We Know Who Republicans Are. Who Are You?

Democrats pave the rise of Republican fascism by normalizing it.

State reps. Justin Jones (left) of Nashville and Justin J. Pearson of Memphis held a moment of solidarity in the rotunda outside of the legislative chamber on Thursday where hundreds of constituents gathered to support the lawmakers ahead of a house vote on their expulsions. Photo by Andrea Morales for MLK50

In the melting frost of a deepening spring, I had imagined I might take some time to steer my thoughts and words away from the fissures of this nation's racial landscape. It seemed, for a time, that I could afford myself the quiet luxury of turning my gaze elsewhere, of attending to the simpler textures of life. Food, music, basketball, those other parts which make me whole. But as I watched Tennessee’s public political lynching through expulsion of Reps. Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson, two young Black people protesting against the epidemic of gun violence in the wake of the Nashville school shooting, I realized that my respite will have to wait.

Such is the curse of fighting to save the soul of this nation - a nation, I might add, that often seems as though it does not want to be saved.

What struck me as I watched the happenings in Tennessee is not so much the ways in which this country's white supremacy has failed my community, though that is obviously a wound that festers still, but rather, how non-Black people often refuse to see how it is failing their communities. A point that was made eloquently by Rep. Justin Jones, all while being expelled.

“To those who here will cast a vote for expulsion, I was fighting for your children, too, to live free from the terror of school shootings,” Jones said.

None of the Tennessee Republicans voting to expel him even batted an eye at his deeply profound and correct words.

These people have a peculiar kind of inability to care, one that allows the architects of hate to fashion a world corroded by fear and division, only to stand back in wonder as their children's dreams are consumed by the same flames they themselves have ignited. The specter of hatred haunts the very air we all breathe, poisoning the foundations of our communities and leaving a legacy of devastation not only for the children of the oppressed, but for those of the oppressor as well. Yet, even as the walls close in around them, there are those who continue to cling to the delusion that their systems of hatred can be contained, that they can protect their own without consequence to the rest.

But these flames are not solely fanned by the Republicans, they are in fact also given oxygen by many Democrats. It is the normalization of the GOP’s hell fire through attempts at containment, rather than a dousing to extinction, that makes moments such as Tennessee our fault as well.

The day after bearing witness to the travesty that was Tennessee’s expulsion vote, I sat in a hushed corner of my favorite café, where the scent of coffee and wine commingled with distant echoes of idle chatter, I found myself in the midst of a frightening thought — it may once again become illegal for me to be in places such as this soon.

Sadly, as a Black man, that thought wasn’t unlike many I’ve had before. But at that particular moment, sitting in that café, the thought seemed to acutely reflect the trajectory of this nation. Yelling the truth from the depths of my Black intuition. The sound of chains clinging in the distance is becoming louder and closer every single day.

You see, the problem is not simply the what the GOP is trying to accomplish (and have already accomplished), it is also many Democrats belief in the enduring myth of the United States’ moral fortitude, with all its shimmering possibilities, laying in stark contrast to the daily truths we are compelled to face; truths that stretch like shadows hovering over and suffocating our collective freedoms and aspirations. The promises of a nation claiming to be founded on liberty, equality, and justice, seem to hang in the air like the ghostly remnants of a dream that has slipped through our fingers, leaving in its wake the cold, hard realization that most of this country’s children are far from the people they imagine themselves to be.

Let me be clear, I am a Democrat. It is not a title I wear with the same pride as I do the monikers of husband, brother, writer, or Black man, but it is a part of me nonetheless. If for no other reason than the practicality of choosing between two currently viable parties in the United States. One of which works tirelessly to destroy me, the other, though deeply imperfect, is very slowly arcing towards progress.

It is as a Democrat that I would be remiss if I don’t plainly speak to the gravity of our situation. Because we are losing — handedly.

Now, I understand that some of you will recoil at the thought of criticizing the party, invoking the ever-present refrain, "at least we aren't Republicans." But I ask you to take a moment to consider what it means to truly love someone or something. When this is the case, you want the best for it, no? Do you not want to see that someone or something thrive? Well, to truly love this nation and to support the party that claims to champion progress, we must demand better of it. We must want it to grow into an entity that actually grabs freedom from the pits of oppression, for those it claims to fight for.

Which is exactly what I am attempting to offer through clear-eyed critiques of where the party is failing.

