The other day, I was asked “where do you draw the line?” The neighbor who posed the question, shocked, dismayed and angered by the events playing out in Minneapolis, elaborated: “when do you decide to move on?” He was trying to decide whether he wanted to continue to live in a society in which almost a majority of his fellow citizens elected a president whose administration denies due process, fails to respect individual rights, rewards the rich at the expense of the poor, and persecutes political opponents.
It is not as if Trump voters could not have known what was coming. His first administration provided ample evidence of his disdain for democratic norms and for the unfortunate. Lest any doubt remain, the MAGA campaign of 2024 provided a blueprint in the form of the Heritage Foundations’ “Project 2025” for what was on the agenda should Trump be reelected, Even among those who did not vote for Trump and who have joined the protests against his actions, there is a sense of complicity in the outrages of ICE and the Border Patrol. Such is the nature of national feeling — it is my country doing these things.
Trump long ago crossed the line that marks violation of due process and democratic principles so serious as to deserve condemnation and sanction. The midterm elections provide an opportunity for change.
How deep and wide is the reservoir of empathy and benevolence in the electorate? If voters return Trump majorities to office, this would suggest at least a pervasive indifference to the plight of those subject to Republican depredations. On the other hand, however welcome a rebuke to the president would be, victory at the polls for his opponents might occur largely out of economic concerns rather than devotion to principle. So be it. The voters decide what is important to them. I want prosperity for my fellow citizens and wish for a generous spirit among them all.
Trump regards the asking of my neighbor’s question as proof that one hates America. The America that many Americans hate is an America in which masked thugs under color of law break down doors to conduct warrantless searches and seize persons for detention on no more cause than skin color or accent. The America that many Americans love is, if they are honest, an imperfect America, but one devoted to the realization of the ideals set out in the Declaration of Independence: “that all men are created equal, and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, and that among them are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
It is difficult to leave one’s country even if the government imposes no barriers. It is where one has made a living, learned a language, made friends, enjoyed the food and gotten used to the pace of life and how things are done. The lay of the land is like nowhere else. It is where grandma lives. It is home.
Nevertheless, persecution and economic necessity force many around the world to emigrate. The difficulties, emotional and practical, facing any prospective emigre are great, even for an American not beleaguered by persecution or economic necessity.
That some Americans are leaving, or thinking about leaving, attests to the alienation caused by the Trump regime. The times require, however, that personal sensibilities be put aside. The politically conscious and politically active are needed to carry on the struggle for realization of the Declaration’s ideals.
John Bookman is a professor emeritus of poliitcal science at the University of Northern Colorado.
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