Fear of the unknown

November 22, 1963 – John F. Kennedy is assassinated.

February 21, 1965 – Malcolm X is assassinated.

April 4, 1968 – Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated.

June 5, 1968 – Robert Kennedy is assassinated.

In the span of five years the citizens of the United States lived through four very traumatic assassinations. I was two years old when JFK was assassinated and seven when his brother Robert was killed by Sirhan Sirhan.

I remember nothing about this period of time but I imagine for my parents and other adults it was a period of great concern for this country. How couldn’t it be? A President, two African-American leaders and the second coming of Camelot all killed in five years.

On this day that we honor the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. I thought about all the fear of the unknown that must have taken place during this period of time. American citizens had to have been concerned about the future. African-Americans must have not only wondered why but wondered what did it all mean. Their lives, their rights were teetering on the edge and now their leaders, their spokesmen were gone.

I think many of us, given the current political climate, have a fear of the unknown. In four days we will have a new President and we will lose the calm, rational voice of President Obama, a man who I not only admire but appreciate for the stability he has brought to this country. Our new President is hell-bent on unraveling everything President Obama did in eight years. It has all the appearances and smells of a personal vendetta and we, you and I, are just the pawns as he rights the wrongs he perceives as slights to his ego.

I don’t know why the American memory is so short. Eight years ago this country was on the brink of financial failure. When I remind Trump supporters of this fact their response is typically “Oh it wasn’t that bad”. My friend who owns a construction company and voted for Trump had zero work through the recession, none. A recession brought about not by President Obama but his predecessor. He got rid of all of his employees and burned through his savings to keep his family and business afloat. Four years of nothing but twiddling his thumbs.

But through the policies and actions of President Obama his business is booming once again. You would think he would be thankful, instead he bitches about taxes, government red tape, supreme court justices, and on and on. Four years ago he was on the brink of extinction now he is planning a two-week trip to Hawaii. Such a short memory.

Martin Luther King Jr. said “In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends”. Now is not the time to grow silent my friends, now is not the time to let the fear of the unknown push us down. Trump did not win by a popular majority which means he doesn’t have the support of the majority of Americans nor does he have a mandate of change. Maybe you think your vote didn’t count but your voice still does and combined with all the other voices we can make a difference.

To learn more about how we can band together and make a difference click here: INDIVISIBLE:A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR RESISTING THE TRUMP AGENDA

“We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.” –  Martin Luther King, Jr.