Only a few weeks to go

What will an upset look like? Does anyone really listen to alt-right radio for real clues? Confederate flags will be immediately hoisted across the South, anyone not sporting a US flag on their lapel will be labelled an anti-American, parents with young children will become more politically active wanting to ensure their child’s mindset to consolidate American being made great (again), all minority groups who do not turtle-withdraw into their shells will be vilified, labeled, ostracized, and vigilante groups will feel justified in punishing them for being gay, black, brown, immigrant, trans, unable to speak English, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Taoist and a host of other “non-American” religious leanings.

On the other hand, if the upset goes the other way, the alt-right and their secret proponents (Limbaugh, O’Reilly, Alex Jones, Bannon, all white supremacists) will work hard to deepen the divide, fuel suspicion, heighten a sense of theft of our country by “liberals” and work hard to use genuine disaffection turning it into hatred and violence for decades to come.

Do you understand how easy it is to start a riot? One ‘hands-up” person shot because someone glued to alt-right radio felt “afraid” and felt “threatened” because the man/woman/child had/didn’t have a gun/knife or perhaps was “on drugs” – what, you thought the police were living apart from the propaganda being washed over them every day, year in, year out? That propaganda, spurred on by blatant lies and felonious conjecture, does exactly what propaganda is designed to do: Change the mind-set. There are susceptible people in the police forces across America. Heck, there are susceptible people amongst my normally sane friends – but after the deluge of the past years filled with racist and alt-right propaganda their clarity of thought and vision has been warped.

Now, most people who are for the Republican Party candidates are hardly alt-right, we know that. But what they do not realize is that any support they give this current wave of support for Trump (or the down-ticket flunkies who admire him) and the people promoting him from the alt-right – any support! – helps destroy the Republican Party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Bush Sr., and yes, Reagan. If the upset happens, sensible Republicans – to exactly the same degree as fence-sitter Democrats and Gary Johnson supporters – will be responsible for the destruction of the centuries-old Republican values and party ethic.

Look, it is absolutely true that Trump wants to upset the status quo; he’s against our current governmental politics. He says so and I believe him. The problem is his main target is Republicans and laissez-faire Democrats all the while he pretends otherwise. The resultant divide will be deep and insurmountable. 

My advice to Republican friends? Stand up and fight for your real values with no compromise simply because you fear Hillary may win. The Trump alternative, I assure you, is worse for America along with the demise of the true Republican Party.

Peter Riva, a former resident of Amenia Union, now lives in New Mexico.