🌵 Mondays with Morales - 🔮 Tezcatlipoca Thursday Edition: Stop Blaming Brown Folks!
11/7/24: 🤔 Stop Blaming Brown Folks: A Hard Look at Democratic Party's Mirror Moment
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾
🗣️ Imagine the whole country just had a big vote about who should be in charge! 🗳️ While some people are super happy and others are really sad about who won, what matters most is what happens next. It's like when you get picked to be team captain - getting picked isn't the hard part, it's making sure you take care of everyone on your team that matters!
🌎 Right now, we're worried about some big things like taking care of our planet, making sure everyone has doctors when they need them, and helping people get along better even when they disagree. 🤝 The most important thing to remember is that we're all on the same team - Team America - and we need to work together to make things better for everyone!
🗝️ Takeaways
🎯 Elections aren't sports games - they're just the beginning of actual governance
🚫 Stop blaming minorities for Democratic losses; examine internal party issues instead
⚖️ Supporting genocide in Gaza has cost Democrats significant moral authority
🌍 Environmental rollbacks under Trump could affect generations to come
🏥 Healthcare remains in concept phase despite years of promises
🤝 Our loyalty should be to the Constitution, not to parties or personalities
🌿 Indigenous communities have survived apocalypse before - we can guide others through this
🗳️ Post-Election Reflections: Beyond Victory and Defeat
by Maextro Morales
While our hermanos y hermanas in Southern Arizona are celebrating Democratic victories that swept through like a summer monsoon, the national picture paints a more complex story that leaves many con el corazón pesado today.
First, let's address something importante: We need to stop treating elections like fútbol matches. This isn't Barcelona vs. Real Madrid (or Cowboys vs Patriots for Americanos), where one team celebrates while the other sulks home.
When we reduce politics to "my team vs. your team," we miss the entire punto of democracy.
🪞 The Democratic Party's Tezcatlipoca Moment
Speaking of reflection, the Democratic Party desperately needs its own Tezcatlipoca - a moment of deep self-reflection rooted in our Indigenous traditions.
While some Democrats are quick to blame Latino and Black male voters for their losses, they need to look in el espejo and confront uncomfortable truths. Their support and funding of the genocide in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of women and children, has alienated many voters who cannot stomach such blatant racism and Islamophobia.
Instead of pointing fingers at minorities - another example of why they're losing appeal with communities of color - they should examine their own Thanksgiving dinner tables. Look at their family members, the radical Christian nationalists who share their appearance but perhaps not their values. The FBI identifies these groups as America's fastest-growing domestic terrorist threat. Perhaps it's time for Democrats to address this challenge in their own backyard rather than shifting blame to others.
Let's be clear - winning an election isn't like winning the Super Bowl. It's not an endpoint; it's a beginning. The candidates who won didn't just win a trophy - they won responsibility. They work for todos nosotros, not just their voters, not just their party. Like our abuelos always say, "Con gran poder viene gran responsabilidad."
Our loyalty as ciudadanos isn't to any presidente or party - it's to la Constitución. That's the same document every president swears to protect on inauguration day. While Trump's campaign promises of retaliation against political opponents are deeply troubling, nuestro sistema of checks and balances exists precisely to prevent such abuses.
🛑 Causes for Concern ⚠️
Several of Trump's proposed policies raise serious red flags:
His suggestion to give RFK Jr. control over healthcare policy, considering RFK's stance against water fluoridation and vaccines, threatens public health
The potential appointment of Elon Musk - un inmigrante who built wealth from apartheid-era emerald mines - and his crusade against "wokeness" and diversity initiatives is barely-disguised racism
The promised rollback of environmental protections when we're already seeing climate crisis impacts in our barrios - from killer heat waves to water scarcity along the Colorado River
As for Gaza, sadly, it will no longer exist in 4 years. As Jared Kushner said, Gaza would be a great “waterfront property.” All Trump needs is for Netanyahu to promise him a Trump Tower in Gaza, and Israel will annex all of Gaza… but Biden had to know that was the plan all along, right?
The economic disconnects are equally troubling. How can 20% tariffs lower prices? It defies basic economics that any small business owner understands. And after four years as president with no healthcare plan, Trump still offers only "concepts" rather than concrete solutions.
🔮 Looking Ahead
His promises of "massive deportations" on day one are tan ridículos as his unfulfilled promise to build a wall. But these xenophobic policies, combined with armed supporters who view their cause as a holy crusade against brown people, create a powder keg of potential civil unrest.
Meanwhile, the international stage grows more dangerous. The Israel-Iran tensions, Russia's connections to Iran, and the Ukraine conflict create a web that could spiral into World War III. Biden still has time to make positive changes - pardoning Leonard Peltier or standing firm against Netanyahu's actions would be meaningful steps.
La Conclusión
Para nosotros indígenas, we've already lived through an apocalypse—our ways of life were destroyed, our lands taken. Yet we survived, and we will survive this, too. My greatest worry isn't for us but for Mother Earth herself. Will she remain hospitable for our children and grandchildren?
Y por último - mark my words: Gavin Newsom 2028.
Remember mi gente: united we stand, divided we fall. We're all in this together, whether we like it or not. Hasta la próxima.
Morales writes weekly for Three Sonorans, offering perspective on politics, culture, and community issues affecting el pueblo Latino.
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