with the right checks and balances, we can continue to heal the nation.

Similar Read: An Imposter at the Homegoing

Breathe Again

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For four years, it has felt like I have lost a little bit of my breath every single day. It seemed as though we as a country were losing hope by the hour.

Breaking News after Breaking News.

Lies and Lies.

Defeat after Defeat.

Can we the people just get a break to BREATHE? 

We are all now masked up longer than should be, yes for safety but because a leader has failed to lead and it’s even harder to actually breathe. During the recent weeks leading to the 2020 Presidential Election, I could not stop thinking about an Atlanta-based church led by Pastors Gerald & Tammi Haddon called BREATHE ATL. I think about how this ministry not only teaches the gospel of Jesus Christ, but also love, restoration, reconciliation, and renewal. Amidst it all, the one thing that I always reflect on is stop and BREATHE. 

Regardless if you’re a religious person or not, we all need a breath of fresh air. All the American people wanted was a chance to BREATHE Again. On November 7, 2020, the country elected a new leader. A very well capable leader that is not perfect, but he is the man to take us from chaos to a place of solitude and stability. History’s ceiling has once again been shaken, shattered and now broken at the celebration of the country’s First Woman as Vice President and first woman of color, Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris and President-Elect Joe Biden, the former Vice President of the country’s first African-American President Barack Obama. 

Life will not be perfect. This day does not solve all our problems. This moment does not calm all of our fears. But, while we are looking for healing in the land, at the moment I am reminded of BREATHE ATL… no matter what life may hit you with, don’t forget to stop and BREATHE!  I feel like I can start to BREATHE AGAIN!

Similar Article: Ideas Make This Country Great

2020 Election… A Vote for Humanity

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[New Contributor]

With nearly 100 million people casting their votes early, this 2020 election has not only become a free for all for our democracy, but a fight for our humanity.  2020 has been, without a doubt, a complete shit show.  

Our President’s lack of preparation and response to COVID-19, his response to the ongoing systemic racism highlighted by the shootings of unarmed Black men and women by police, his slow refusal to denounce White Supremacists, and his personal attacks on members of Congress, the media and other individuals, has sent Americans further down the proverbial rabbit hole desperate for a way out from when we entered back in 2017.

The protests from his 2017 inauguration should have been an indication that our nation was going to be in for one hell of a term. If you weren’t convinced during his 2016 presidential campaign that maybe just maybe he was not the man for the job, Hurricanes Harvey, Maria, and Irma made that clear. It was evident by the slow response of the government during this time of crisis that our now President simply did not care; no empathy. How would you feel if a hurricane literally took away everything you had in seconds? I doubt you’d find comfort from our Commander in Chief, tossing you paper towels as a way to help alleviate the pain and suffering that you’d be experiencing.

His constant lies and disregard for basic human compassion leaves us to question: What kind of person is running our country?  

A 74-year-old man who never discovered that path to maturity and has remained an egocentric megalomaniac; a man that lives at the intersection of self-centeredness and limited judgment. A racist.

Racial tensions in this country have been felt for more than 400 years. Despite attempts to be subtle by our counterparts (White people… you’re not), we can see that shit plain as day. The death of George Floyd served as the tipping point for everyone.   The deep-seated pain of the past 400 years erupted overnight across America plunging us back in history as if were the 1960s. So what happens when the president exacerbates the racial tensions arising from the deaths of several unarmed Black men and women by police? We have the perfect recipe to incite a race war.   

Further down the rabbit hole we go. Here is where dissension among friends and family happen. Discord and dissension breed mistrust and where there is mistrust among people, there lies division. We cannot afford division. I have faith that as a nation, we care enough collectively to help impact change.

I have faith that this nation collectively gives a damn enough to impart change. Joe Biden is now President-Elect, and all of humanity depends on his presidency.

Similar Read: Should Biden’s VP be a Black Woman?

3 Scenarios in the 2020 Election… Which One Will Play Out?

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There are a few scenarios that could play out…

  1. Trump wins.
  2. Biden wins by a landslide.
  3. Biden wins, but it’s really close and we have a contested election.

If you’re a Democrat or supporting Biden, you’re hoping #2 plays out and we can begin to heal and get back to normal. Many would argue that normal wasn’t working for African-Americas and other minorities pre-COVID or pre-Trump, but the revolutionary crowd has been overshadowed by historic all-out voting efforts to rid the nation of Trump.

If Trump wins, COVID-19 cases and deaths will continue to rise until a vaccine is passed… who knows when that’ll be. If Biden wins by a landslide, I think most common sense people believe his administration will begin to take the necessary steps to reduce COVID-19 cases and ultimately deaths, prior to the arrival of a vaccine.

But if it appears that Biden has won by the narrowest of margins, expected a contested election. Hence why Trump and Republicans fought so hard to get Amy Coney Barrett confirmed prior to the election. You can argue that they actually didn’t have to fight that hard… soundbites from congressional hearings today are nothing but political theatre with no real influence to sway a nomination. We know that from watching the emotional testimony of Christine Blasey Ford at the Brett Kavanaugh hearings. As damning as it was, he was confirmed as if it never happened.

