In These Times

With today’s tragedy in Charlottesville, and the continuing abdication of moral leadership on technicolor display in Bedminster, it is, as always, important to reflect upon first principles and consider historical patterns.

This President, and his failure to condemn white nationalist terrorism by name, once again demonstrates his unfitness to serve.  While he has, at least on a metaphorical level, already “lost Cronkite,” the question remains: when, if at all, will Congress decide that enough is already far too much and take action? 

The Political Left, as it did in the Civil Rights Movement and during Vietnam, is standing front and center in defense of American principles and our moral center.  Members of the Democratic Socialists of America were hit by the driver who rammed his car through the crowd of counter-protestors.  Leaders in the progressive faith community, such as Reverend William Barber, have been visible in their denunciations of the moral turpitude coming out of this White House in general and the Poltroon by the Potomac specifically.  Liberal-minded policymakers and activists, as well as every-day centrist or apolitical but outraged Americans, and even some (albeit few) conservatives, have taken to the streets to voice their opposition to this Administration.  Organizations that are not inherently ideological in a strict right/left sense, but who advocate on behalf of causes that are viewed as progressive, such as Black Lives Matter, are advocating for social change.  Analogues from the ‘60s for all of these individuals and groups (with varying degrees of similarity) can be found, from Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. to SNCC, to the many “New Left” groups that mobilized against the Vietnam War and for civil rights at home.     

This is not to say that the American Left is the sole repository of virtue.  Most Americans, from across the political spectrum, stand foursquare opposed to the latest incarnation of the Klan/Nazi plague, the alt-right.  The challenge rests in ridding this hate from our land; and in demanding that this Administration immediately remove from itself those who identify with the alt-right.  Of course, if the Administration were to simply remove itself, that would be a good start.

Stay tuned, as more will follow.