(BALTIMORE – November 2, 2024) – If I stay silent, I’ll never forgive myself. The upcoming election has stirred up a storm of anxiety across the country, and I feel compelled to share my thoughts. We’ve seen a flood of divisive rhetoric clouding people’s judgment about right and wrong. As scripture reminds us, this is a spiritual battle between light and darkness.
Some Americans stand by him no matter what Donald Trump says or does. They overlook the unprecedented events of January 6th, his crude bragging about women, and his bizarre remarks on public figures. They dismiss his pride in overturning Roe v. Wade and his alarming statements about his political opponents. To them, it doesn’t seem to matter.
I just want to know that most Americans voting in this election are driven by decency. I hope the Electoral College will uphold that decency. And I can’t help but wonder: Do women, particularly white women, understand what a vote for Trump means for their rights? A vote for him is a vote against the fundamental right of women to control their bodies. The recent tragic death of a woman in Texas who was denied essential medical care due to restrictive abortion laws exemplifies the consequences of this policy. No doctor should face jail time for providing necessary care, and no woman should be treated as if we’re living in the Dark Ages.
Then there’s the perplexing support from Black men, young and old, rallying behind Trump. Given his history of open disrespect and racially divisive actions, what do they truly expect from him? His treatment of Black Americans has been nothing short of insulting. Trump, a person whose behavior is calculated and ruthlessly self-serving, should not hold the highest office in the country. To support him is to ignore a fundamental respect for America itself.
I’m a heterosexual man, and I don’t care who others love or how they identify. That’s personal. The attacks on Kamala Harris for supporting LGBTQ+ rights are inhumane. Meanwhile, corporate greed continues unchecked as executives pocket millions while thousands of workers lose their jobs. This greed is hurting our nation, and ultimately, we all suffer. Every American deserves a chance—a fair tax system, a quality education, and a curriculum that welcomes diverse perspectives, not one that bans books.
It’s people like Trump who are holding our country back from true greatness. Too many influential figures act out of fear—a fear often rooted in racial prejudice. This fear spreads through families, through communities, echoing the mindset of the past. Like a nation in denial, we ignore our original sin of slavery and perpetuate a cycle of resentment and scarcity. But until we confront these truths, we’re just running in circles.
Voting for Trump is a step back. It enables a dangerous pattern of division and destruction that will only push us further from a prosperous, united nation. And we simply can’t afford that.