The grim reality of our national situation is finally settling in for a bulk of American citizens, some of whom used their free expression to elect Donald Trump president.
Now that he’s taken up the position once again — this time with far more preparations in place — Trump is making disastrous move after disastrous move, and the tenor of the country is noticeably dour. Stress is once again spiking, after a brief four-year respite, and it feels like we’re treading water in a very large, and very dangerous, ocean.
Which is prompting a wave of state-side voters from both sides of the political aisle to aim their anger at the U.S. government, and in particular at Democrats. They seem to think that Democrats should be doing more to stop Trump’s promised shift into fascism, and they’ve taken to social media to demand that politicians on the left “do something” to stop Trump.
Unfortunately for them (and the rest of us) its a little late to demand action from our representatives. While there’s certainly still more they can do — and we should always expect our representatives to fight for what’s right — their opportunity to really impact Trump’s plans died with America’s spirit on Nov. 5, 2024. Alongside Trump, a slew of Republicans found massive success in the election, which led to a majority no amount of Democratic maneuvering can compete with.
None of which is stopping outraged Americans from pointing their indignation at exactly the wrong targets. They’re aiming their horror and disgust at Democratic Congresspeople, while the clown show that’s steering the ship continues to laugh in the face of American democracy. Instead of pinning the blame where it naturally lands, people are blasting Democratic leadership and blaming them for failing “the American people.”
And look, I’m all for criticizing the stagnant Democratic hold-ons who should have been out of a job decades ago. I’m sick of dinosaurs making decisions for the rest of us, and I’m even more sick of their careful manipulations within the party, as they seek to retain power. But other Representatives, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) are already working hard to fix the system, and no amount of whinging is going to make the U.S. government any less broken.
If people really want someone to yell at, it should be the friends, family members, co-workers, neighbors, and acquaintances that voted to allow a criminal to become Commander-in-Chief — or didn’t vote at all. It’s the people who paved the way for this hellscape we’re currently living in who really deserve an earful, but — in some cases, at least — they’re instead among those same people calling for our elected leadership to do more.
And the Democrats should do more, don’t get me wrong. I also want them to do absolutely everything in their power to stop Trump, to impeach the tangerine tyrant, and to block his criminal policies before they become a terrifying reality. Those that are complaining, rather than doing something, do deserve criticism, but so does every single American who whines without taking their own advice.
Let’s all be part of the solution, rather than the problem. Take your outrage off of social media and into places it counts. Call your representatives, demand action, or change, or that they “do something” on a local level. Or better yet, you do something. Go out into your communities and be the change you’re so desperate to see in this world. Or take the ambitious route and pull a Tim Walz or AOC — run for Congress, and make it your responsibility to “do something” productive for this nation.
Published: Jan 28, 2025 8:17 PM UTC