To Those Armed Trump Loyalists: ‘Take Me First’

By Joni Halpern

Maybe we should start listening to our fellow Americans who have been stockpiling guns for a battle they foresee if Mr. Trump is not re-elected in 2020.

Several of these folks have warned they will take arms against Mr. Trump’s enemies, which now comprise about 60 percent of the American voting public.

These armed Trump loyalists are said to believe that white America is under attack by people of color who are reaching majority status, immigrants who are using excuses of violence and fear to enter America and steal our jobs, and radical liberals (Democrats) who are conspiring to engage in morally despicable behavior.

It is hard to know how many Trump loyalists feel that civil war is the ultimate destination, but whatever their true numbers, they openly envision the day they will have to kill some of us to protect America.  How ironic that red-hatted, gun-toting American citizens can speak openly about preparations to kill their countrymen without arousing the condemnation of authorities, while a refugee seeking safety and security for his family is considered a villain.

When this war among brethren begins, what kind of “radical liberal” would Mr. Trump’s armed loyalists shoot first?  Would it be the church-goer who can’t square Christ’s message with food stamp cuts that leave millions of people hungry?  Would it be the activist moved by compassion to oppose the separation of immigrant children from their parents?

Would it be the person who stands up to protest the use of fossil fuels in order to protect the earth?  The scientist who objects to funding cuts in research to ensure food safety? How about the parents of a soldier who object to putting their son’s or daughter’s life in danger to protect a murderous prince’s oil fields?  What about the doctor who tends the wounds of any patient, prioritizing service by severity of need, rather than by race, religion, culture, creed or financial standing?

Which liberals will bear their ire if Mr. Trump is not re-elected?

I am a liberal.  I believe in the value of other human beings.  I believe decency toward others is the hallmark of a just society.  I have spent my entire adult life working closely with people in dire need right here in San Diego County.  My soul has been touched by children who are hungry, homeless, depressed, and yet filled with love and admiration for the parents who strive so hard to provide for them.

Right here in this little corner of America, I have seen families renting porches and garages, backrooms and parts of buildings, going to work every day at jobs with meager wages and no benefits.  I have seen men and women working hard, hands gnarled, backs hurting, and lungs ruined by chemicals from farming or cleaning, wondering how long their bodies will keep going.

I have seen young men and women of color graduate from high school and discover by age 25 there is no future for them because they cannot find a way to pay for living expenses, let alone college or vocational training.  I have seen farm workers who feed their families the rough, half-rotten trim from vegetables and greens that end up in beautiful produce displays in our grocery stores.

In the company of thousands who have lent a hand to ease the pain of others, I have gladly served those in need.  If that is radical liberalism, there are thousands, maybe millions, of us who should bear that label, including that radical liberal of two millennia ago who lost his life to a mob.

Take me first.  But don’t expect to kill the compassion, decency, and faith in the power of goodness that are the real enemies of Mr. Trump’s presidency.