A huge task ahead to bridge our divide

What the nation witnessed in the disgusting and violent events at the Capitol Jan. 6 was the clash of reality and alternate reality. Trump has refined the art of alternative reality. His enablers like Fox, OAN, Newsmax and, of course, social media have spent the better part of a decade fomenting and planting lies and “alternative facts.” The country is battered and bruised for it.

We have always had a left and a right. We have had political disagreements on policies and visions of the future. What Trump and his cult have brought is the alternative reality they live in. He sold it about the birth certificate on President Obama. I really doubt America can reconcile two realities and make peace.

The right wing echo chambers are still at it 24/7 even today after such a terrible day. They make billions off it so there is no moral compass that will make them stop. The horrific genocide in Rwanda where 800,000 people were hacked to death with machetes was inflamed and pushed by talk radio. Words matter. At least for the moment, real reality has won out. But it hangs by a thread. Five people died for that alternative reality. Their thank you from Trump will be 18 holes played like nothing happened.

We have now seen in our lifetimes how Germans helped Hitler build Auschwitz, how Japanese pilots could fly their planes into our aircraft carriers. It’s the same mindset. Thank God Trump lost the election. His talk machines will never concede. I know President Biden wants to bring us together. How he does bring two realities together will be a herculean effort. God speed.

Marc DeGregorio

North Haven