Tuesday, November 5, 2024, was a disgraceful day in American history. It is not shocking to me, because we have been here before (when Reagan and Bush Jr. were elected for two terms) experiencing disappointment in certain segments of Americans who care more for ego, flash, division, political divisiveness, the agenda of white racism, and bigotry than the betterment of America collectively. The history of America is filled with racism (as most of the signers of the Declaration of Independence owned slaves), genocide, bigotry in general, and the activism of progressive people to resist oppression in America too. Tons of Trump supporters advocate massive budget cuts hurting Americans, but they don't care. Trump is a person who was found legally liable of rape, disrespected many women, slandered Vice President Kamala Harris, and glorified the Nazis (according to one General), but Trump voters don't care. Many of them lied or hide their real views (in polls and in public), so people won't know that they are aligned with Trumpism in public. Therefore, we realize that Donald Trump has been elected President according to the Electoral College. Trump has 312 Electoral votes and Kamala Harris has 226 Electoral votes. Yet, we will not surrender our fight for justice. Trump won most of the popular vote as he has over 74 million votes and Kamala Harris has over 70 million votes. The following is a true story. Before the election was over, something in my spirit mentions the phrase, John Henry. I didn't know what that meant until that day. That meant that Kamala Harris ran the best that she could, but she ran out of steam. That thought was John Henry. John Henry is a fictional story about a black man dying after facing against a machine. That thought or vision in my mind (before the election was over) means that Kamala Harris was the black woman version of John Henry. Kamala Harris ran as hard as she could, but the Wall Street interests, and the Trump movement defeated her campaign in the end. Trump is Wall Street as tons of billionaire Wall Street acolytes have funded his campaign from start to finish. It is not Kamala Harris' fault that she lost the election. She did the best that she could. She gave eloquent speeches, refuted Trump in a debate, and gave details about her policy positions. My state of Virginia voted for Kamala Harris which I am thankful of. My state of Virginia is the most progressive state of the South which will continue to shine bright. Also, Trump is no victim. He was legally charged with many felonies and convicted of many felonies. He was born into privilege (being descendants of German immigrants ironically enough) who lies habitually, and the MAGA movement is the largest cult in American history. Many Democrats must do self-searching to appeal to a wide spectrum of Americans (involving many issues and trends in society), but this election proves that America is not a liberal country or even a center-left country.
This country of America is very conservative filled with theocrats, misogynists (found in the incel and red pill cultures), and racists plus xenophobes who hate democratic freedoms, who hate black people, and who hate diversity. I know that many people can't ascertain that truth, but in order to get to the Promised Land for real, we must be honest with reality. This is America now. Many of the Trump supporters believe in the Apple pie myth that only white men are superior to all other people, and Trump is a near Messiah who can solve problems. This lie has been embraced not only by many white men (and many white women), but many sellouts of color who embrace MAGA instead of human liberation. For the record, Trump wants mass deportations of many legal immigrants as he hates birthright citizenship (which is found in the 14th Amendment). I also want to acknowledge the people of every color who oppose the views of Donald Trump. Their work shouldn't be omitted. The political results of Florida and Texas should shock no one. Many historical firsts have been made in Congress, but the Senate belongs to the Republicans.
This is a new era of American history with fascism could be on the horizon. The majority of black people voted for Harris, the majority of white people voted for Trump, the majority of young people increasingly voted for Trump, most Latina women voted for Harris, and most Latino men voted for Trump. The economy was a motivating factor for voting along with democracy and immigration. The problem was that the House blocked any progressive legislation to deal with these important issues, and the Senate had an issue with massive Republican opposition too. Authoritarian policies from Trump will exist, and this fascism must be opposed. Trump said that he wants to heal the nation, but he refuses to apologize for his nefarious views. He is an evil person.
A new era of time is here with a new challenge and a future new President coming about by 2025. In the quarter century mark and near 250 years of American history, we have seen massive changes. The MAGA cult is very brutal. Likewise, many moderates and conservatives like Joe Scarborough are coming out to blame progressives for the Kamala Harris lost. They are lying for many reasons. The first reason is that the vast majority of black men and black women voted for Kamala Harris (despite what Joe Scarborough said about black men. Joe has once again shown his conservative ways with his mocking and lying about blaming progressive activists for the Trump winning the 2024 election). Also, millions of Americans stayed home, and voter apathy contributed to the Trump victory.
