Let us not engage in wishful thinking. There can not be reconciliation and conversation between those who support our nation, our Constitution, and democracy and the Trump dead-enders who threaten to overturn our democratic process and peaceful succession claiming widespread systemic fraud.
The charlatans and liars who are using this pretense to stir up the ignorant and gullible, know better. Every court in the land, mostly occupied by Republicans — even Trump appointees, by the way, have thrown these non-factually based challenges out of court.
Trumpies only want to hold on to power by any means necessary. So, you can’t argue with them or appeal to them to do the right thing. They are incapable and unwilling to do so. The biggest loser is one who can not admit he has ever lost or been wrong about anything. This is all about stroking his ego. Keep stroking or else!
Joe Biden a far-left, socialist, communist even? It’s ridiculous! He was probably the most centrist of all the Democratic presidential candidates. He is not embraced by the Left. His only appeal to the Left is that he is not the sick, mean spirited, incompetent, crooked, pathetic little man you call your president.
There appears not to be enough Progressives, let alone Socialists, or Communists to take over the Democratic Party, let alone the country — and you have been lied to about what they stand for by a man who just loves to call people names.
What about their followers? They are either incapable of critical thinking and logic or, themselves, just unwilling to admit that they have been duped despite enough evidence to convince a child to the contrary. They deny science, fact, and experts to mindlessly listen to and follow an ignorant, prejudiced, egotist incapable of telling the truth or thinking of anyone other than himself and his family.
Whether or not you buy the racism, xenophobia, greed, and hatred spewed by the fuehrer is beside the point. If you back him, you own all of it. The QAnon garbage about Democrats abducting, having sex with and trafficking children. Drinking the blood of babies. (A centuries old big lie used against Jews by you-know-who to justify Anti-Semitism and Naziism) — you own it. White Supremacy — you own it. Coddling dictators — you own it. Racism — you own it.
And, now with the disgusting takeover of the Capitol by thugs encouraged by the disgraceful Trump, you own that. If you are still backing this miscreant, you buy it all.
Treason? You own it. You and a lot of the same lot whose ancestors, of whom they are so proud, betrayed America and brought about to preserve slavery, are traitors. No wonder the outcry against tearing down statues of their traitorous and racist predecessors. The South (your South!) will rise again if they have their way.
Trump supporters, you have been hornswoggled. You don’t have to apologize or admit your mistakes, just stop perpetuating them. Time to choose your flag: Confederate or American.
Ken Eisenstein is a resident of Shelburne Falls.