More than 350 lawsuits have already been filed throughout the country regarding votes and mail-in ballots. When there is an election dispute, which several already exist in multiple states, that dispute will go to a state court. However, if or when someone charges that a federal constitutional right has been violated, then it goes to the Supreme Court as it did with Bush v. Gore in the 2000 election. And to add context, that was just in one state, Florida. It could very well happen in several states this year.

With the unfortunate and untimely passing of RBG, and the overnight confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, the Supreme Court now leans 6 – 3 in favor of Republicans. Voters should decide elections, not courts… especially when 3 of the deciding judges have been nominated by the sitting President who’s very fate lies in the balance.

Similar Read: RBG… A Critical Look at Our Leaders Staying in Office Too Long

Why Are You Watching the Debates?

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At this point, it may as well be a WWE event complete with a cage and metal chairs.

How does this version of “debate” (read: “shouting match”) help anyone decide who should lead our country?

Is the ability to be physically more dominant really the trait that defines a world leader? In this case, literally, an ape would be the best qualified President.

Physical human power as a measure of leadership has been obsolete since the invention of the gun. There is no leader in the last 100 years that has been in a hand-to-hand combat situation requiring superior strength or mixed martial arts training.

There has not been a situation, probably EVER, where military or diplomatic victory was achieved by a superior shouting or talk-over ability by one side.

The things that matter for assessing a President are their policies, past behavior, history of decisions, growth as an individual, resilience, and general presentation as a figurehead for our country.

If none of those issues are able to take the forefront in a Presidential debate, there is no point in anyone watching any more of them.

Similar Read: What a Disgrace, But Should Anyone Be Surprised?

What a Disgrace, But Should Anyone Be Surprised?

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“A hot mess… inside a dumpster fire… inside a train wreck.”

Jake Tapper’s initial response to the debate was about as accurate as you’re going to get in short summary of the shit we witnessed last night.

What we watched last night was a disgrace. A total embarrassment, and probably reason #985 why the rest of the world either laughs or shakes their head when you ask them about “America.”

Trump is a compulsive liar. He tried his best to lure Biden into a dog fight filled with personal insults, name-calling, and bravado only two old privileged White men could display. And Biden took the bait. (Not sure we can blame him.) The moderator Chris Wallace was terrible. Trump walked over him all night, literally all night. There was no decorum. No civil debate or dialogue. No substantive debate on the issues that really matter.

For many, the biggest moment came Trump refused to disavow White Supremacists. Not sure why this would surprise anyone. Nothing about his presidency or life frankly has “disavowed” White Supremacy. In fact, you can say he’s embraced it. Many would say he is one. Whether it’s “good people on both sides,” tax cuts for the wealthy, or just recently his attempt to end racial sensitivity training in federal agencies ‘because it’s racist’, we have to ask ourselves, what have people been paying attention to if that truly surprised them last night? Maybe it was his call for the Proud Boys to “Stand back and stand by.”

Either way, Trump has shown us who he is time and time again. After last night, they should probably cancel the remaining two debates. Our country is at an all-time low. Our democracy is at risk of failing, 200,000+ in the US are dead from a virus that literally every other country has under control, and we’re likely on the verge of a civil war. What a fucking embarrassment.

GOP Hypocrisy Laid Bare

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Mitch McConnell intends to have this Senate vote on Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s replacement for the Supreme Court. Trump is planning to announce a nominee as early as Monday before RBG is even laid to rest.

This is in direct opposition to statements that Senator McConnell and other Republicans made in their defense of the historic blocking of President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland.

Of the many statements made to justify their unprecedented (yet legal) stonewalling, only one needs to be brought forth as evidence of the clear hypocrisy, dishonesty, and inconsistency of the means the GOP used to attain its ends:

“The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president,” McConnell said.

This was 11 months before the 2016 election. The 2020 election is already underway.

Many Republicans expressed dismay at the dangerous precedent it would set to not only block the nominee, but to refuse even a debate. Lindsay Graham said, “I want you to use my words against me. If there’s a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say Lindsey Graham said let’s let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination.”

There is bad faith here. There is deceit.

If McConnell and the GOP are more focused on war and victory than peace and compromise, they will be sad to learn that those who live by the sword also die by the sword.

Consequently, if a Trump Supreme Court pick is rushed through the confirmation process before the next Presidential inauguration, and the Democrats win back the Senate and Presidency…

The 2021 Democrats should balance the Supreme Court and appoint two additional Justices. They should also approve statehood for The District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to gain four more senators. These are legal maneuvers and turnabout is fair play.

Similar Read: The Legacy of Notorious RBG – Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Fascism 101

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President Trump recently tweeted this in regard to the four freshmen Congresswomen who oppose his policies: 

“Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.”

And added this today:

“If you’re not happy, you can leave.”

These statements are fascistic in nature and seek to do two things: 

1. Create division in this country so that Trump can align himself with the more powerful side. 

If everyone got along, we would have no need to hire a strong man to enact our wishes on those who disagree with us. Trump wants sides and he will claim the more violent, outspoken, loyal, consistently voting, and ruthless one.

