The Briar Patch | A fork in the road
- Published: December 5, 2024
This is our fork in the road
Love’s last episode
There’s nowhere to go, oh no
You made your choice
Now it’s up to me
To bow out gracefully …
On election night, Tuesday, Nov. 5, most voting Americans, particularly Protestant and Catholic white Christians, chose a vision of fascism and fear in the name of Jesus. Dietrich Bonhoeffer must be weeping in his grave.
Many of us, particularly Black women, may well remember a moment in the early morning hours of Nov. 6, the mythological time when some believe demonic spirits conjure their evil intentions. Were you like me? Waking up from a dead sleep with a fully racing heart, filled with dread, glancing at the phone for election results, and realizing that the horrible and toxic abuser of you and your ancestors for the past 246 years had once again offered up their behind for you to kiss?
That was the moment when I knew things had gone as far as they will and should, and a break-up, no matter how ugly it could get, was imminent. After all, what could be uglier than hundreds of years of slavery, rape, torture, murder and genocide?
The stages of grief are not linear and I reserve the right to skip denial altogether and up the anger ante to rage.
It took me a full 24 hours to realize the tears I shed, when they finally came, were a pyroclastic flow of rage. There was no unseeing the misogyny and vicious racism on full display and directed toward the first Black woman vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris, during her historic 100-day run for president. In many ways, Harris’ experience is a proxy for the challenges Black women constantly battle in this society. But this time — and hopefully it will stick — the truth burst through with the election results, washing away the mirage. The majority of white people — white men, and women, really did vote their perceived best interests. Oh, and all of Kamala Harris’ favorite curse word non-white MAGA adjacent folks, too.
A MAGA voter had this to say in a Nov. 12 interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer that covered in part, why some people voted for Donald Trump in the Nov. 5 election:
“Matt Wolfson, a 45-year-old former construction worker, looked around at poverty in the Rust Belt city and thought the nation needed a change in leadership.
“Wolfson said he didn’t love the dictatorial aspect of Trump’s personality but thought it could help keep the country out of wars and maybe bring peace to some other conflicts, including in Ukraine.
“‘He’s good and bad. People say he’s a dictator. I believe that. I consider him like Hitler,’” Wolfson said. “‘But I voted for the man.’”
No more making excuses for these people, even if they are our family members, friends or co-workers. The willingness to embrace misinformation and propaganda that feed fear and anger and lies to an increasingly siloed electorate, to justify a vote for someone that reminds them of Hitler, further illustrates a depraved pathology that has fully infected this country since its inception. This election was about character and the alignment of values. Donald Trump’s values most align with the United States, The values being racism, genocide, misogyny, greed, fascism and most insidiously, willful ignorance.
I knew just what to say
Now I found out today
That all the words had slipped away, but I know
There’s always a chance
A tiny spark will remain, yeah
And sparks turn into flames
And love can burn once again, but I know you know …
Black people for too long have been trapped inside this nation’s racist, misogynistic, megalomania trauma loop of insanity. The “now you know moment” many Black children experience when faced with their first racist encounter or racial slur is on repeat.
Whenever you call me, I’ll be there
Whenever you want me, I’ll be there
Whenever you need me, I’ll be there
I’ll be around
—The Spinners, 1973
Except I won’t be there when you call me, want me or need me — especially if you expect me to co-sign to the continuation of this autocratic, racist, misogynistic, war mongering society.
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