As I write this, we are bearing witness to a rising tide of Republican fascism, that stretches far beyond Tennessee or “red states”, a tide that seeks to wash away the final remnants of bodily autonomy of women, erase transgender people, criminalize educators for teaching the truth, ignore the destruction of our planet, and resurrect Jim Crow-era policies against Black voters. Each second that passes, this nation becomes more consumed by an ever-growing whirlpool of right-wing extremism often left unchallenged because of apathy or performative acts.

Every day I turn on my television or read up on these sociopolitical happenings on various news sites, I am left to wonder when many Democrats are going to stop perpetuating the false narrative that we can or should work with the right-wing in this nation. When we will step away from the myth of some deep seed of morality in Republicans that simply needs to be watered. When we will stop trying to move the needle on their hateful ideologies and focus on winning. From my vantage point, it is dangerous to view this moment we are in as anything less than a cultural, physical, and legislative war with a party filled to the brim with domestic terrorists and propagandists.

A war we are waging with catchy slogans, social media posts, constant reminders to vote, and other weapons that are either being co-opted, misused, or simply not working. In reality, Republicans are fighting like they are at war, while many Democrats are playing Candyland.

But I recognize that this perspective places me among the minority in my party, rather than the majority. And therein lies what is at the core of the losses we are taking.

Several weeks ago, I attended the New York City premiere of Ted Lasso, a show that I hold dear. For those unfamiliar with Ted Lasso, it's an endearing and optimistic show about an American football coach who is hired to manage a British soccer team. It is the epitome of a "feel good" show. So, by all measures, I wasn't expecting the event to be a political sort of affair. But what happened on stage was a reflection of what is wrong with our party and why Democrats are teetering on the obliteration of democracy.

The cast participated in a panel discussion moderated by a young white woman representing an entertainment media outlet. During the panel, the moderator quipped, "Even my crazy Republican brother who I only have a few things in common with loves the show. It's sort of our thing to talk about at holiday dinners. You all know how it is." Agreeing giggles rippled through the predominantly white audience, but my wife and I—two of the few non-white individuals present—merely exchanged a discouraged glance.

Your brother is inherently a supporter of things such as, educators checking the genitals of children to ensure they aren’t transgender, imprisoning women for seeking abortions, and pretending this country’s entire history of racism doesn’t exist — but at least you two have Ted Lasso and Thanksgiving.

I’m sorry, but the jokes fall flat for us, we don't know how it is. And yet, we see this very mindset as emblematic of the fundamental problem afflicting our party.

For too long, there has been this pervasive notion that politics can somehow exist separate from the personal. That we can have Republican family members and friends and simply overlook their political affiliations. But as a Black American, this has never been my reality. To begin with, the overwhelming majority of my community votes Democrat, so the possibility of Republican acquaintances has been virtually nonexistent (the same is true of many non-Black people with true moral courage). Moreover, the Republican party's destructive agenda against my community is not a newfound revelation.

From Reagan and Bush to Trump and DeSantis, as a Black person raised in this country, I can assert unequivocally that the Republicans have done just about everything in their power to eradicate me and my people. This truth has been evident to me since I was a child, and in fact, Democratic leadership and strategists have often sought to exploit this knowledge.

To perceive political differences as mere harmless disagreements that can be set aside during family gatherings or while watching television is a luxury born of privilege—and it's a perilous one. But now, we have reached a critical juncture, and I fear that many are ill-equipped to confront it.

Guns, for example, have long plagued Black and brown communities, dumped into our neighborhoods by the government, corporations, and the wealth class along with alcohol and other drugs, to create a cocktail of destruction and capitalist gain for themselves. For generations little was done or said about this by mainstream Democrats. But in recent years, these weapons have begun to turn on white communities as well, and in particular, white children.

A nation that once made it so that Black and brown people are not safe anywhere has evolved to a nation where no one is safe anywhere. I have watched as the bullets many once thought of as solely whizzing through the air in Chicago, Detroit, Brooklyn, and Compton eventually found their way to Columbine, Newtown, Parkland, and Nashville. The tear gas and riot police beatings once reserved for Black protesters fighting racism have also left white women, white trans people, white queer people, and white poor people, bruised and battered. And Republican pushed legislation once primarily aimed at stripping the humanity Black and brown people, now serving to erase the humanity of everyone who is not one of them.