“You’re with the police or against us.”

“But there is clear video evidence of racist motivations driving police officers to murder minorities recently and while obviously, the majority of cops are not racist, we should probably examine this and try to improve…”

“NOPE! You’re against us!”

“You support the troops or you are against us.”

“But I want to raise awareness about an issue so I consulted with U.S. Veterans about how to properly honor the flag and our country while still protesting the deficiencies we might still need to address…”

“NOPE! You’re against us!”

“You’re a capitalist or a communist.”

“But we already have a dozen socialist programs in this country like (ironically) the police, the military, fire, infrastructure, public schools, parks, etc., and while the free market is an incredible mechanism that should drive MOST industries, maybe we should consider taking healthcare out of the private sector because Insurance Companies prioritize wealth over health.”

“NOPE! You’re a communist.”

“You’re a Christian or the Devil.”

“But I’m Jewish/Muslim/Atheist/Hindu/Buddhist/etc.”

“NOPE! You’re the Devil.”

“You’re either American, or you don’t support me.”

“But I don’t support you.”

“NOPE! Then you’re not American, go back to where you came from!”

When you tell someone, “go back to where you came from,” what does that even mean!? My ancestors came to the United States mostly from England and Belgium and I don’t know how I would even begin to “go back” to those countries. This is an impossible statement and obviously racist since Trump has never said it to any White American.

2.  Destroy Any Criticism or Descent. 

The other horrific quote about leaving if you are not happy is the idea that you essentially cannot criticize the United States or the President. “If you don’t like it, you can leave (or die). We’re never changing, no matter how corrupt, cancerous, or callous we have become.”

This is indicative of narcissists who tend to do major damage to those around them and get furious when their behavior is criticized. I’ve come up with my own personal definition that I think states the condition clearly:

“A narcissist is someone who punches you in the face repeatedly and when you ask them to stop, they say, ‘don’t tell me what to do!’”

Trump is obviously a narcissist, but most of his supporters are narcissists as well. They have no regard for others, only their collective identity which they believe is the “real” America. The President thinks he and his minority bloc of supporters own the country.

What Trump does not realize is that when he says, “If you don’t like it here, you can leave,” what he is really saying is, “If you don’t like it here, vote for my opponent in the 2020 election.”

Because that’s how a Democracy like America works best: We fight each other on the ballot, not the battlefield.

This article was originally published on 15 July 2019.

Similar Read: Diplomacy and War: Know the Difference 

Second Time’s a Charm?

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When Kamala Harris made her run for the Democratic Nomination for President, I was very skeptical. I was skeptical and openly questioned her background and her experience as a Prosector.

After she dropped out of the race, I took a step back to look at all the media coverage she received. I was really disappointed with how I handled my scrutiny of her. While it’s absolutely fair to share opinions on a political candidate, I for some reason held her to a higher standard than I did some of the other options. Not because I didn’t want to see her win but because as a Black woman myself, I couldn’t wrap my head around some of her decisions. Kamala was bullied by the media and while that certainly won’t stop now that she’s Biden’s VP pick, I can say with confidence that I will not be a part of the onslaught this time. While I definitely do not agree with some of her decisions in the past, I believe that she is a capable and promising addition to Biden’s campaign. My only hope now is that she be used as an asset and not a pawn. 

Similar Read: The Woman for the Job

The Woman for the Job

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On August 11, 2020, in the midst of a pandemic and primary elections taking place in multiple states, Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden selected California Senator Kamala Harris as his Vice President (VP) pick. This is a historic moment for women and Black women specifically, and no doubt a game-changer for the Biden campaign. She would be the first African-American woman, the first Asian-American woman, the first Howard University Alumni, and the first HBCU graduate to become the Vice President of the United States of America. Her background as a District Attorney and Prosecutor were very challenging for her as they are for many prosecutors. She made decisions at the time that many strongly disagree with; but like all of us, we try our best to make the best decisions at the time. While we have to admit that sometimes we miss the mark, we must get up and keep moving. And I believe the people want Harris to keep moving.

Harris’s record is impressive. She was the first African-American District Attorney in San Francisco. She is only the 2nd African-American woman to serve in the US Senate and she is currently the only African-American woman currently serving in the US Senate. There have only been 11 African-American Senators elected since 1827 in both Republican and Democratic Parties, but only 10 were seated when Louisiana Republican Senator-Elect Pinckney B.S. Pinchback African-American Senator was elected but denied the seat. President Obama was only the 5th African-American to serve in the US Senate. Corey Booker became the 9th African-American US Senator to serve and Kamala Harris became the 10th, and the only Black women currently serving. 

Kamala Harris seems to be one of the women that President Trump is actually afraid of. He has minimized his attack on Harris thus far although we are expecting that to change rather quickly. There is no doubt that Biden could have chosen many great candidates out of this all-women selection pool. But Kamala Harris is definitely the toughest and the best woman for the job.