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As the 2020 election is rapidly approaching, I have seen Christians who don’t want to vote for 45 express their disapproval of the two-party system. It usually goes something like, “I can’t vote for a Democrat because of abortion. I’ll probably vote third party since I can’t support the Republican or Democratic nominee. The major parties will get the message if enough votes are cast for other candidates.”
If this is you, I understand your point. I really do. I simply want to provide a different perspective, not to negate your perspective but just to add another dimension. Voting third party is where I was in 2016. I vowed to vote for Evan McMullin in 2016 and urged others to do so. Ultimately, I aided in the election of 45 as one of the many white Christian women who chose our whiteness by voting for him. I am sorry. I have long been a part of the problem and am committed now to participating in the solution by submitting to the marginalized to dismantle systems of oppression.
Though I understand where the third-party apologists are coming from, this is not 2016. We've had three and a half years of a fascist regime under 45, and Tina Strawn recently said, "It's 2020 and lynching is on trend." If we need more information to believe this, we are willfully remaining unaware and are thus contributing to the deaths of Black people with our complicity in upholding the system of white supremacy.
Black womxn have the least amount of wiggle room with the vote. This "Between the Scenes" video with Trevor Noah is where I first heard this explained. Black womxn anti-racism educators and activists I support and follow are voting Democratic because even though they see issues with Biden, Biden isn't 45 and won't threaten to unleash the military on protestors/Black people and non-Black anti-racists who stand with them. The Black womxn I am listening to are saying that this is not a time for games or a time to show that the two-party system falls short. Now is the time to communicate to 45 and white supremacists that Black lives matter.
I shared in the Headlines and History post yesterday a Twitter thread by Jared Yates Sexton. On May 1st, he explained in tweets 4-7 and 32-38, “What you saw in Michigan yesterday wasn't a bunch of ‘posers’ or ‘gun nuts.’ These are paramilitary separatists who are using the pandemic for their own benefit and carrying out dry runs for what they see as a fascist takeover of the US. As has been proven, the Reopen America ‘movement’ was a completely fabricated, fake event paid for by billionaires like the DeVos's. But these white terrorists are using it for their own purposes, as cover for their own fascistic plans for a revolution. To understand this, you have to understand that white terrorists see Trump as an opening to carry out their plans. They were everywhere at his rallies and consider him a useful president for growing their movement. You couldn't go to those rallies without seeing them. I was reporting from Trump's rallies in 2016 and constantly hearing these people talking openly about race wars and revolution and killing liberals. They saw Trumpism as a perfect avenue, but it didn't start there. It had been brewing for decades...What we're watching now, is a new movement in the white terrorist plan. They are carrying out open paramilitary maneuvers, interrupting legislative bodies, coming out into the open because they feel like they're strong enough and America is ready for their revolution. Make no mistake, what they want is to overthrow the United States government and institute fascist, white rule. This is what they have talked about, planned for, and what they're trying to institute right now, at this very second. In my research and other's research, we keep seeing them mentioning the pandemic and financial crisis as an opening to carry out their fascist overthrow. It's not a coincidence they're rearing their heads right now in shows of intimidation and force. They see an opening. White terrorists have already tried to bomb hospitals during the pandemic, discussed ways to weaponize the coronavirus, plotted murders. They are mobilizing because they see America in trouble and they have planned and trained and accrued arsenals for this moment we're in. DO NOT for a second dismiss these as rednecks or cosplayers or just weak, laughable men playing soldier. These groups are highly trained, massively armed, and many have experience in the military and law enforcement. It is a massive, dangerous terrorist cell. Unfortunately, until we face facts and understand our history and our poisonous white supremacy, these people will be able to hide and radicalize with impunity. We have to understand what we're facing, because this threat is only growing by the day. Chances are, the Michigan ‘protest’ with armed, armored men intimidating legislatures isn't going to end and will only grow in scope and frequency. These people are ready for widespread violence and mayhem and are only waiting for the spark. See it. Recognize it.”
I am not relaying this information to instill fear in people, and I hope that the plans of white terrorists are thwarted. However, understanding that white terrorists see 45 as useful for growing their movement is enough for me to vote Democratic to stand against 45 and white supremacists to declare at the ballot box that Black lives matter. Voting third party doesn't get that point across, and it does not communicate to Black people that we care about them enough to align ourselves and our vote with them. The vote is power, and the more powerful message to get across right now is a complete divestment from 45 and his racist policies. The likelihood of organizing enough people between now and November to vote for the same third party candidate to have enough votes to overthrow the two-party system in this particular election is small. There was a lot of talk about this and action as people voted third party in 2016, and we ended up with 45. A third party vote in this election is a vote for 45. The goal is to keep 45 from being re-elected, and the Black womxn I am submitting to are instructing people to vote for Biden, even reluctantly, because it’s the best chance we have for not having another 4 years of 45. I talk about believing Black womxn, trusting Black womxn, and submitting to Black womxn, which is a way of giving honor to the parts of the Body that don't receive the greater honor and embodying the belief that the last will be first. The Democratic party at least positions itself to alleviate poverty, which Lisa Sharon Harper explains is the way to reduce abortion in the Almost Heretical episode “Good News & Bad News.” I want to not only say I am with Black womxn but also align my vote with Black womxn because it is a privilege to have “wiggle room.”
#vote #votedemocratic #showup #resistance #revolution #politics #endracism #endracismnow #dismantlewhitesupremacy #endwhitesupremacy #faith #evolvingfaith #loveyourneighbor #justice #socialjustice #seekjustice #listentoblackwomen #listentoblackwomxn #believeblackwomen #believeblackwomxn #trustblackwomen #trustblackwomxn #supportblackwomen #supportblackwomxn #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative
As the 2020 election is rapidly approaching, I have seen Christians who don’t want to vote for 45 express their disapproval of the two-party system. It usually goes something like, “I can’t vote for a Democrat because of abortion. I’ll probably vote third party since I can’t support the Republican or Democratic nominee. The major parties will get the message if enough votes are cast for other candidates.”
