**disclaimer: This is my opinion. Yours may differ and that is okay. We are all entitled to feel how we want to feel. The way I deal with most things is through writing, so I decided to do just that.**
The United States of America. United.
I don’t know about you, but that name doesn’t feel right to me anymore.
Over the course of the past four years, the country I live in has been on a rapid downward spiral. It almost feels like an evil force has come up from the fiery pits of hell and said, “Yep, this looks like a good place to stir up some sh**!” Now, I’m not naive. I know that racism has always existed. I know that our government is FAR from perfect. I know that we ALL can’t agree on everything (or most things). However, in my 40 years of existence here on this earth I have to say that I have NEVER experienced such an assault on democracy and humanity. It is disheartening and frankly embarrassing. I have friends from other countries literally asking what the heck is going on with my homeland. Quite frankly, I would like to know the answer to that question as well.
It’s been a LONG 4 years, but let’s focus on this past year.
The absolute worst year recorded in my memory. We started the year with a virus that was to be of no concern according to President Donald Trump. COVID-19, or how my idiot leader called it (and still does), The China Virus, started spreading through America in February. By March 16th, California was in it’s 1st lock-down. I say 1st because there have been SEVERAL since then. This virus was down played for months. It took over 100,000 people to die for the President to admit that something is going on. Even so, he still held rallies, rarely wore a face mask, golfed more times than I can count on my two hands and rarely took this pandemic seriously. As of today, more than 370,000 Americans have passed due to COVID 19. This past December, Pfizer and Moderna created vaccines and began to administer it in a tier format. Pfizer and Moderna both released statements saying that they were not in conjunction with President Trump’s Operation Warp Speed, even though Trump continues to take credit for it. Right now the US currently has 29.4 million doses of the vaccine, but only 27% (5.9 million) have been administered. It has been a very slow process and at this current rate, it could take years before the goal of 70%-80% of the population is vaccinated. Our economy and our sanity can’t take years of this. Not to mention more unnecessary deaths. Just because our President caught COVID and came out on the other side (he wanted to come out of the hospital with a SuperMan shirt on under his suit and rip open his button up shirt to reveal the SuperMan logo…I know this sounds like a joke, but sadly is not) doesn’t mean that we all will be that fortunate. I’m hoping that our President Elect is able to distribute vaccinations much quicker than our current administration.
Speaking of President Elect, 2020 was also an election year. I have to say, I’m not sure I have ever been more terrified of an outcome in my life. Joe Biden won both the electoral and popular vote…or so we thought. Enter the wrath of a toddler sized tantrum from hell from a man in his 70’s. Unable to accept the fact that he LOST his chance to “run” this country for another 4 years, he immediately went to his Twitter and began tweeting non-stop about how the election was rigged by Democrats and the far left extremists. I would go back and quote some of his insane remarks, but we all know what happened there. Investigations were launched and recounts were held. One of Trump’s accomplishments in his presidency is holding the highest amount of losses for one race. I mean, seriously, how many times do you have to be smacked in the head with the losing stick before it sinks in?
On January 6th, 2021, President Trump held a “Stop the Steal” rally where he told a large crowd of supporters that the election was stolen from him and demanded that VP Pence and Congress reject Biden’s win. Trump told his supporters to “fight like hell” and to “take back our country”, encouraging the crowd to march over to the Capital. In the weeks leading up to this rally, Trump’s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, called for “trial by combat” and Trump Jr. stated to his father’s opponents that “we’re coming for you” and calling for “total war”. If all this wasn’t enough, Trump’s riled up supporters stormed the nations capital. Climbing walls, breaking windows, entering the House’s floor all while vandalizing, looting and chanting.
It’s difficult for me to understand how this could have happened. Peaceful protests were held a few years back and those individuals were immediately zip-tied and taken into police custody. We had Black Lives Matter protests after black men and women were being killed right and left by police, yet those protesters (mainly peaceful) were called “thugs” by our President. Tear gas and rubber bullets sprayed into these crowds relentlessly, yet a mob of white men and women storm the US capital and NOTHING is done to them. These disgusting white men destroyed national property, broke into congress and senate offices, stole property, hung nooses and they all just waltzed out of there. Some police officers were even taking selfies with the mob. Yes, some were eventually taken to prison, but that was days later. Then, in a video statement on Twitter, Trump tells his supporters that just destroyed the Capital Building that he “loved” them and that they were “special” all while continuing to spew his lies about the election being rigged.
I am disgusted that this is the America I live in. I am disgusted that one man has made racism “ok” in the eyes of so many people. I am disgusted that black lives were taken by the hands of authority and still most have not been charged with anything. I am disgusted that one man who is suppose to serve and protect the people only served and protected himself. I am disgusted that one man tried to get his people to over throw the government all because he couldn’t stand the fact that he lost. I’m disgusted that our own VP doesn’t have the balls to invoke the 25th amendment, which shouldn’t have even been a question. I am disgusted that members of the GOP objected to using the 25th amendment. I am disgusted that the man who attempted a Coup d’état is still in office with nuke codes.
What the hell happened? How did it get this far out of hand? How do we heal as a nation? How do we begin to trust one another? How do we start looking out for others instead of looking out for ourselves?
I pray that we can move on as a country from this. I pray that we continue to be just as resilient as we always have been. I pray that we all start treating one another as equals instead of enemies. I pray that justice is served for all that has been done. I pray that the man heading into this presidency is given the opportunity and time to clean up the mess the last one is leaving behind.
There are, however, a few silver linings to this situation.
No more tweets! No more platform to ramble absurdities! I mean, come on, if this isn’t some kind of late Christmas present I don’t know what is.
Then finally…
I guess since he is fishing for accomplishments for his time in office, he can now say that he is the only President in our history that has been impeached twice! Good job, buddy. You accomplished something that the history books will remember you for.
Also, there is hope that Trump will make good on his promise from his campaign. He stated that if he lost, we would never hear from him again. Fingers crossed.
Tensions across the country are extremely high right now. In just a few days we will be welcoming a new President and Vice President, who is the first black woman to hold this position.
Here is to hoping Americans can unite once more. It’s not going to happen over night. There is A LOT to fix, but it is my hopes that these two individuals can restore our faith in democracy and humanity.
The Graying Chronicles 