We Could Be Gaza

 

I was talking with a coworker recently about the conflict between the nation-state of Israel and the terrorist group Hamas. He exclaimed that he was glad Israel was bombing the hell out of Gaza. I asked was he okay with the killing of innocent Palestinians. He stated they were not innocent.

The reason he said they were not innocent was because they elected Hamas to run the government in Gaza. When I told him that the people of Gaza chose Hamas to run the government in 2006, and they haven't had an election since then, his reply was that they should have done something about that before it came to this conflict.

That statement had me thinking about 2024 here in the United States. My mind went to the factual fear that we, in America, could be in the same precarious position as the Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. We could possibly elect a political group that would end elections and impose an authoritarian rule over us for decades.

The world would look at us, like my coworker looks at Gaza, and say they get what they deserve because they elected them. The scary part is my coworker, and millions like him, will be preparing to vote for that pro-authoritarian political group a year from now and not see the connection between that group and the terrorists that control Gaza.

Hamas dehumanized their enemy and slaughtered hundreds of them in one day. They indoctrinated enough constituents to dehumanize them as well to maintain their control in Gaza and justify their brutal attack. But not all Palestinians in Gaza were indoctrinated. They oppose the actions and presence of Hamas yet they have no power to challenge them. Now they are suffering the consequences of Hamas' actions. Thousands of them have died. Those that have not died are homeless.

That is a bitter price to pay for being subject to authoritarian rule. Unfortunately, that price could be extracted from us here in the United States if we continue to act cavalier towards the 2024 election.

I am aware that people are tired of hearing that every election is important. However, I would rather be tired of hearing how important an election is than not having an election at all.

Therefore I will say this: It is imperative that we vote in every election, but our very survival demands that we vote in record numbers in 2024. Not just for the survival of democracy, but for our very existence. If that sounds dire, it is because the stakes demand such.

The threat of authoritarian rule must be eradicated by the power of the ballot. The love for our country and for our fellow citizens must triumph over the miseducation, discontent and hate that fuels the proponents of authoritarianism. We cannot afford to be divided and conquered. We must unite against this perverse, invidious threat within our borders.

Failing to do so will put us in the same atmosphere of despair the citizens of Gaza are encountering right now. Thus, it should be apparent that failure is not an option.