What Does Being Free Mean in American Elections?
Every time I start to write this post, my stomach seizes, and my head pounds. It’s fear, of course, and it won’t go away. Still, the story is important to relay. My experience may cause some to think about what is currently happening. I hope it chills you to the bone.
So, what happened? I went to a get-together with a small group (less than 10). Conversation was light-hearted and fun. Then one of us got a text from a political party. The discussion turned decidedly dark.
Each of the women began expressing their fears of violence they think will come after this election. They either had ordered ammunition or voiced they wanted to buy a handgun for protection. Trump, white supremacists, and militias became the new topic of discussion.
It turns out we aren’t alone in fearing violence, particularly if Trump loses the election. A USAToday/Suffolk poll finds 75% of Americans believe there will be violence on Election Day or if Trump loses. Another poll found 80% of us think the election will turn violent. More interesting data reveals that each party believes the other party will be responsible.
As if to underscore the concern, many businesses in large cities are boarding up their stores. Governors are creating plans to call out the National Guard if necessary. Gun sales have been rising. Friends report they stocked up on enough groceries and paper goods to last the week. Just in case.
Surprising? Not especially. After all, we have a president who has continually and loudly discredited mail-in ballots but is in favor of absentee ballots. It’s a distinction without a difference. He has flooded Twitter and Fox News with allegations of voter fraud with no evidence supporting the claim. He has repeatedly told supporters that if he loses, the vote is rigged. If he wins, the vote is accurate.
Most frightening is the activity of militias and white supremacists. Once told to “stand by,” they took the president quite literally. They intend to go to polling places to “protect” voters. By “protect,” they mean intimidate. A group of Trump supporters deliberately used road rage tactics on a Biden/Harris bus in Texas that police were called and the rally canceled. They also closed down a bridge in New York for miles, likely to intimidate those voters heading to the polls. The FBI has already broken up a plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Governor Ralph Northam. They uncovered a scheme to assassinate Joe Biden.
All of these incidents are unacceptable to most and should be to all citizens. Kidnapping, murder, chaos, and voter intimidation should never be a part of elections in a democratic republic. These actions should not have the tacit approval of any leader, either. We all should be terrified right now at what has evolved over the last months. People in developing countries like Afghanistan put their lives at stake to vote. Americans are now in that position.
Both sides of the aisle like to talk about freedom, but if your vote isn’t counted, you aren’t free. If you’re intimidated at the polls, you aren’t free. When a group threatens violence if their side doesn’t win, none of us are free. If we do not have free and fair elections, we are not free.
Those who reject these attacks on our democracy and make their voices heard are free. Vote! Vote for integrity, peaceful transitions of power, and the people.
