This July 4th, millions of Americans are celebrating not only the country’s founding but the Supreme Court ruling placing American presidents above the law.
They’re celebrating that Donald Trump may yet again avoid accountability for his actions.
They’re celebrating that Joe Biden is besieged by calls from allies to abort his campaign and might actually pull out of the race.
They’re celebrating that the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Meanwhile, the rest of us are left to wonder how — or whether — to celebrate the Fourth this year. The news is so unremittingly bad; I know I’m far from the only one desperately seeking ways to avoid falling into a deep pit of depression.
In the end, here’s what matters: Regardless of whether Biden stays in the race, all freedom-loving American patriots have a duty to do whatever we can to make sure the Democratic candidate prevents Trump from gaining access to the levers of power for a second time.
And that brings me to what gives me hope this July 4th: I think the Supreme Court ruling was so egregiously anti-democratic (small d) that it has fundamentally changed the context in which the election will be held. It’s going to energize great masses of people to join the movement to defeat Trump and the Republicans.
Those of us who have been paying attention know Trump will use the federal government as a vehicle of retribution against enemies real and perceived. With the Supreme Court having essentially given him a free pass, he will be emboldened to consider ever more radical measures, especially since he’ll fill his cabinet with sycophants.
Thanks to the court’s legal reasoning, a president could convene an official meeting with their military staff and order them to deploy an elite squad to assassinate a political opponent without having to worry about ever facing any legal consequences for ordering the murder.
As Americans learn about the Court’s ruling, many are surely asking, “how did things get to this point?” People are realizing that the stakes in this election are even higher than they had thought. And they’re going to commit themselves to helping make sure Trump loses. We face a years-long battle to overturn the damage done by Trump and his Court, but it’s pellucidly clear that denying him the keys to the Oval is the first step in that struggle.
There’s another reason I feel hope: the Dobbs decision that did away with Roe. Witness the post-Dobbs elections in Red states that enshrined a woman’s right to control her body or fought off the Forced Birth movement’s attempts to take it away. It’s not just Democrats, it’s moderate Republicans and independents. We’re saying it together: “Thus far and no further.”
Since those elections, it has become clear that a Trump victory would likely mean the resurrection of the Comstock Act, a moribund 19th century law that banned the transportation of “obscene” materials, contraceptives, and abortion methods. Once that happens, abortion could be made illegal everywhere in America. And a bunch of Red states would likely outlaw contraception.
Women who know what the Republicans have planned for them understand the stakes. Those who don’t will join the movement once they find out.
We’re the patriots in this election, not Trump and the grifters, neofascists and Christian nationalists who’ve attached themselves to his ample behind.
So as we celebrate our independence, let’s all resolve to get to work. Contribute money. Write postcards and letters. Knock on doors. If you’re able, make plans to travel to a swing state to help get out the vote. Write letters to the editor. Produce TikTok and Instagram videos. Write poetry, plays, songs, musicals and operas. Hold pro-democracy carnivals, festivals, and pageants. Whatever you think might help.
Explain to the first-time voters in your life what Trump wrought in his first term; remember, many of them were in middle school when he was elected. Make sure they know what he has on tap for a second term.
Make sure every single person in your circle of friends is registered and will vote for Democrats — up and down the ballot — this fall.
Happy 4th!