Timmy Has a Stick

Now that we're through the election, even if we're not through with the "controversy" around the election (this is me projecting as I'm writing this on November 7), we're going to be hearing a lot of "now it's time to reach across 'the aisle' and try to understand the other side and why they voted for Trump (#formerfakepresident) in the first place and figure out how to live in harmony with them again." The idea here is that if we can understand why they're racist assholes then we will be able to find common ground with them and move forward.

This is the same shit we heard four years ago when they all voted for Trump the first time and understanding their whys didn't change anything. If anything, it helped them to decide to double-down on their "christianity" and racism and authoritarianism and draw even more of them out to push their corrosive conservative fascist agenda.

See, the problem here is that Timmy has a stick.
It's a big stick, and he's swinging it around and hitting the other children with it. Not all of the other children, mind you, just the ones he doesn't like, children who mostly happen to be black or brown or female or not straight, and those who have tried to help to defend the children he's hitting. Timmy is a bully and a thug and swinging his stick around makes him feel powerful.

Now, anyone who works with kids --parent, teacher, whatever-- will know that the first thing you have to do in this kind of situation is get the stick away from Timmy. You don't try to engage in a conversation with Timmy while he's actively swinging his stick around and hitting people.
1. Timmy isn't listening or even able to listen because he's having fun. He enjoys hitting people with sticks.
2. Timmy's not going to stop hitting the other kids just because you're talking to him. The longer you try to get him to talk to you, the more kids he will hurt.
3. As the adult, it's your responsibility to take the stick away from Timmy, even if that means you get hit in the process, because he's not going to just put it down because you ask nicely.

And, see, the problem here is that no one has been willing to step up and take the stick away from Timmy. Everyone's just been waiting for... I don't know... for Timmy to realize the error of his ways? For Timmy to get tired? For Timmy to suddenly become "presidential"? For Timmy to grow some empathy and realize that he's hurting people? So everyone has just been watching Timmy, trying to reason with him while he swings his stick and doesn't listen, and, in some cases, yelling at Timmy to stop but, again, Timmy is completely satisfied and happy with what he's doing and isn't going to stop.

Let's be really clear here: Timmy still has his stick and is continuing to beat people with it.
And let's be even more clear: Timmy is not Trump (#formerfakepresident). Timmy is Republicans and other Conservatives, and they've been swinging their stick around for a long time.
And to be blatantly clear: Sometimes Timmy's stick is a gun.

So all of this talk about reaching out and making peace and blah blah blah... well, to change analogies midstream, this is Lucy talking Charlie Brown into, yet again, trying to kick the football. Yes, Lucy is Republicans and Charlie is Democrats who naively continue to tell themselves "maybe this time." No, not this time. Or any time. Lucy is never going to let Charlie Brown kick the football. She just likes watching him fly through the air and land on his back.

To get back to the stick, the first step to getting the stick away from Timmy is going to be getting McConnel out of power. As long as he's in charge of the Senate, he will continue to swing that stick. As long as he's in the Senate, he will continue to swing that stick. He's not going to stop. And, see, there are too many people, now, cheering Timmy on. Too many white people. So it's not just about getting McConnel out of power, it's about getting Republicans out of power. Getting Conservatives out of power. Possibly, at this point, getting white people out of power.

Face it, the cult of white supremacy has gone on long enough and, mostly, white people, so far, have been, minimally, content to let it happen. If it takes getting white people out of power in the US, then that's what needs to happen. Or, at least, white men.

Somebody has to step up and take that stick away from Timmy, and white voters just showed us that they aren't really interested in that job. In fact, a majority of them have picked up their own sticks and and are flailing about as well.

How do we get the stick away from Timmy? I'm not really sure. I'm dismayed that dumbass white people have once again so reveled in rolling around in shit and voted for Trump again. The hope that they will "do the right thing" is in vain. All of which is to say that the only real step we have at this moment is... Georgia. Which just seems so weird for me to say but here we are. If Georgia can put two Democrats in the Senate in January, we can begin to pull the sticks out of the hands of Republicans. If not... well, it might be time to get some sticks of our own.