Not to mention that Kamala Harris has come to the center on many issues from immigration to fracking (which is not what many progressives supported), but that wasn't enough because it wasn't her ideology (as millions of Americans refused to vote for a black and South Asian woman to be President) that caused the defeat. It was Kamala's identity and the influence of the Trump movement brainwashing millions of Americans to cause a convicted felon and instigator of the January 6th, 2021, insurrection against the U.S. Capitol to be the new President in the future. Republicans readily obstruct progress, and many Democrats stayed home believing that their vote doesn't matter after Republican obstruct policies. The big lie is that Kamala Harris never had detailed policy positions. She had tons of positions on helping working class people, on investing in businesses, on addressing student loan debt, and on other issues from the environment to human rights (when mainstream economists said that Harris's economic views will improve the economy). The other lie is that Harris is obsessed with identity politics, when Kamala Harris made it clear to downplay her identity in speeches and interviews. This refutes the notion that identity politics caused her defeat. Kamala Harris did her job. Also, Trump used identity politics constantly by saying that he has white skin, questioning Harris' Blackness, and trying to appeal to young white men constantly in his campaign. Many people criticize "identity politics" as coded language as an excuse for them to ignore the real issues of racism, sexism, and bigotry in general in America plus the world. Now, it's time for the American people to do our jobs to resist fascism in our country.
Vice President Kamala Harris gave her concession speech on this somber day. Most Americans voted for a narcissist in a disgraceful fashion. Yet, Kamala Harris spoke about being engaged in the fight for freedom and respecting the dignity of all people. In the end, we will win. Kamala Harris wants people to never give up in trying to make the world a better place. She gave a speech at Howard University. She spoke to the youth at Howard University and the audience of the world to never despair and to roll up our sleeves to fight for our rights as human beings. Trump has made it clear his love of the world's dictators and autocrats from Putin to Orban. Trump said that he may not honor America's alliances.
President Joe Biden wants people to continue with the work in promoting justice and a defeat is not an excuse to give up. Biden wants a peaceful and orderly transition. The lie is that we must unconditionally support what the majority of Americans support at every instance. For example, during the 19th century, most Americans didn't want to abolish slavery. I oppose slavery. During the 20th century, the majority of Americans once viewed the Civil Rights Movement as going too far. I disagree with that perspective. Trump promotes himself as a working-class promoter, but lobbyists support him, Susie Wiles has her lobbying firms, and she is promoted as a Chief of Staff. Billionaires and Wall Street interests fund the Trump campaign explicitly. The richest person on Earth, Elon Musk, supported Trump politically and financially. Sellouts like RFK Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, and other people agree with Trump when Trump wants to deport over 11 million undocumented human beings, glorified Hitler, wants to have a massive tariff plan, and seeks to punish his political opponents. Some positive news is that 2 new black women Senators are in office. Also, voters in many states approved minimum wage increased, paid sick leave programs, and rejected school privatization. We should know that Trump got more votes for many reasons. Many people didn't vote, because in the 2020 election, the Biden/Harris campaign talked about voting rights and living wages more overtly. There has not massive increase of the federal minimum wage either. Progressive policies are still popular as proven by the passage of many state ballot initiatives.
There are many people who are legitimately upset that Trump won the 2024 election. Yet, some people, who oppose Trump, have turned into the wrong path to desire mass deportations of Latinos and allow Israel to turn Gaza into a parking lot. We know that the Israeli war crimes in Gaza and other places in the Middle East have no justification (Hamas harming innocent people on October 7th have no justification either) and Trump is a big supporter of the far right Netanyahu regime. We should accept the Presidential 2024 election results but not respect the result. I accept it, but I don't respect it. We should criticize many of the pro-Trump sellouts of color who voted for Trump. The people of color who voted for Trump are wrong, traitors to their people, and hugely misguided. Yet, our dissent with them must be filled with true facts, not xenophobia, racism, or Islamophobia. We should oppose the views of Trump supporters without embracing the bigotry of Arabic people, Muslims, Latino people, etc. at the same time. We must fight for economic justice, defend our democracy, protect our environment, and reject cynicism. Trump advocating mass deportations will definitely split families and cause economic damage to America.
