So, here we are, folks. It’s November 2024, and somehow, we’re back to where we started…again. Yes, Donald Trump is headed back to the White House. Just like a horror movie sequel that no one asked for but keeps popping up in theaters every couple of years.
Now, let’s talk about my Uber driver—a sweet, elderly man, very kind, very polite. He asked me, cautiously, “What do you think of Trump?” And there was that little moment in my mind that went, “Oh no, where’s this headed?” I mean, a few years back, I’d probably have hedged, tried to dodge the question like a pop quiz I didn’t study for. But no. Not anymore. So I told him: I’m disappointed. A little freaked out. I know people who feel genuinely unsafe with him back in office. And here’s the kicker—he says, “Me too! I’m scared.” It turns out this sweet guy thinks Trump’s as trustworthy as a three-card monte dealer in Times Square, what with all the bankruptcies and lawsuits.
And, I mean, he’s not wrong! The man’s companies have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy six times. Six times! Who even gets to fail that many times? If I burned mac and cheese six times in a row, someone would confiscate my stove. But here we are, giving him the whole kitchen.
But, really, the reason my driver and I are both freaked out isn’t because of his shady business practices—it’s what he’s promised to do this time around. Oh yes, he’s on the Deportation Train Express, and he’s running on time, folks! Mass deportations are back on the menu, like they’re a special on Tuesdays.
Now, not to be all “serious history teacher” here, but can we talk about what this really means? I know, I know, “Ugh, history.” But, look, during World War II, the U.S. did something that, even for America, was a little, well…extreme. We rounded up over 120,000 Japanese-Americans, many of them American citizens, and threw them in internment camps. And then we had the nerve to just, kind of, erase it from history class. Like, “No one remembers, right? Great!”
So, we’re not exactly squeaky clean in the “we-would-never-target-groups-of-people” department. And here we are, all these years later, nodding along to talk about mass deportations like it’s just another Wednesday. News flash: history is sitting in the corner with a bucket of popcorn going, “Watch this! They’re doing it again.”
But it’s not just the policies, right? It’s also the tone. Back in Trump’s first term, he gave hate groups the world’s loudest dog whistle, and, surprise, hate crimes went up. It’s like if we told all the mosquitoes, “Hey, you’re free to fly around the pool!” And now, he’s back with even more inflammatory language, stirring the pot.
So, yeah, I don’t think it’s a huge leap for me and my Uber driver to be sitting there, a little wide-eyed, like, “Is anyone else seeing this train coming straight for us?”
Now’s the time to start talking. If we don’t stand up for each other, we’re going to be right back in the same mess our grandparents lived through. It’s like the universe gave us a giant “Do Not Repeat” sign, and we just slapped a big ol’ “Repeat Anyway” sticker on it.
So, here’s my pitch: let’s stop history from rolling out the “Greatest Mistakes” box set and actually listen to what it’s trying to teach us.
