Breaking the Camel’s Back

Illustration by Michael DiMilo

By Geoff Carter

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far way, when my daughter was about seven years old, we took a trip to Disney World—sort of a prerequisite for parenthood then (and now, I suppose, too). It was everything I expected: hot, crowded, expensive, kitschy, and sticky sweet. 

While waiting for one of the rides, I happened to strike up a conversation with another dad about my age. We were chatting about sports and other manly stuff when his son, probably about ten or so, came up and interrupted him. The boy was upset and whining to his old man, who suddenly slapped the boy across the face. Hard. The boy slunk away, stricken. I was too taken aback to say anything. I sort of wanted to say something, but I was taught not to interfere–that how a parent raises their kids is their business. We’ve all seen seen—and borne—misbehaving children on planes and in stores, but the usual thing to do is turn a blind eye.

The same has been true of a person’s freedom to believe what they please. If someone believes that the Earth is flat, aliens landed in Roswell, that the 9/11 attacks were an inside job, or that the moon landings were faked, well, they may be crazy, but that’s their business. This is, after all, a free country and freedom of expression is protected by the First Amendment–to a point.

Freedom of speech is limited under certain circumstances. You cannot, for instance, shout “Fire!” in a crowded theater or present a clear and present danger by inciting a mob. You do, however, have the right to raise your children as you see fit, even if that includes spanking them, or even whacking one in public. It may be deplorable or even reprehensible, but it is acceptable—to a point. 

People are also free to vote for the candidate of their choice. And we’ve had a number of both candidates and elected officials who might be viewed as questionable or marginal choices for public office. Jesse Ventura, a professional wrestler, was elected governor of Minnesota in 1999. Action movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger served two terms as governor of California from 2003-2011. And of course, Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980. Voting for an ex-actor or bodybuilder over a professional politician is a choice.

And even though these men were not (apart from Reagan) experienced statesmen, they all acquitted themselves admirably in these executive positions. It helped that they were honest men who sincerely wanted to serve.

Typically, until very recently, this was a norm. While many politicians are not scrupulously honest, by and large, for the most part, they follow the rules. But then, along came Donald Trump, who shattered all the rules. Like Reagan or Schwarzenegger, he was a celebrity first and a politician second, but that is where the similarities end.

Donald J. Trump is a convicted criminal. He was found liable for damages from a sexual assault case. He was indicted for stealing federal documents and trying to coerce the Georgia Secretary of State into “finding” about 11,000 votes for him. He is an inveterate liar. He is a bully. He mocks the disabled and brags about grabbing women’s private parts. He incited a riot in an effort to prevent the 2020 presidential election from being certified—a riot in which people died. I could go on, but why beat a dead horse? We know who this guy is and what he is. 

Mr. Trump—this criminal—was just re-elected as president of the United States. Almost seventy-seven million Americans voted for him. How and why this happened is baffling to me—and many others, but of course, so are people who believe the Earth is flat, that belief Democrats drink the blood of children, that Bigfoot exists, or that 9/11 was engineered by the American government. Those latter beliefs, as weird and demented as they are, are mostly harmless. If that’s what they think, the more power to them.

But the picture changes when they believe that a deranged narcissist and convicted felon would make a good president. Whether they fall under the spell of his charisma or his vastly exaggerated reputation as a savvy businessman or his celebrity status, they—well—fell for it. This is America and respecting someone’s freedom of expression is nearly sacrosanct, but when these beliefs become—like the man shouting fire in the theater—a clear and present danger, then they must be called out. What they did is not forgivable—not this time.

This is not just a matter of politics or ideology. Those who support Donald Trump are a danger to this country. And they have no excuse for not knowing about him. His crimes, indiscretions, and lies are so well-documented, it’s difficult to believe that any American could be ignorant of any of them—unless they choose to ignore the facts. And ignorance, laziness, indifference, and apathy were major factors in his rise to power.

I can no longer give Trump supporters the benefit of the doubt. Voting for him is not like believing aliens landed in Roswell or that 9/11 was an inside job. Supporting Trump is dangerous and believing in him creates a menace to our democracy. What the Republican party—especially the MAGA faction—has done is unforgivable and it is time to call them out—to have a democratic intervention. I don’t belittle flat-earthers or other conspiracy theorists, but I will start calling out Trumpers as short-sighted, gullible—and dangerous—idiots. America has a problem recognizing and understanding the truth, and the first step is realizing that they do indeed have a problem. And they—we—do.