Possible arrest of ex-president a solemn moment in history
Many in the south and southwest suburbs and elsewhere have endured a lot of balderdash in the nearly eight years since Donald Trump announced his bid for the presidency in 2015.
We were told up was down, day was night, right was left and bad was good. We were told to accept things we knew were not true because these proclamations were handed down with the authority of the office of the president of the United States of America.
Trump’s antics have caused people to lose sleep, feel anxious and fret over the future of our democracy. Trump supporters call these feelings of nervous apprehension “owning the libs.” While Trump bent reality to suit his narratives, many clung to their faith that truth, reason and justice would prevail.
Now that an arrest of Trump appears imminent, the majority of Americans who never supported the former president must be experiencing a range of emotions. Some may be relieved justice is finally being served. Others may be fearful about the possibility of violent clashes like the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol.
Many may feel a sense of schadenfreude, a German word that means deriving pleasure from another person’s misfortune. Others may try to ignore politics altogether. They may immerse themselves in entertaining distractions, but Trump refuses to be ignored.
Trump’s alleged crimes have affected every American. His slithery escape from accountability thus far has horrified some. Others are disappointed by how Republican sycophants have prolonged this collective distortion of reality by defending Trump and trying to make his actions seem normal.
An arrest of Trump might signal progress toward ending our long national nightmare. But what about accountability for his enablers? What about the 147 Republicans in Congress who objected to certifying President Joseph R. Biden’s Electoral College victory in 2020 and supported the big lie that Biden stole the election from Trump?
What about accountability for U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who infamously raised his fist in solidarity with the violent right-wing extremists who laid siege to the Capitol. Are we supposed to just forget that happened?
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said.
Trump set an example for the world that it’s OK to say and do outrageous things if doing so inflicts blows upon political foes and whips up support from loyal followers. He redefined normal and influenced behavior of political leaders in the Southland.
In August 2020, Trump smashed norms by taking the unprecedented step of transforming the White House into a purely political venue to deliver his acceptance speech as his party’s presidential nominee.
A few months later, in April 2021, Markham Mayor Roger Agpawa mimicked the event by staging a campaign rally outside Markham City Hall. The political rally on public property appeared to violate state law.
“Public funds, property or credit shall be used only for public purposes,” according to Article 8 of the Illinois Constitution.
Misuse of public resources for political gain erodes faith in democracy. Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau has used public meetings to grandstand for political gain. Pekau has appeared several times on Fox News and basked in the glow of national attention for bashing Democrats like Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.
Another politician who acts more like an attention hound than a public servant is Dolton Mayor and Thornton Township Supervisor Tiffany Henyard. She has elevated the role of celebrity politician to stratospheric levels of performance art.
Henyard has shamelessly used public resources to promote herself. There is no telling how much taxpayer money she has spent on photographers, graphic designers, publicists, hair stylists, makeup artists, event planners and other frivolous expenditures.
That’s because Henyard’s village administration has ignored efforts by the public, the press and other elected officials to use the Freedom of Information Act to obtain documentation about spending and hold her accountable. The absence of accountability has encouraged Henyard to engage in increasingly reckless and bizarre behavior.
But politically, she seems to gain strength with voters who appear hoodwinked by her phony shtick projecting a persona of benevolence and generosity. The likelihood that she will gain an ally on the Dolton Village Board after the April 4 election cuts like a dagger into the morale of those seeking accountability, transparency and justice.
Trump didn’t invent the concept of the celebrity politician, but he perfected it.
Ronald Reagan leveraged his career as a Hollywood actor to win the presidency in 1980.
Trump hosted 14 seasons of “The Apprentice” until 2015, when he declared his run for president and NBC fired him due to remarks he made about Mexican immigrants.
Many celebrity politicians appeal to ordinary people who feel left behind. Cultlike leaders can convince the forgotten that establishment elites have ignored their concerns and that they alone can help them. These political figures are called populists.
Populism often goes hand in hand with authoritarianism, which is strict obedience to authority at the sake of personal freedom.
Authoritarians often gain power by convincing followers that they are in danger, and that only their dear leader can protect them and keep them safe.
This has all been happening right under our noses for a long time, but many have chosen to pretend it’s not so bad or that liberals are using hyperbole or exaggerated statements.
Some think the bipartisan House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol was just a political witch hunt, because that’s what Trump told them to think.
With the looming possibility of a Trump arrest, many of his loyal followers are demonstrating in New York, Florida and elsewhere.
They show up in public draped in American flags and all manner of fashion to show their support for the former president.
Americans should regard this as a sad, solemn moment in our nation’s history.
Some may feel celebratory while others feel defiant. But all should recognize the seriousness of what is about to unfold and how it will affect all our lives moving forward.