This is the definition of fascism.

I’m aware that for many, this is a heavy word, but it’s an honest one. We are facing a party that has for some time openly plunged deeper into fascism. As such, the brother of the Ted Lasso panel moderator is a fascist. He is supporting the efforts of a party that would see his sister stripped of nearly every human right she has. All while she complacently normalizes him.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announces the Stop W.O.K.E act, which targets the teaching of critical race theory in schools and places of employment. (Spectrum News)

That said, the question I continue to grapple with is what needs to happen so that we do not lose to that young woman’s brother?

After the murder of twenty children at Sandy Hook Elementary School, I was hoping that white parents would decimate a Republican Party that opposes gun control. Yet, Donald Trump became president four years later. Then when seventeen teenagers at Stoneman Douglas High School were killed, I crossed my fingers that the very wealthy white parents of that school would deal a death blow to Republicans in Florida. But then Ron DeSantis became Governor. And after the repeal of Roe V. Wade I anxiously awaited to see whether white women around the nation would create a repeat of the summer 2020 racial protests. It did not happen.

So, what do I believe will make people actually fight with the audacity to win?

First and foremost, everyone must come to terms with the United States' false inherent morality. Each of us must recognize that our nation's so-called "moral fortitude" is not an inalienable birthright, but rather a destination toward which we must strive, each and every day.

Second, we must cease complicity in the rise of fascism by normalizing those around us who support the Republican party's destructive agenda. That family member or friend may not wear a swastika on their sleeve or bear the marks of overt hatred, yet they stand by a death cult that seeks to snuff out the light of anyone who is marginalized. We cannot, in good conscience, simply overlook their political affiliations.

Third, we must step away from the binary ideas of what makes one a good person and instead commit ourselves to actions that systematically move the needle toward justice and equality. Voting is a vital and necessary part of our democratic process, but it is not enough. We must engage in our communities, listen to the voices of the oppressed, and work tirelessly to dismantle the systems that perpetuate inequality and suffering.

It has never been enough to simply be "not Republicans." But this belief makes sense in the illusion of a binary world, where we are reduced to choosing between two parties, the idea of the "good" versus the "bad" is perpetuated. It is a comforting falsehood, for it allows us to believe that by merely aligning ourselves with one side, we have done our part in the fight against oppression. But the simple act of “voting blue” by itself doesn’t inherently make you good, at most, it makes you slightly better.

The truth is that if you are not actively engaged in the dismantling of oppression, if you are content to merely normalize those who actively work to destroy marginalized communities, then you, too, are complicit in the propagation of the "bad." Voting for a specific party may provide a sense of moral righteousness, but it is action that will truly bring about change.

Many need to wake up to the fact that we are offering flowers to people who are literally murdering those on “our side”. In this moment, as Republicans play for keeps, it has never been more important for the Democratic party to stand as a bulwark against the relentless onslaught of right-wing extremism. Which means, we must demand accountability from our leaders and ourselves, and be willing to have the difficult conversations about who many of your loved ones are — who we are — and then actually do something about it.

There is a line, and Republicans have shown that toeing it will leave you six feet deep.

But I fully understand that the lack of honesty is a flag flown from the highest mountains in our nation. I can’t explain the sense of despair I feel when I see President Biden attempting to differentiate between "MAGA Republicans" and other Republicans, as though the latter is somehow less complicit in the collective destruction of our communities. He is of the same false beliefs as the young woman from the panel. Let me assure you, there is no difference. These individuals have long been participants and strategists in the systematic deaths of our children, the caging of our brothers and sisters, and the erasure of our rights.

The time has come for us to recognize that we are in the midst of a moment in history that demands we cease normalizing the hatred and destruction perpetuated by these individuals. Now, more than ever, if you are not fighting for trans rights, women’s rights, criminal justice overhauls, reparations, and any legislation or belief that will not only support marginalized people, but act as a counter for the measure taken by the right, then what are you doing?

This is not a task for the faint of heart, nor is it one that can be accomplished by clinging to outdated notions of respectability politics, civility, or false bipartisanship that only serves the few. For in our pursuit of a more perfect union, we must confront the harsh reality that there are those among us who have no interest in seeing such a union realized.

Some of those people are at your table during the holidays or texting you about your favorite shows. They are helping kill everything you love and stand for. So, the question is, what will you do to stop them?