The Election Show: Staying Vigilant
The presidential election was roughly one and a half months ago and the president of the United States has yet to concede. He has claimed fraud, brought frivolous lawsuits in several state, tweeted out baseless conspiracies, villainized major cities with large Black American populations, spread lies and misinformation, implicitly and explicitly told his followers to take up arms to defend him, and refused to acknowledge Joe Biden as the president elect. The president has suffered an embarrassing loss, one that only a handful of U.S. presidents have experienced, losing a reelection bid and becoming a one-term president. And, true to form, when Donald Trump has failed in the past (and it has been often), he either threatens to sue or skips out on his responsibilities. Sadly, the president has wasted the courts time and taxpayer money and worst of all, he has abdicated his duty as a sitting president while the coronavirus ravages communities in all 50 states.
Far too many Americans fail to understand the depths of white supremacy in this nation and believe this country will always err on the side of righteousness. As much as this country has grown and progressed over the last two hundred years, she is far from perfect. Sadly (and scarily) we have far too many members of the Republican Party who refuse to stand up to the president and his delusions of grandeur. They are willing to support his baseless lawsuits, sign letters implying Joe Biden is an illegitimate president-elect, and have consistently put Donald Trump in front of the American people they have sworn to serve and protect. We not only have a crisis in the executive branch of government, we also have a serious crisis within the legislative branch as well. When members of Congress place one man as a priority over the will of the people, our democratic republic is in danger.
Before many people can breathe a sigh of relief on Jan. 20, 2021, we must make sure the president and those who aid and abet him do not ruin our democracy as they leave office. We must continue to put pressure on our elected officials to do what is right and certify election results, make their stance known about the frivolous lawsuits, denounce conspiracy theories, and condemn their colleagues who are too cowardly to do what is right for the American people. Only then can we begin to repair the extreme damage that has been done these past four years. From the destruction to the environment and protected lands to federal executions to inhumane tax policies and punishments for the poor, this administration’s policies will be felt for generations.
In order to begin to heal we must first stay vigilant. January 20, 2021 is on the horizon.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University, Host of "The Election Show", the author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream,” and the co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC and also What’s In It For Us podcast.
