I will not vote for Donald Trump.
I will not throw any eggs at his supporters.
I will not be a prop in an abhorrent, divisive, racist campaign.
I will not contribute to the negativity and idiocy.
I will not forget that I am responsible for me. I can choose to be the person who remembers my humanity. I can choose to see the humanity in the people who hold views I hate.
I can do all of these things. Because even though I understand the rage and frustration of my progressive peers, the things they are choosing do not win elections. They make it easier for men like Trump to rally people to him as he promises a respite from the chaos if you are one of his.
This is not simple hyperbole: the moments leading to Hitler’s election are eerily similar to what we’ve just seen. The enraged left wing created all the propaganda they needed.
You can read the entire story here, and everyone probably should.
And then they were subsumed.
I understand exactly why it feels satisfying to fight the fascists in the literal sense. I do not understand how anyone can tell me it’s a better plan this time. We can indulge our emotional impulses and attack those who threaten us, or we can pay attention to those who lived through this once before, and find ways to fight fascists with words instead of fists. We can work to find a way that works. But it starts with each of us, making a commitment to adhere to our beliefs, for peace and justice and equality. Our better angels must not be stifled when we need them most.
