Watching America from Afar
Our Cries and Screams during an Insurrection
As tomorrow the Senate will begin its second impeachment trial of Donald J. Trump, I thought today I would share with you our reaction to watching the events of 6 January 2021.
Too Much News
I will admit that Denise and I often disagree about the amount of news I consume. When in the states I watched MSNBC for at least 3 hours a day. There were my 2 hours with Nicole Wallace…who thought I could ever fall in love with a Republican. I also typically watched Rachel Maddow…though I did tire of her multiple lead-ins and occasional references to byzantine architecture. When we lived in Florida, it was worse…since I began my day with Morning Joe.
I also subscribe to the online versions of the N.Y.Times and Washington Post. I admit I didn’t subscribe until 2 years into the Trump presidency. Thank you, Mr. Trump, for encouraging me to support a free press.
6 January 2020
I was very concerned about violence leading up to and following the last election. I had watched an episode of The Circus in which they had interviewed Trump supporters, with guns, who earnestly talked about rising up to “take back our democracy” if their guy lost. They believed. They were serious. Their perception, though diametrically opposed to mine, was as real to them as mine was to me. So I had planned to watch CNN that day. Given the time difference, Denise and I had just finished dinner when it began.
Screaming at the TV
We watched in horror. Our landlord sent us a text, about 15 minutes into the craziness, and asked if we were watching. “Sadly,” I responded, we were. And as we continued to watch we went back and forth between crying and screaming questions, “Why aren’t you tear-gassing them?” “Why aren’t they bringing in more reinforcements?” “How can they allow them to stroll through the halls?” Denise had taken the official Capital tour just a few years ago. She wasn’t permitted to enter the Senate chambers. How could this happen?
Besides our many questions, we had one recurring observation. “If these people were black, they would have been shot by now.”
“Why,” You Ask
To the many that ask what prompted us to leave the US…this is part of the answer. It is NOT all of the answers… but then again, I never considered becoming an expat until the United States elected the Former President.
I continue to read my digital papers every day. I don’t consume nearly as much TV “news” (or perhaps more accurately, “news commentary”). But when I see photos like the one above, I still cry.
Final Note: I realize the views above may offend some readers. But I read a post by another “Substacker” about the importance of honesty…even if it means readers unsubscribe.
As has become increasingly clear over the last 10 years, we all choose to live within our own opinion bubbles. Not only are we psychologically predisposed to this behavior, but it is reinforced by Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc. (If you haven’t watched The Social Dilemna, I recommend you take the time.)
Feel free to offer your comments, thoughts, and observations below. I have tried to be respectful…I trust you will too.
Thanks for the Social Dilemma recommendation. Disturbing. Non sequitur: Most of my adult life has been spend in pursuing the question of how best to live. What is definition of a life well and properly spent? My best answer is the yin and yang of our existence. Duality. Impermanence. People are the very best and the very worst and many times the best and worst reside in the same person including me. Bottom line for me: there is NO answer, only more questions. So, a question for you is this: Will being an expat bring YOU a measure of peace? Leaving the USA is tempting with our country's deep rooted strife, inhumanity, and white (elite) privilege. I truly believe one can run, but cannot hide. We are on the cusp of leaving The Villages for Santa Fe; not sure if we will put it off or deep down even want to pull it off. Perhaps my lesson is that the uproar is IN me and no amount of external circumstance will ameliorate my "human" condition. Will living in Santa Fe bring ME a measure of peace? I am enjoying your posts! Stay safe.....
We do live in an America I no longer recognize. The saddest part is that I have been reluctant even to ask where friends and acquaintances stand. In today’s America, such knowledge risks losing a friendship. But I simply cannot remain neutral while the value systems I grew up with and which I taught to my sons and which once defined America get trampled and distorted. Let’s get one thing straight - there has always been bigotry, prejudice and hatred in America. It is my job now to do whatever I can to educate myself, to support worthy causes, to vote, to write to my congressional representative when I am displeased with my government. In short, I need to stay the course - and I try very hard not to get overloaded by the news. Otherwise, I can’t see the forest for the trees. Even a tiny insect looks threatening under a powerful microscope.