My cousin's daughter expressed feeling unsafe since Trump's election. I can understand. Many of us are afraid. We shouldn't be afraid in our own homes, but we are. This young woman felt that she had to look like someone she wasn't in the hopes that her true identity as a lovely, intelligent, educated, open-minded, liberal, and independent young woman would not attract those who have found justification for their bullying, intimidation, and assault.
A friend and supervisor of ours, who is a trained and experienced Ranger, made a statement about being alone at a remove campground when law enforcement (LE Rangers) was not readily available. We had been talking about our idea of opening this campground earlier in the season for the hikers and bikers that enjoy the Going-to-the-Sun Road when it is closed to auto traffic. Since LE Rangers are the ones you call when you're dealing with a bear or other dangerous animal in your campground and the campground of which we were speaking is known for lots of bear encounters, I assumed that our friend was speaking of the need for LE for this reason. When I said as much she just laughed. She said that she had no problem with wild animals. They were quite predictable and had good reason for their behavior. It was the humans that concerned her. She had a point. We are all trained to deal with indigenous animals, and the only ones we ever find scary is the invasive species known as homo sapiens.
Now, with Donald Trump's election, sexism, racism, and all sorts of heretofore unacceptable behavior has been legitimized. Pamela and I have been yards from grizzly bears and toe-to-toe with numerous black bears. We have been stalked by mountain lions and I've encountered wolverine and coyote while on trail patrol. However, I never found myself as uncomfortable or feel in as much danger as I have encountered around fanatic Christians and Trump supporters since the election. We are so fortunate that we have the ability to disappear into the wilderness where Kiaayo and Omahkapi'si will be good neighbors and not care about our race, religion, gender, political position or sexual preference.
I am at a total loss what to say to my cousin's daughter. I wish that I could tell her that she's just over-reacting to a few isolated incidents. We all know that wouldn't be true. The hatred, demeaning rhetoric, and violent behavior that we witnessed at Trump rallies is now spilling into the streets with a vitalized sense of legitimacy. If Mr Trump can make fun of a handicapped person on national television, shouldn't anyone be able to mock him/her at school, work or in a store. If Mr Trump permitted and on at least one occasion encouraged followers to physically abuse and beat up on someone who disagreed with him in a rally, why shouldn't everyone be able to do so at any other time? If Mr Trump tells us that immigrants, Muslims, LGBTs and anyone who is different from us is bad, why shouldn't one be permitted to tell them to go away, or leave the store, or get out of the way? They're just bad people. Mr Trump said so. Why shouldn't one be permitted dto kick a Muslim who is kneeling to pray? They don't worship the right god. Besides, we all know that they're all terrorist. Mr Trump said so. Why shouldn't one demean the immigrant working at a McDonald's or cleaning rooms? She's probably undocumented and is taking an American's job. I could go on and on and on, but I won't. You know what I mean. You've seen it. Don't try and deny it.
You see, when the similarities to other atrocities in history is pointed out many people are quick to say "that couldn't happen here." Right. When I lived in Dublin I knew a great number of German immigrants. Most of them left Germany in 1929. Hitler didn't actually become Chancellor until 1933. They left because they saw Germany blindly carrying on thinking Hitler was a joke that would go away. In fact, in one of Hitler's interviews shortly after he took power, he chided those who doubted that he would rule Germany. "At the risk of appearing to talk nonsense I tell you that the National Socialist movement will go on for 1,000 years! ... Don't forget how people laughed at me 15 years ago when I declared that one day I would govern Germany. They laugh now, just as foolishly, when I declare that I shall remain in power!" (Adolf Hitler to a British correspondent in Berlin, June 1934)
To my cousin's daughter I can only say 'you are not alone.' I must, however, admit that she has good reason to feel afraid but to remember, we can survive this nightmare and we can prevail. It will require that we all stick together and call tyranny by its real name.
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