Where the Grapes of Wrath Are Stored

a few days ago, president biden made what may be the most important speech of his presidency, as he called for americans to unite in defense of democrary.  he called us to work together, regardless of political party affiliation, to defeat the followers of the former president who are willing to use intimidation, violence, and false narratives about the integrity of our elections to win elections at all costs.  he called out "maga" republicans who sacrifice their integrity to curry favor with trump and his base of supporters.  earlier in the week, the president had referred to these trump loyalists as "semi-fascists," acknowledging their blind fealty to trump for what it is.  president biden has drawn a clear line in the sand, challenging every american to choose which side we are on.

some have called his speech divisive, and indeed it was.  he has said that we can no longer allow the lies and threats of violence to continue unchecked.  we are either supporters of democracy or supporters of the former president.  we cannot be both.  we have seen how trump's minions were willing to question the integrity of the last election, intimidate election workers for doing their jobs, mount an insurrection that threatened the lives of lawmakers and the vice-president as these public servants carried out their constitutional mandate on january 6, and devise plots to put forward illegitimate slates of presidential electors.  even now trump and his base are pushing his big lie, and some who subscribe to it have become the nominees of their state republican parties in the november elections.  if these suborners of elections take office, the elections they oversee cannot be trusted.

in republican-controlled state legislatures, laws have been passed to make it more difficult to vote.  early voting days have been reduced, hours for voting have been shortened, the number of polling places has been made smaller, more stringent voter-id laws have been enacted, absentee voting has been restricted, and measures to make it easier for handicapped voters to cast their ballots, such as drive-in voting, have been outlawed.  in some states, partisan poll watchers will be allowed to monitor voting, thus intimidating some voters.  in others, offering food or water to voters waiting in line to vote has been made illegal.  the trajectory of our election laws prior to the trump era has been to increase access to the polls and to encourage all who are legally qualified to have their voices heard in our elections.  the followers of trump have halted this progress, and it is up to each of us to bend the arc of our history back in the right direction.

may we accept our responsibilities as citizens of this grand experiment that began in a time when some were held in bondage to enable others to live in luxury.  may we continue to move toward greater inclusion and larger recognition of the rights of all people.  may we oppose, in whatever ways we can,  those who would subvert our democracy by following the path of fascism and one-party rule.  may we recognize that our freedoms are indeed in peril and stop those who would take them away.  shalom.