On Edge!

The mood is nervous.  Wherever we look, people are on edge.

Will there be violence leading up to the Inauguration?

Will there be violence on Jan. 20?

What will happen after the Inauguration?

Washington is like an armed camp.  Troops and their gear sprawled everywhere.  First we heard they would be bringing in 10,000 national guard soldiers.  Then they said it would be 20,000.  Now I hear  there may be 30,000.  And warnings to all 50 states that they should prepare for trouble.

Will there be armed conflict as we move forward?  After the events of Jan. 6 it would be foolish to bet against it.  Domestic terrorism has always been with us.  But what is different now is that it has come out of the shadows and is flexing its muscles.

Those who are alienated enough to want to tear this country apart do not need a Trump to spur them on.  They are all in and ready to fight, to die and kill, in the name of their cause.  They are not a short-term threat.  They will be with us for a very long time.  Any other conclusion is just wishful thinking.

This is the final nail in the coffin of American exceptionalism.  What is happening here has happened elsewhere.  In that respect we are not unique.  But it isn't a lost cause.  If there is to be a war to preserve what we tell ourselves America stands for, we can beat back the enemy.  But it has to start with telling the truth to ourselves:

About systemic racism.

About economic inequality.

About the lack of equal opportunity for those who are born poor.

About housing and education and health and wages . . . and more.

In the meantime, good luck to us all!