Also, many Trump supporters have attack black people and other minority communities. There are signs in Texas University saying women are property, promoting slavery, and glorifying evil. There are the recent text messages sent to black Americans (sending racist text messages). According to TVOne, Georgia and North Carolina police investigate possible Klan threats to attack black people from now through inauguration. Pelosi is wrong to say that there should be an open primary when time was very limited. Trump supporters voted for Trump, who bragged about promoting evil, and we have to accept that America is filled with racist, sexist, nativist, and xenophobic thought (beyond just economic or class issues) that brainwashed many voters to support a narcissistic fascist. Anti-blackness and sellout people of color desiring proximity to white racist power contributed heavily to why Kamala Harris lost the election too. I believe in economic justice, but you have to fight for both economic, gender, racial, environmental justice at the same time. The truth is that inflation is down to 2.1 percent, unemployment is 4 percent, GDP is up by 3%, we have a massive growth of jobs (including manufacturing jobs). Therefore, many people are suffering today, but the economy of today is much better four years ago proven by the metrics. Likewise, we must realize that economic inequality persists today, and the suffering of many people economically can't be minimized. The super wealthy are getting richer and many Americans voted for Trump wrongly for frustration over the economy. Democrats, if they want to win, would increase their words on giving voice to the anger and show how record inequality has harmed the system and to limit the political power of big corporations and the super-rich. Republicans have promoted cut taxes on the wealthy, and many neoliberal centrist Democrats (not all Democrats) have supported NAFTA, deregulated finance, and empowered Wall Street too. Both major parties bailed out Wall Street as well. President Joe Biden, to his credit, did many good things economically like enforce antitrust laws, invested in manufacturing jobs, grown infrastructure, invested in semiconductors, and reduced childhood poverty in half. There is a myth that this 2024 election was a political realignment of Democrats when there is about a one percent different among the popular vote between Harris and Trump.
The continued fight for justice continues. It is never our responsibility to force people against their wills to embrace truth. People have to embrace truth voluntarily. We, who are black people, are not the world's mules. Yet, we have the free speech and human right to express our ideals in public in a peaceful fashion. A loss in a battle doesn't mean that we give up, so we should never give up. That is the lesson of the results of the 2024 Presidential Election. Project 2025 is a real threat to our freedom. Donald Trump denies being part of it, but many of his high-level advisors are part of that document. Project 2025 wants to lessening workplace safety and nondiscrimination laws, eliminate public sector union, defund the Department of Education (when low-income families need free lunch and other investments), and gut child labor protections. We should never move to the far right in trying to gain votes. Many people would vote against any progressive or Democrat regardless of policy. We should maintain our core convictions like defense of democracy, rights of black people, equality, voting rights, economic rights, the rights of women, and the rights of immigrants. Vice President Kamala Harris lost the election for many reasons (from grassroots organizing issues, racism, sexism, economic frustration, and the reality that most American voters desire a far right, pro-Trump nation as proven by the polls). We, who oppose Trump's agenda, must be firm to have a clear economic populist agenda of paid family leave, Medicare for all, stronger higher education, stronger unions, fair taxes on the super wealthy, and housing credits. Folks need to realize that pay has been bad for decades because of large corporations and the super-rich rigging the market (not liberals, immigrants, black people, other people of color, women, etc.). If the Democrats want to be viable, they must end their allyship with corporate centrists (who love capitalism more than true human economic justice. Capitalism is not God) and be an anti-establishment party for real. At the end, we have to maintain joy and hope plus faith in the future. You have to find that space in life where you embrace true light to go forward and helping humanity for sincere motivations.
