I voted in the midterms as soon as I received my ballot in the mail. Many people do not bother. We are seeing what happens to a republic when large numbers of citizens refuse to participate.
As of this publication date, Election Day is still upcoming. If you know anyone who doesn’t think their vote makes a difference, there is still time to change their mind and help prevent an authoritarian nightmare in this country.
There is burgeoning fascism at the state level, such as with homophobic and transphobic laws and fear-driven bans of affirming educational materials. Congressional Republicans introduced a federal “Don’t Say Gay” bill to nationalize the assault.
Some libertarian friends don’t think the Supreme Court will overturn marriage equality. It boils down to the fact that, unlike abortion, same-sex marriage does not involve the destruction of a fetus. But the authoritarians are about control, not life. Look at their opposition to Medicaid, childcare subsidies, and school lunch programs.
Visceral hostility toward gay folk is not something white Christian nationalists got from Christ any more than their fondness for semiautomatic weapons. They want not just to nullify our marriages, but to recriminalize and erase us. Members of our community who are not white men face many more threats. No one has ever tried to prevent me from voting, for example.
The Jesus of the Gospel, who teaches us to feed the hungry and welcome the stranger, is of no use to White Christian nationalists except as a thin mask for their own bigotry. In their tribalist mentality, if you do not look and live like them, you are not one of them — even if you are eagerly used by them as camouflage in the culture wars, like Kanye West spewing antisemitic nonsense. And as his case shows, black transgressions are disproportionately policed.
In my experience, the immigrants of color the nationalists despise show far more Christian love than those who label them invaders for seeking greater safety and opportunity for their children. Indeed, America’s history of exploitation in Central America contributed to the migration. But the nationalists think consequences are for other people.
Republicans used to be considered strong on national security; now many have trouble naming a foreign despot they don’t envy. They still poll well on the economy despite their openly stated plan to sabotage it by refusing to raise our national debt ceiling unless President Biden caves to their proposed cuts to Welfare and Social Security.
Rational, respectful people who value America’s diversity are at a disadvantage. Extremists by their nature are more driven. Traditional media cannot resist giving gobs of free airtime to demagogues. Social media facilitates the dissemination of lies and loony conspiracy theories at low cost. Many who are stirred by the online sewer pipe of hatred to use voter intimidation tactics may be impotent clowns, but a few violent outliers can cause disproportionate harm.
Voting is more than a set of choices involving candidates and ballot initiatives. It sends a message that we will not passively let ourselves be overrun by fanatics.
Consider a dangerous man not on any ballot: Supreme Court Associate Justice Sam Alito. He is determined to impose his medieval beliefs on the rest of us, as if only his ilk are entitled to rule.
He has legions of helpers. Republicans spent decades laying the groundwork for the overturn of abortion rights that occurred this year. Their exploitation of the ruling has been swift and frightening. We cannot defeat the criminalization of women and medical providers (and anyone who helps them) with outrage alone. The bullies are relentless and determined. Nominating election deniers to count state vote tallies is preparation for their next coup. The brutal assault against Paul Pelosi in his and wife Nancy’s home is an example of the political terror Donald Trump inspires.
Jill Filipovic identifies part of the problem: “People simply get acclimated to authoritarianism.” Those of us horrified by the anti-democratic surge need to demonstrate our own resolve that it will not be the new normal.
Another problem is self-fulfilling gloom. During the Senate debate between John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania on October 25, some Democrats cringed over the lingering effects of Fetterman’s stroke. Quickly, however, Oz’s statement that abortion decisions are for “women, doctors, [and] local political leaders” created new problems for Oz.
If we let ourselves become dispirited, it can spread like a virus and leave us sadder, wiser, and less free. Let’s wise up now. To quote President Obama, when he addressed one of his hecklers: “Don’t boo, vote!”
Richard J. Rosendall is a writer and activist at [email protected].