Freedom vs Freedumb
Trump supporters value the freedoms that citizens are offered in the United States. They also proclaim devout loyalty to their country and unabashedly display their patriotism. Freedom. Loyalty. Patriotism. All beautiful ideals. Since Trump supporters are loyal and patriotic Americans, they clearly love their country. And, they most certainly love the freedoms they enjoy. With those values and love of freedom and country, Trump supporters would be responsible citizens. Right?
Then explain this.
Wouldn’t a patriotic citizen who dearly loves their country do anything to protect and defend their country? Yes, they would. As such, being a patriot is not about “me.” It’s about “us.” It’s about our country. Our ideals. Our fellow citizens. How would a citizen-patriot respond to a pandemic crisis? Or to the coronavirus pandemic specifically? A citizen-patriot would do all they could to prevent the spread of the disease. They would do all they could to mitigate the suffering, the death, and the devastating economic consequences of the pandemic. A citizen-patriot would be interested in keeping their country, their community, their fellow citizens, their family, and their financial and economic well-being healthy and vibrant. Then why was there a legion of Trump supporters that refuse to support the one significant measure we had to combat the coronavirus? Specifically, wearing a mask in public. Apparently, it was about them. It’s was about “me.” It’s was not about “us.” It’s was not about our country. Or our fellow citizens. That’s not patriotism or love of country. It’s self-centered. Selfish. And intellectually shallow. With freedom comes responsibility. Responsible citizenship demonstrates patriotism, respect, love of country, and a mature understanding of freedom.
According to Trump supporters, they couldn’t accept mask-wearing to prevent the spread of disease during a public health crisis because it violates their constitutional rights. Only God knows where this moronic stream of thought was born. Any first-year law student knows that each state has the constitutional authority and responsibility to protect its citizens, including protecting them against health threats. State and local authorities have the right to shut down a rat-infested restaurant to protect public health. Do the owners of a rat-infested restaurant have the right to stay open and serve the public? If you think they do, perhaps you should eat at their restaurant. Local authorities also have the right and responsibility to mandate common-sense mask-wearing in public spaces during a pandemic in the interest of public health. You don’t have the constitutional right to be a public health threat.
Former U.S. Attorney General William Barr stated the pandemic “lockdowns” were the “greatest intrusion on civil liberties” in our history “other than slavery.” This is laughably false. In addition to slavery, there are numerous egregious instances of intrusions of civil liberties throughout U.S. history, including the WWII internment of Japanese-Americans, the lynching of Black Americans, denying voting rights to women, Black Americans, Asian Americans, and others, to name just a few. And none of these “great intrusions on civil liberties” include common-sense measures to mitigate a public health threat. Perhaps Barr’s comment demonstrated his sophomoric legal knowledge as well as his pathetic understanding of U.S. history. I believe Barr might have been able to think more clearly if he had removed his lips from Trump’s ass from time to time.
In looney Trumpworld, supporters can’t accept peaceful protests against police shootings and brutality, even though the U.S. Constitution specifically states that citizens have the right to “peaceably assemble” and “petition their government for a redress of grievances.” A study of the literally hundreds of Black Lives Matter protests in cities large and small throughout the United States from May to August 2020 found that ninety-three percent of the protests where peaceful.(1) Trump supporters also couldn’t support peaceful protesters exercising their constitutional right at Lafayette Park near the White House when Trump wanted a photo-op holding a (borrowed) Bible at the nearby St. John’s Church. I sincerely doubt Trump has ever read any book in the Bible. According to Michael Cohen, Trump stated, “can you believe people believe that bull–?” after meeting with prominent evangelical leaders during the 2016 campaign.
For patriotic Trump supporters, it was fine that Trump disparages members of our military who sacrifice their lives for our country, calling them “losers” and “suckers” as well as belittling American heroes like John McCain.(2) For Trump supporters, somehow, in some magical way, Trump is patriotic. Wink.
Trump claimed to be the “law and order” President. Yet, Trump consistently pushed the boundaries of constitutional law.(3) As frightening as that was, Trump was also being investigated in New York for fraud(4) and appeared to be implicated in court documents in the Southern District of New York as an unindicted co-conspirator in violating campaign finance laws.(5) When a U.S. President is lawless, the rule of law and freedoms are compromised.
Trump had argued that the 2020 election date should be delayed and claimed that the election was rigged if he lost. Further, Trump baselessly asserted that mail-in voting in the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent. Sowing doubt about a U.S. presidential election, a key pillar of American democracy, is not only un-presidential; it’s also unpatriotic. Unsurprisingly, Trump launched lawsuits in several states to curtail mail-in voting processes. Does making it more difficult for citizens to cast a ballot in elections sound like freedom? Only in some weird alternate universe.
Yes, freedom, loyalty, and patriotism are beautiful ideals. Wouldn’t it be great if Trump supporters practiced responsible citizenship and supported a candidate that embodied the ideals of freedom, loyalty to country, and patriotism? “Freedumb” claims support for freedom while simultaneously supporting a candidate or political policies that limit individual and collective freedom. As such, Trump supporters didn’t support freedom despite their claims. Supporting Trump was about “freedumb” while the ideal that America continually pursues is freedom.
References:
Updated January 16, 2020
