The Impotence of the Right
By: Carlos Hidalgo
Tags: Trump, Democracy, Election 2020, Silence, Republican Party

The Impotence of the Right

As Trump Assaults Democracy His Enablers Stay Quiet

Photo by Nsey Benajah on Unsplash

It has been a month since Joe Biden was projected to be the winner of the Presidential Election. Since that proclamation from numerous media outlets, we have seen Republican and Democrat state officials certify the votes that have indeed shown that Joe Biden was the clear winner in the 2020 bid for the Presidency.

There have also been statements from his own appointed (now former due to being fired by Trump) Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security for the Department of Homeland Security, Chris Krebs, and Bill Barr, his own Attorney General stating there is no evidence of widespread fraud that would overturn the outcome.

In addition to these investigative findings and certifications, we have also seen a frenetic and unhinged pursuit by President Trump to discredit the outcomes, destroy our country’s democracy and castigate any state official who dares to certify the will of the people.

While his main platform for this coup attempt has been Twitter, he has also empowered his legal minions to file baseless lawsuit after lawsuit, with no foundational evidence. All of this in an attempt to overturn his loss and like other narcissistic dictatorial politicians like him, steal an otherwise clean election.

Say what you will of the madness of Trump, unfortunately after four years of temper tantrums, and bully tactics, that we would not tolerate from our children; it is to be expected. However, what is equally appalling and hard to fathom is the complete impotence and enablement of those on the right who also claim to be leaders.

While baseless Tweets and a Facebook speech fill the air with falsehoods and lawsuits are filed in rapid-fire fashion, the leadership of the GOP offers no rebuttal at this attempt to overthrow our democracy. But rather, they stare at the floor with their hands submissively folded with nary a word to the contrary.

Seemingly content to let democracy burn while Trump fiddles, these men and women are not leaders, they are cowards. They would rather cling to some semblance of power and have chosen to put their personal interests ahead of the country they swore an oath to. It is often told that they are afraid they will suffer the wrath of Trump. So rather than stand for what is right and defend the foundations of America, they stand idle, navel-gazing, believing that their silence has no bearing.

They are wrong.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran Pastor who ultimately was killed by the Nazis once stated,

“silence in the face of evil is itself evil; God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.

While some may say that Trump’s antics and systematic attempt to dismantle the constitution is not evil, given his behavior and actions have indeed, according to many national security experts, put lives in danger; I’m hard-pressed to describe it differently. The same can be said for those on the right who either defined or have chosen to swallow their tongue and refuse to speak.

To be clear, I am an independent voter, and regardless of who I voted for, to watch the Republican party acquiesce to a man out of fear and allow him to continue is sad and is in no way leadership, it is the definition of cowardice and impotence.

Who will stand up? Who will speak up?

Senator McConnell, Representative Jordan, Senator Rubio, Senator Thune, Vice-President Pence, Senator Ernst, and all the others, are you really this impotent and fearful or is this who you have been all the time? I think of the words uttered by Trump’s niece Mary when she said, “Trump hasn’t transformed the GOP as much as he’s revealed its true nature”. Your actions and lack of speech have shown this to be true and demonstrate that you are unfit to serve.