First, I would encourage everyone to watch 1619 Project. It is vital to understanding, at least in part, the history, sacrifice, and mistreatment of Black people in the United States.
Second, we no longer have a democracy. The Republican Party is no more than a propaganda machine that has systematically and persistently eroded democracy. They started by placing their miscreants in public office and, most recently, tied up all the loose ends by making it impossible to vote in fair elections.
The problem, though, is how people are so slow to wake up. Black Americans do not need to wake up, because they are on the front lines fighting racism and disenfranchisement at every turn. But shame on the rest of the minorities who have allowed the Republican party and its racist agenda to divide us. The nation's minorities fell right into their trap.
Whatever the Republicans say, including that which you mentioned in your article, is designed for only one purpose: to further the agenda of giant corporate interests bent on making more money and to preserve the power of white supremacists who know full well that they are now outnumbered. Greed drives our system, and fascism is the tool to maintain power and wealth. Any intelligent, open-minded and compassionate person can hear the lies, see the book banning, recognize the abuse, and sense the impending danger.
Watch 1619 Project and listen carefully..
When I was a boy back in the 60s the nightly news was filled with scenes of brutality against Black Americans who only wanted what they have always wanted: freedom, equal opportunity, education, and the essentials of life. But they were beaten, abused, murdered, and disenfranchised. This has not stopped. Yes, it is racism, but racism is fear. The minorities of this country have now risen to majority status, collectively. But when we allow ourselves to be divided then we lose our majority status. And the Republicans know this so they keep eroding rights, civil liberties, and education to stay in power. They have stacked Congress and the Supreme Court with ideologues who are anti-democracy. It's like a horror movie.
When we complain that the Republicans are lying and distorting the truth we are only looking at an outer show of their insanity. What's really happening is that they are just going through the motions as they tighten their chokehold, just as the Nazi party did in pre WWII Germany. And then once they have what they want they can just tell the truth, which is their version of reality no matter how horrible, untruthful, and damaging it is.
Do we unite or do we let them get away with this?
