Americans are experiencing a new state of being due to the machinations of the new Trump administration: there is an “us vs. them” sentiment apparent throughout the country. This chilling undercurrent threatens to have far-reaching ramifications. It also poses questions regarding the malevolence of the current U.S. political establishment.
Truly, a disproportionate number of people have lost their lives during Trump’s occupation of the White House. For example, at the culmination of his first term, he was allegedly the mover and shaker behind an attempted coup; Five people lost their lives that day and 174 police officers were seriously injured during the attack on the Capitol Building. Also, during his first term, millions of people died during the COVID-19 pandemic, largely due to Trump’s initial and inappropriate responses.
The foregoing was just the tip of a very cold and malevolent iceberg. To illustrate this point, consider what happened before Trump ascended to the office that he thinks is a throne room. The Central Park Five were Black and brown youth who were accused of attacking a female jogger in Central Park in New York City in 1989. Trump took out a full-page ad in a widely-read publication calling for the execution of the youth. As it turned out, the actual perpetrator confessed, and the Central Park Five were exonerated. Even though that was the case, Trump insisted that the youth be executed anyway. (Fortunately, he didn’t get his way). This is very disturbing and points to a malevolent mindset dominating the Oval Office.
In addition to the foregoing, the President is on a very negative pathway regarding his perceived enemies. The Trump regime is a Revenge Presidency – he has his sights set on destroying anyone that he considers an opponent.
On another note, there have been a number of aviation mishaps in which people have lost their lives; this happened after Trump reduced the number of staff. The first one on January 29 occurred just shortly after Trump ascended to office. Sadly, 67 people died that day; when President Trump convened a press conference to address the situation, he blamed everything on previous administrations, along with what he alleged were “DEI” hires. This was an incredibly negative and ridiculous response coming from a sitting American president; it was insensitive to turn that tragedy into an opportunity to slander his political enemies.
The insensitive behavior didn’t end there. Trump has always left mayhem in his wake. He cut funds for cancer research, which will contribute to deaths. His administration is in the process of creating havoc in the stock market due to seemingly impractical tariffs; and his dismantling of anything that celebrates Black people is an apparent goal. The cuts to USAID are threatening the actual lives of vulnerable populations abroad, as well as endangering the lives of American citizens. Realistically, due to current actions, any trumped-up charges that the ‘Leader of MAGA’ chooses to impose can result in incarceration or deportation. The cuts that his administration is proposing will undoubtedly cause the demise of other Americans.
The foregoing gives clues about the type of energy that we’re dealing with in the Trump administration, and it’s not pleasant. People all over America have been demonstrating against the actions of the regime, but, interestingly, a number of African Americans are not participating in the demonstrations. There are various reasons given for this, but one of the most prominent is that this is “their” fight (i.e., white folks), and that Black people should “sit this one out!” They also believe that the demonstrations are part of an authoritarian ploy to eventually morph into an excuse to enact martial law. People could be rounded up and deported and/or imprisoned.
There is a lot more that could be said about the current monarch-wanna-be’s tendency toward embracing his “dark side.” One of the most frightening thoughts in this regard is his war on Black and brown people. For this reason alone, Black people can’t have the luxury of “sitting this one out,” because the actions of this administration can hurt All Americans. After the smoke clears, in hindsight, some Black folks might regret not lending their expertise to address this landmark challenge. Aluta continua.
Reprinted from the Chicago Crusader