Now’s the time to take a stand — or else
Always lucky in life, I had made the assumption that I’d somehow dodged direct involvement in history’s frequent periods of strife. Although Mom had to juggle us kids while Dad served in Europe during World War II and later in Korea, I got a high lottery number in the Vietnam days. The fact our father’s Indigenous identity wasn’t obvious in my appearance no doubt spared me childhood bullying in the predominantly white towns we lived in. Our parents’ personal industry allowed me a largely pain-free, middle-class life.
Until very recently, it seemed sufficient to condemn society’s bad actors among my friends and send an occasional check to those dedicated people in the trenches of resistance. I had even stopped writing the small-town newspaper column I’d authored before returning to my hometown of Santa Fe.
I suppose I owe John Eastman a thankyou for removing the scales from my eyes.
Eastman is the lawyer and self-proclaimed Santa Fe resident who served up Trump’s Hail Mary strategy for avoiding a peaceful transfer of presidential power. As sworn to by members of Trump’s own inner staff in the congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, Eastman himself admitted his plan would lose a hypothetical Supreme Court challenge 9-0.
Despite being on the cusp of indictments for obstructing an official proceeding of Congress and conspiracy to defraud the American people, Eastman remains combative and dangerous to our aspirations for a more just society.
Like any citizen in our country, John Eastman deserves his day in court. Let it be.
A high school friend has endured recent attempts (including by a former New Mexico governor) to discourage or deny his and others’ right to gather on public land to peacefully call attention to the treasonous actions of Eastman. My friend tells me he believes the rumored civil war has already started. As I watch the daily antics of Trump’s army, I find I cannot disagree. Within a shockingly short time span, one after another has dropped earlier pretenses in order to openly express their intentions to impose minority rule and suppress, jail or perhaps even kill anyone who disagrees with them, or simply offends by being different.
We find ourselves on the defensive against those who subvert and undermine democracy, then hide behind the protections granted them by that very system.
The situation cannot and will not remain as it is. Minority and majority rule are not compatible, and only one system will prevail. The result will affect every facet of our lives. The time of reckoning has arrived.
Honking your horn as you drive past demonstrators you agree with is no longer enough. There is overwhelming strength in numbers, but only if we apply our advantage. Consider carving an hour or two out of your day to join those folks at Bishops Lodge and Valley Drive. Encourage your family and acquaintances to watch past and future congressional hearings on the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Demand U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland indict Eastman. Tell your members of Congress where you stand and how you will vote. Support candidates who understand the urgency.
I find myself struggling for the words to describe the emergency, yet figuratively speaking, who will we blame if we lose this struggle without firing a shot?