After the Indian and French War, America was in a crossroads. The Americas were increasingly being conquered by European imperialism. Also, the American colonists were divided on what to do by the late 1700s. Some colonists wanted to stay with the British being Loyalists. Some wanted neutrality, and some wanted overt independence from the British Empire (who were the Patriots). The Redcoats wanted to rule the American colonies forever. The French and Indian war caused the British Empire massive debt, and they wanted the American colonists to pay much of the debt from the war. Back then, the colonists didn't pay that many taxes. The colonists financially benefited from the trade in the British Empire and the human exploitation of African slaves. Many colonists had some political rights from the Parliament. When the British Empire via King George III started to tax the colonists, opposition happened. Great Britain gave many of its citizens the freedom of the press, trial by jury, and due process of common law via the Bill of Rights of 1689. Still, the three branches of the British government were controlled by few of the people, making it not a true democracy. The Monarch won the executive branch, the legislative branch was run by House of Lords and the House of Commons (which was made up of Parliament). The colonies had a two-house legislative, except Pennsylvania. Mostly wealthy men controlled the British government and the American colonists. The colonies had legal documents. Parliament wanted to tax colonists to fund Royal governors and judges. The colonists felt that they are equal members of the Parliament, so they believe that only their elected officials had the right to tax them. These differences grew rapidly. The Brits paid more taxes than the colonists, and new tax laws existed. The Sugar, Quartering, and Stamp Acts were promoted as taxes. Prime Minister George Grenville in 1764 wanted to raise money. The Quartering Act required the colonies to provide housing and supplies for the British troops stationed in America after the French and Indian War. Colonists complained, but most went along with it.
The Stamp Act of 1765 required colonists to pay a tax on almost all printed materials like books, newspapers, books, court documents and deeds, and contracts. This was the first Parliament direct tax inside the American colonies. Many colonists protested the Stamp Act, because they didn't believe that the Parliament could tax them directly. They believed that since they had no represented in Parliament, the Stamp Act was null and void. Some believed that the British officials wanted to undermine American liberty. The colonists wanted to tax themselves. In Britain, many people who paid taxes can't vote which is wrong. The protests and tax resistance from the American colonists increased. Some boycotted, some used intellectual protests, and some used violence. The lawyer in Massachusetts John Adams saw this new protest. Many colonists were inspired by the liberalism of the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment was a secular movement in Europe (that spread worldwide) that viewed human reason, not mysticism, as having the power to improve human societies. Many people in the Enlightenment were Deists and atheists. These scholars included Baron de Montesquieu of France and John Locke of England. They believed that human beings had divinely granted natural rights like life, liberty, and property.
The Enlightenment with people like John Locke believed that a good government protected individual rights. People have the right to protest any government that violated the social contract by failing to protect their rights according to Locke. Patrick Henry, of my state of Virginia, was a young Virginia representative. He drafted a document called Virginia Resolves. He said that only colonial assemblies had the right to tax the colonists. Henry said on May 29, 1765, that the British Parliament acted in an unjust and illegal fashion harming the liberty of British people and Americans alike. The Virginia House of Burgesses agreed with most of Henry's resolves on May 30, 1765 except 2. The Patriots were created by opposition to the Stamp Act. They formed the Sons of Liberty to lead protests. Their famous leader was Samuel Adams of Boston, a cousin of John Adams. Many of them protests and used violence against tax collectors. In August 1765, they tore down the office and damaged the house of a stamp tax collector. I don't agree with that action as dissent should be done without unjust violence. In 1765, the home of Massachusetts lietuenant governor THomas Hutchinson's home was burned down after he supported the Stamp Act taxes. By the end of the year, every stamp acolelctor in the colonies resigned, so no one could collect the taxes. Other people in New York City promoted a boycott of the Stamp Act by October 1765. Women in the Daughters of Liberty used cloth to substitute British created cloth. The British repealed the Stamp Act in 1766, so the British via Charles Townshend used an indirect tax on colonists. The Townshend Acts caused protests in Boston. There were riots in Boston over this and the British sent 4,000 troops to occupy Boston by 1768 (after the British seized the merchant ship Liberty for smuggling. The ship was owned by John Hancock, a politician). By night in March 1770, many colonists threw snowballs and rocks at British soldiers guarding the Customs House. The soldiers fired bullets into the crowd killing five colonists. Crispus Attucks was killed, a man of African and Native American ancestry. This was the Boston Massacre. The Patriots investigated the tragic event. By 1773, there were committees of correspondence created by Samuel Adams to promote more colony unity. The British left troops from Boston. They dropped most of the WOnshed laws. The tax on tea remained. The Boston Tea Party was a boycot on the tax on tea. The colonists dumped tea in the Boston harbor in the Boston Tea Party. Many of them dressed as Native Americans. The British East India Company wanted taxes on the colonists, even being cheaper than smuggled tea. After the Boston Tea Party, the Parliament formed the Coercive Acts. These laws closed the port of trade until the tea tax was paid, increased the power of the Governor (regardless of what the elected assembly did), and warships and troops were sent to Boston. This was too excessive by King George III.
