Yesterday America committed national suicide by ignorance and racism. White America was asked to condemn bigotry, but instead we embraced it. The curtain has been drawn on the age of America. Our society cannot and will not heal until we have purged the hatred of the past, but the hatred of the past is thriving in the present. The burden for this falls squarely on the shoulders of white Americans, and yesterday we dropped the load. Actually, yesterday, we refused to even try. Today is an embarrassing and scary day to be an American. I hope tomorrow won't be even worse, but given the sad educational deficiencies and hateful biases that were displayed yesterday and for the last 15 months, it's very hard to be hopeful.
Today is not happy, but I hope you enjoy the abbreviated digest.
This Day in History
1938 - The Nazi carry out orchestrated attacks against Jewish communities in Germany and Austria. The attacks would come to be known as Kristallnacht, the night of broken glass. Nazi storm troopers beat, killed, and arrested Jews, and destroyed Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues. A dark, deadly precursor to the Holocaust.
Fascism 2.0
Irony is the anniversary of Kristallnacht coinciding with the election of America's fascist who followers have already committed similar atrocities albeit on a smaller, less organized scale. Trump's followers have beaten the homeless, assaulted protestors at rallies, and burned down churches - among other things. Just like the Germans of yesteryear, we asked for, voted for our tyrant, and now we will reap what we have sown. I really truly believed that America was better than this. We like to think that the shitty people are the others: the communists; the terrorists; the people OVER THERE. Yesterday we proved that our nation is full of bad people too. Better than fascism? Not at all. Rather we're ready to double down on the worst evil that has ever existed. Today I received scared hugs from elementary school-aged black children who fear for their safety. This country is not great. This country is filled with hate. And we must fight it. Or it will destroy all of us, just like fascism always has, just like it always will.
This is a Dead Fish
Now that we've elected a man who denies science and has already named a potential head of the EPA who also doesn't believe in science, it's a near certainty that the threat of climate change becomes even more dire. We will see more dead fish. This may become our new national symbol.
Will's Weekly Trivia
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IF you choose to answer the question, respond to staton.will@gmail.com with your answer. Please note that by competing you are giving me permission to publish your first name in the trivia leader board each week.
Last Week:
1. Who as the leader of Communist North Vietnam during the Vietnam War? ONE POINT
2. Who is the current prime minister of Israel? ONE POINT
3. The Kurds became prominent two years ago for rescuing a stranded group of their countrymen from a mountain surrounded by ISIS forces. This was particularly noteworthy because most Kurds are Muslim, but the minority sect trapped on the mountain was which religion? ONE POINT
Answers:
1. Ho Chi Minh was the leader of North Vietnam during the war.
2. Benjamin Netanyahu is the current PM of Israel.
3. The religious minority were Yazidi, a faith that blends elements of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism.
This Week:
1. What year was Hitler elected? ONE POINT
2. Who was the fascist premier of Spain in the 1930s-40s? ONE POINT
3. Which candidate was endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan this year? ONE POINT
