No one wants war or tragedy. Yet sometimes they happen and we must deal with them. Mark Naison says he’s been through three unexpected tragedies, “the Vietnam War, the burning of the Bronx, and the crack epidemic,” which mangled many and took years to recover from.
During the 1960’s, leaders were assassinated, dozens of cities burned in response to Martin Luther King being murdered, there were huge anti-Vietnam war protests and civil rights marches. Some civil rights marchers were beaten, attacked by dogs, unjustly jailed. Yet they continued. And prevailed. Watergate polarized the country enormously. Few thought Nixon would fall. Yet he did. We prevailed.
Naison puts the Trump presidency in the same category as the three previous tragedies. We are in a political war now. It may spill into the streets and may get really ugly. Oh well.
The important thing is to commit to the cause of combating Trump. Sitting on the sidelines saying it will be hard doesn’t help. Of course it will be hard. Everyone has plenty they can do, in their own way. So let’s do it.
It is a very difficult thing to realize that the kind of tragedy that you have only read about in history books has entered your life and experience. You may have to do things you never dreamed of doing. But those who aren’t crushed by the experience do ultimately adapt, and try to either live around the destruction or minimize the damage.
For better or worse, you are going to have to play the hand you’re dealt. And try to survive with some semblance of self respect, along with compassion for those going through this with you.
I have done this three times. And am busy working on a fourth.
You can do it once.