So, the colonists resisted. The British were housed in the homes of the colonists. There were the Intolerable Acts too. In rural Massachusetts, some colonists did unjust violence (not peaceful dissent) in opposition to these laws like tar and feathering supporters of Parliament and trying to shut down courts. Other colonies opposed the Coercive Acts too. They viewed it as a threat to their freedom. By the fall of 1774, there was the first Continental Congress held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Virginia had delegates like the fiery Patrick Henry. He gave the give me liberty or give me death speech. The New England delegates supported him as being American. Patrick Henry was a Patriot who wanted a total independence from the British Crown. The delegates wanted to boycott all British imports to allow the Parliament to end the Coercive Acts. The Patriots formed new governments to oppose Parliament. In 1774, John Adams said that he lived in a new nation called America. He wanted Americans to unite to defeat the British. By 1774, many colonists still wanted reconciled with the Parliament. That would change. 1775 would start the Revolutionary War for real.
By the 21st century, times have changed involving country music. We saw new artists and older artists making their legacies known. The early 21st century saw 9/11 and the start of the war on terror. So, many country music artists promoted a patriotic theme in their songs and albums. We should love truth. One of the highest forms of patriotism is to support the country when it does the right thing and dissent with governmental policies that are wrong like the Patriot Act and the Iraq War. By 2002, there were groups and artists like The Statler Brothers who retired from music. Jimmy Fourtune had his own song along with The Oak Ridge Boys. Carrie Underwood was very successful in the 2000s. She won American Idol to promote her music. She is from Oklahoma. By the end of the 200s, she had 8 No. 1 songs of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. She won many awards from the Country Music Assocation, Academy of Country Music, etc. There was the country pop song with Shania Twain with her album of Up! from 2002. Taylor Swift, as a teen, made country music by the late 2000s along with Darius Rucker. Braid Paisley, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and other people shown country sounds. In the 2010s, there was more popularity among country music by the younger generation. There were Jason Aldean, The Band Perry, Toby Keith, Kacey Musgraves, Jake Owen, and other people showing records. There was a younger generation of people who shown a new wave of country music constantly. This time saw a hip hop influence on country music too. Groups like Florida Georgia Line, Luke Bryan, and other people used hip hop instrumentalists. By the 2020s, country music has been dominated Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Shaboozey, Jelly Roll, Kacey Musgraves, Oliver Anthony, Kane Brown, and new school artists. Morgan Wallen released the Dangerous; The Double Album being four weeks atop the Billboard 200 chart. This time saw Beyonce's Cowboy Carter album which mixes genres with country music elements in it. This album helped to build a spotlight on black American country music artists from the past and present. Country music has always been diverse, not monolithic like any other musical genre.
Our history matters a great deal. For many years, I have learned so much information about my family history. For a large part of my life, I had a dream to figure out my relatives beyond my great grandparents. It was a long journey too. I tried in 2015 and in 2016 when I was in my in 30s, but in 2018 (when I was in my near mid 30s), I gained tons of valuable information into a higher level. I found out that I am a descendant of both Zilphy Claud and George and Esther Perkins. As time went onward, I learned about the hundreds of cousins who are related to me. They live in America and throughout the world. They include athletes, political leaders, actors, actresses, musicians, a film director, teachers, retired people, and other diverse human beings. We live in unique times with the extremist Donald Trump being inaugurated again on January 20, 2025. Yet, we will never lose faith as the progressive ideals of life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, equality, and justice remain true forevermore. I created many groundbreaking works about my family tree that has been witnessed by thousands of people worldwide. I always believe in the basic truism that my information is meant for the people, not a select few. I am transparent about who I am and what I represent in terms of my identity. I am thankful to be a black American born in Virginia, and I appreciate the global black African Diaspora (with people from Patrice Lumumba to Benedita da Silva) who made tons of contributions to the human family for the eons of human history.
By Timothy
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