E. Scott Cracraft - Speak truth to power. Yes, it is a resistance

A few months ago, a writer to The Sun was angry that many progressive Americans are calling themselves “resisters” to Trump, his supporters, and his agenda. Of course, the other choice is to remain apathetic to rally in “unity” behind Trump. Unity is a good thing but not when it does not truly exist. False unity is a ploy used by fascists. Our country is more divided than it has been since the Vietnam War and possibly since the Civil War. So, for the sane, thoughtful, compassionate American who truly loves his or her country, resistance to this poisonous movement is really the only moral choice.

The only real problem with the term “resistance” is that the word brings to mind members of various European resistance groups that fought against fascism. Perhaps this is a bit presumptuous since none of us Trump “resisters” have suffered what the brave people suffered fighting fascism, at least not yet.

Otherwise, the term is an excellent one and this writer proudly identifies as a “resister.” After all, we are fighting a dangerous fascist movement that appeals to angry white men and whose leader is acting more and more authoritarian every day. Trump has declared the press “the enemy of the people,” and blames it all on “fake news” even when he is caught in a lie. He seems to think that protests should be banned.

This resister not only opposes Trump and all he stands for but also other extreme conservative spokespersons and movements which stand opposed to such national values such as a free press, separation of church and state, equal opportunity for all, and the right of people to live whatever lifestyle they choose. Those of us who are frightened by this should not just be getting mad; we should use all lawful, peaceful means to resist Trump and “Trumpism.”

More people should become resisters because it means standing up to something that is mean, cruel and bullying. Trump and many other extreme conservatives are simply bullies. In spite of lies that the left is more violent, the facts show that we are not. The days of the Weather Underground are over. It was the extreme right that promised a “Second Amendment solution” if Hillary had been elected and today, the same people are promising such a solution if Trump is impeached.

At the local level, many of our community’s liberals and progressives have suffered threats and harassment.

This writer has been tagged with many ideological labels, from liberal to Marxian, but his political views really boil down to something very simple: he does not like bullies. As a survivor of bullying, he has chosen to stand up to bullies wherever they are found. He stands up to bullies on the playground or in the classroom, workplace, corporations or government. A bully is a bully and we resisters are resisting bullies.

As this writer mentioned in a previous column, the first step in resisting this disease of our body politic is to register and vote. The midterm elections are just as important as presidential elections. But, we should not just be concerned with the congressional elections. We must vote at the state and local level to remove those tainted with Trumpism and to elect those who stand for common decency and rationality.

But we resisters have to do more than vote. We need to “speak truth to power.” We need to write letters and sign petitions to let elected officials know that Trump’s America is not our America and that if they support a crazy agenda, they will no longer be in office.

Although Trump does not like protestors, we still have the right to peacefully assemble and make our strength known. We need more, not less demonstrations. We should also be expressing our disaffection in the press and on social media even if it means losing a few Facebook friends as has happened to this writer.

Some progressives, because they tend to be pretty tolerant, try to respect opinions we do not agree with. That is fine. But, we can still be respectful and question those who promote right wing lies and misinformation. We can always confront lies with the truth in a fair, polite, but firm matter. Just because all people are created equal it doesn’t mean that every opinion is created equal!

For example, if someone tells you that Dr. Christine Ford is receiving millions of dollars from “left-wing organizations,” one can politely ask “if that is true, why is she having to raise her own funds to pay to move her family and hire private security?” Or, progressive and compassionate Christians have a right to question the very unchristian hateful views promoted by Christo-Republicans in the name of their God. They can ask those who support Trump’s immigration policies: “what would Jesus have done? Would he have separated parents from their kids and put the kids in detention camps where they were abused?” Of course, we have to be careful that we are not spreading lies and disinformation about “the other side.”

Finally, we not only can vote at the polls but we can also “vote with our wallets.” It does take some time and effort but we should check out the political connections of the goods and services we use. We do not have to do business with those who do not share our progressive values. For instance, if a store that sells hobby supplies refuses, on religious grounds, to cover contraception in their insurance plans, we can always buy our hobby supplies elsewhere. Some obvious targets for boycotts would be businesses who support Trump and other extremist politicians.

For any conservatives who call boycotts radical, they should remember that boycotts were a major force in the Civil Rights movement and long before that, in the American Revolution. We have all heard of the Sons of Liberty but what about the Daughters of Liberty, who were young women of courting age who pledged to refuse “to entertain the attentions” of any young man who wore British-made clothing. The tea boycott turned us into a nation of coffee drinkers!

While Trump and those like him are in office, the whole country is in danger. Far from being unpatriotic, resisting Trumpism shows that we love our country.

(Scott Cracraft is a citizen, taxpayer, veteran and a resident of Gilford.)