When asked, “How does fascism begin? Bertrand Russell replied:
First, they fascinate the fools. Then they muzzle the intelligent.
Ouch! It’s almost as if BR’s been watching the news from beyond. If so, I want to raise a freckled, veiny hand to say, “It’s OK, Bert … we’ve got this. They can bulldoze walls and inflame their cranky followers, but they can’t bulldoze all of us. We’ve got the good guys on our side.”
Almost seven million good guys (including my kids and grandkids) marched in 2,700 cities in all 50 states in the No Kings rallies on Oct. 18, rounding off my years of marching to 60 (the first one being for a young man who went south to work for voting rights and was murdered).
Marching is important, especially for those of us who need reassurance that what we see on the news is not as dire as it seems. But what really counts is who we choose to follow, who will lead us in simple resistance or outright rebellion, should it be needed.
It’s almost certain that Trump will find a way to run for a third term, despite the law.
I’m counting on three “good guys” to get us through this tough time: Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth, and Pope Leo XIV.
What’s more, they’re all “homies” from Illinois!
I’ll be happy if Pritzker runs for President and slates Duckworth as Vice President, thus setting up perhaps more than a decade of sane government. Pritzker is afraid of nothing, smart as a whip, and because he’s a billionaire, not impressed by Trump’s wealth or power. I would particularly like the breakthrough of having a Jewish president.
Tammy Duckworth could succeed Pritzker as President. Her use of a wheelchair means we no longer have to hide injuries, especially those suffered in fighting for this country. What President governs 100% in the standing position? If we can have a president who is not in his right mind, we can have one with a physical handicap.
Lest we forget, Duckworth deployed to Iraq in 2004 as a helicopter pilot in the Illinois Army National Guard. She was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade, resulting in the loss of both legs and partial use of her right arm, was awarded the Purple Heart for her combat injuries, and spent 23 years in the Army Reserve and National Guard, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. May I add she’s the first disabled veteran in Congress and first senator to give birth while in office? Do you think she’s afraid of any fascists?
Pope Leo XIV was born in Mercy Hospital and grew up in the blue collar south Chicago suburb of Dolton. (His brother was the principal at St. Gabriel Catholic School in Chicago’s Canaryville neighborhood, where my parents grew up.) His favorite team is the White Sox. He leads 1.3 billion people and his opinion matters. It turns out Pope Leo is still a registered voter in Illinois and voted in the last Republican primary. I don’t want to know if he voted for Trump, but Leo’s influence is worldwide. Since he’s a Chicagoan and an American Pope, I’m counting on him to “deliver us from evil.”