If this is you, I understand your point. I really do. I simply want to provide a different perspective, not to negate your perspective but just to add another dimension. Voting third party is where I was in 2016. I vowed to vote for Evan McMullin in 2016 and urged others to do so. Ultimately, I aided in the election of 45 as one of the many white Christian women who chose our whiteness by voting for him. I am sorry. I have long been a part of the problem and am committed now to participating in the solution by submitting to the marginalized to dismantle systems of oppression.
Though I understand where the third-party apologists are coming from, this is not 2016. We've had three and a half years of a fascist regime under 45, and Tina Strawn recently said, "It's 2020 and lynching is on trend." If we need more information to believe this, we are willfully remaining unaware and are thus contributing to the deaths of Black people with our complicity in upholding the system of white supremacy.
Black womxn have the least amount of wiggle room with the vote. This "Between the Scenes" video with Trevor Noah is where I first heard this explained. Black womxn anti-racism educators and activists I support and follow are voting Democratic because even though they see issues with Biden, Biden isn't 45 and won't threaten to unleash the military on protestors/Black people and non-Black anti-racists who stand with them. The Black womxn I am listening to are saying that this is not a time for games or a time to show that the two-party system falls short. Now is the time to communicate to 45 and white supremacists that Black lives matter.
I shared in the Headlines and History post yesterday a Twitter thread by Jared Yates Sexton. On May 1st, he explained in tweets 4-7 and 32-38, “What you saw in Michigan yesterday wasn't a bunch of ‘posers’ or ‘gun nuts.’ These are paramilitary separatists who are using the pandemic for their own benefit and carrying out dry runs for what they see as a fascist takeover of the US. As has been proven, the Reopen America ‘movement’ was a completely fabricated, fake event paid for by billionaires like the DeVos's. But these white terrorists are using it for their own purposes, as cover for their own fascistic plans for a revolution. To understand this, you have to understand that white terrorists see Trump as an opening to carry out their plans. They were everywhere at his rallies and consider him a useful president for growing their movement. You couldn't go to those rallies without seeing them. I was reporting from Trump's rallies in 2016 and constantly hearing these people talking openly about race wars and revolution and killing liberals. They saw Trumpism as a perfect avenue, but it didn't start there. It had been brewing for decades...What we're watching now, is a new movement in the white terrorist plan. They are carrying out open paramilitary maneuvers, interrupting legislative bodies, coming out into the open because they feel like they're strong enough and America is ready for their revolution. Make no mistake, what they want is to overthrow the United States government and institute fascist, white rule. This is what they have talked about, planned for, and what they're trying to institute right now, at this very second. In my research and other's research, we keep seeing them mentioning the pandemic and financial crisis as an opening to carry out their fascist overthrow. It's not a coincidence they're rearing their heads right now in shows of intimidation and force. They see an opening. White terrorists have already tried to bomb hospitals during the pandemic, discussed ways to weaponize the coronavirus, plotted murders. They are mobilizing because they see America in trouble and they have planned and trained and accrued arsenals for this moment we're in. DO NOT for a second dismiss these as rednecks or cosplayers or just weak, laughable men playing soldier. These groups are highly trained, massively armed, and many have experience in the military and law enforcement. It is a massive, dangerous terrorist cell. Unfortunately, until we face facts and understand our history and our poisonous white supremacy, these people will be able to hide and radicalize with impunity. We have to understand what we're facing, because this threat is only growing by the day. Chances are, the Michigan ‘protest’ with armed, armored men intimidating legislatures isn't going to end and will only grow in scope and frequency. These people are ready for widespread violence and mayhem and are only waiting for the spark. See it. Recognize it.”
I am not relaying this information to instill fear in people, and I hope that the plans of white terrorists are thwarted. However, understanding that white terrorists see 45 as useful for growing their movement is enough for me to vote Democratic to stand against 45 and white supremacists to declare at the ballot box that Black lives matter. Voting third party doesn't get that point across, and it does not communicate to Black people that we care about them enough to align ourselves and our vote with them. The vote is power, and the more powerful message to get across right now is a complete divestment from 45 and his racist policies. The likelihood of organizing enough people between now and November to vote for the same third party candidate to have enough votes to overthrow the two-party system in this particular election is small. There was a lot of talk about this and action as people voted third party in 2016, and we ended up with 45. A third party vote in this election is a vote for 45. The goal is to keep 45 from being re-elected, and the Black womxn I am submitting to are instructing people to vote for Biden, even reluctantly, because it’s the best chance we have for not having another 4 years of 45. I talk about believing Black womxn, trusting Black womxn, and submitting to Black womxn, which is a way of giving honor to the parts of the Body that don't receive the greater honor and embodying the belief that the last will be first. The Democratic party at least positions itself to alleviate poverty, which Lisa Sharon Harper explains is the way to reduce abortion in the Almost Heretical episode “Good News & Bad News.” I want to not only say I am with Black womxn but also align my vote with Black womxn because it is a privilege to have “wiggle room.”
#vote #votedemocratic #showup #resistance #revolution #politics #endracism #endracismnow #dismantlewhitesupremacy #endwhitesupremacy #faith #evolvingfaith #loveyourneighbor #justice #socialjustice #seekjustice #listentoblackwomen #listentoblackwomxn #believeblackwomen #believeblackwomxn #trustblackwomen #trustblackwomxn #supportblackwomen #supportblackwomxn #challengethenarrative #broadeningthenarrative