Imagine for a moment that you live in a little town. You love this town. It’s a lovely, sweet town with beautiful parks, streets, and locally owned stores. Its population is diverse but, for the most part, gets along. Everyone seems friendly and nice. You have believed that they have nice families and live honest, simple lives. You feel at home in this little town and have no desire to leave and live elsewhere.
Then imagine a new mayor is elected. He is elected because of a loud mouth and big promises. His past is marked by dishonesty and acts of self-serving corruption, but he still manages to win the election.
Next, you see increasing acts of violence against the minority men and women in town. Their children are deprived of the same rights as others. You learn of a great number of pedophiles, racists, arsonists, bullies, and domestically violent individuals live in your town. These are the neighbors who shared the beautiful parks, streets, and locally owned stores. The new mayor makes it possible for those parks to be used for mining. He makes possible for big box stores to buy property and drive those locally owned stores out of business. They pay no town taxes. He tells people not to buy the local paper because nothing it reports is really true.
When a tornado came through town and destroyed so many homes and lives, he granted valuable town assets to the big box stores, the racist arsonists who love him, and ignored the suffering of others.
The town council is concerned and considers replacing the mayor, but, fearing their own jobs, fail to do so. We have learned that the mayor himself is a crook, hates minorities, hates women, and never even pays his own bills. Yet, he is loved by the racist pedophiles, arsonists, and abusive men and women who are your neighbors.
So, I ask you. Do you still love your little town? Do you still want to stay? Oh…you love your neighbors…or thought you did anyway. You know there are other towns without such a mayor, such neighbors, such anger and fear.
You feel helpless to make a difference. Some of your friends support the mayor despite his dishonesty, his hateful words, and his hateful, selfish actions.
I no longer love this town. I used to, but no more. Our new mayor has not only helped create what it has become, but most importantly, he has exposed it for what is already has been. I do care for those who no longer have a voice and no longer have the power for change. I care for those who suffer due to the actions of the mayor and his many, amoral constituents.
There are only so many times we can shake our heads and “not believe” what is happening, what we’ve learned about our town. Why? Because it is all true.
Believe it.
