I am writing this column on the day after the 2024 presidential election. Instead of waking up to jubilation, hope and unity, I had to offer encouragement to my friends, who seem to think that the world as we know it, has come to an abrupt halt.
That’s because a person who openly sought to divide our country, was once again elected to run it, making him the first and only president since Grover Cleveland to serve non-consecutive terms.
The first time President-elect Donald Trump was elected president, I think it surprised even him. After all, he had said some of the most God-awful things during his campaign. So much so, that I don’t think that even he thought he would be elected.
As the campaign wore on, and the more he shocked some of us by his racist and gender-hating remarks and actions, the more some people got on board. They laughed at his dirty rhetoric and egged him on.
It seemed the more people who laughed and agreed with his actions, the more he got the idea that this thing, this becoming president of the United States, could work for him. And it did. He was elected to lead the greatest country in the free world.
Being elected president of the United States of America without hardly any qualifications, was, my friends, the biggest egger-on ever.
But he had bigger plans for himself and for our country: He would campaign again for the country’s highest office. This time, he boasted, if America voted for him again, his supporters would never have to vote again. Huh? Was he advocating becoming “President for Life” — a dictator, maybe?
But, first, he had to create the Big Lie — that he won his re-election bid in 2020. Then, he incited an insurrection that threatened the life of his own vice president and took the lives of four people who died in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Capital Police officer Brian Sicknick, who was attacked by the mob, died the next day.
Many Americans were appalled by the attack on our democracy.
So, on Wednesday, we woke up to a new era and a not-so-new president of the United States of America. Many of us were shaking in our sleep socks at the news of his winning the election. We remembered the president-elect’s promise of making “America Great Again.”
To some of us, especially people who look like me, that slogan is scary. I remember him saying during his first campaign that he could “stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue” in New York, shoot someone and wouldn’t lose any voters. Does that mean it is open season for Black and Brown people? And women? And immigrants? Is our life in danger?
I remember hearing the “Access Hollywood” tape, where he unashamedly degraded and ridiculed women. Does that mean women will be further degraded and disrespected under his regime? Scary thoughts, I admit.
On Wednesday, for the first time, some of us realized as Chuck Hobbs of the Hobbservation Point Substack blog said, that this country is still one where “…race and gender matter in ways that are typically detrimental to people of color and women.”
And what about the president-elect’s relationship with Russia and the dictators of the world? What does that mean for America and its freedom?
Like many of you, I also had a dream — to witness America elect her first woman as president of these (hopefully) United States of America. But, alas, my friends, it wasn’t to be. Am I disappointed? Yes. Have I lost all hope for our democracy? No.
Like many of you, I thought Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign of peace and unity was a good way to bring our country back together. I thought her promise of being a president for ALL Americans was right on point.
I loved it that she remembered the middle-class Americans and our struggles. And I was hopeful when she said she would demand that the rich pay their dues to the country where they were allowed to excel. I, like some of you, thought these campaign promises would help to get her elected. I was wrong. Once again, it seems that hate and injustice outranked unity.
Yet, my fellow Americans, for all the uncertainty, I am more encouraged than ever. Why, you ask? Because as a believing Christian, I know the Lord has a plan for America.
While President-elect Trump goes about the business of rewarding those who want to help him take the country back to a century ago, I have put my trust in the God who made Mr. Trump.
A former colleague wrote to me on Facebook that he didn’t think God was in politics. He is absolutely right. God is not in politics. But He rules the universe and that includes Mr. Trump and his politics.
Vice President Harris fought a good fight, and she conceded the election like the winner that she is, urging her supporters not to give up. “While I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign.”
My advice to us all is to be encouraged. Keep on believing in a free democracy and being good Americans by doing the right thing —seeking peace and unity.
So, on behalf of all the disappointed Americans (Including me), I say to you, do not be dismayed. All is not lost. Let me share one of my favorite Bible quotes with you: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good ….” (Genesis 50:20, English Standard Version)
As a popular gospel song puts it, “The battle is not yours; It’s the Lord’s.”
The sun still came up this morning. Believe it and be blessed.
Veterans Day breakfast
The city of North Miami will honor veterans at its first Veterans Day Breakfast at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 11, at the Scott Galvin Community Center, 1600 NE 126th St. in North Miami.
The program will feature a complimentary breakfast, a moment of silence in memory of fallen service women and men, a recognition ceremony for veterans, an interactive U.S. military trivia game and raffle prizes.
Guess speakers will include Israel Montanez, a veteran outreach program specialist from the Miami Vet Center; Cheryl Donalson, a success coach with Florida International University’s Veteran and Military Affairs, and Alex Cruz, a veterans employment representative with Career Source South Florida.
In addition, there will be a video montage showcasing veterans’ photographs and stories. It’s free, but space is limited. Call 305-895-9840 to reserve your spot.
