Once More Unto the Breach
In the spring of 1945, Allied Forces swept across France towards Germany. Normandy has been breached, the Nazis are in disarray, and soon to be defeated. David Ayer’s 2014 film, Fury, captures this moment as four grizzled veterans, one greenhorn, and their eponymous tank, with the end of war in sight. Fury trips a mine while scouting ahead, hobbling them, and they soon discover a column of Nazis heading their way; hundreds, if not thousands will soon be upon them. Knowing the stakes, the commander gives the other four a choice. They have fought, sacrificed, and earned their victory, and there’s no shame in retreating back behind allied lines, especially how this encounter would certainly end.
To say the past seven weeks have been a mess would be a hall of fame understatement. We are beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. For months the media bent over backwards to avoid saying the Trump campaign meant what they said. Project 2025 wasn’t real, and besides, he’ll at least make good on his economic promises. “...sure,” said Trump, smirking his way back into the oval office, and immediately obliterating the government’s ability to function.
This administration is trying to speed run their way back to 1897, and I’ll admit that a lot of dominoes are in place. Control of all three branches, a leader who dreams of absolute power, a robber baron with a firm hand on the keys to the castle, and a base who supports the worst of it while smoothing it over with a cracking veneer of Christianity. Things are bleak, and almost every social media app is stuck on fatalism. But in difficult situations, Ta-Nehisi Coates makes the point that “what mattered … was not so much what you came to the street with but how you carried what you were given.”
The road ahead is daunting, but I’d like you to consider this: while things may feel miserable, defeat is not guaranteed. In emergencies Mr Rogers exhorted us to look to the helpers. My friends, in this emergency, you are the helper. The task is large, but every little bit counts, provided it is muscular. Care reactions on Facebook will not cut it. Reposting memes will not do the job. You must do something productive. Donate time and/or money to organizations that have already been doing the work. Notify them if you hear anything about ICE machines being down in your area. Call your representatives, especially if they’re Democrats. That pressure can work. Whatever it is, make it practical, and not symbolic.
The 2020 protests surfaced the struggle Black folks have known for generations and I talked to a lot of white folks who admitted they were suddenly overwhelmed with feelings, and something should be done, but had no plan of action. My twofold advice to them was this: People are in the street protesting now, but they can’t be in the street forever. However, if we don’t get this thing fixed, they will be in the street again. Your job in the meantime is to learn as much as you can to be prepared so that at some point, you can be there to meet the moment. The second thing I’d like you to consider is this: what are you actually prepared to do? In practical terms, think about how much money you’re actually willing to give. Would you hide someone in your house if necessary? Would you go to jail for the right cause? I pray it doesn’t come to that, but what if it does? Each person must make their own choice, and that’s daunting because you are only one person, but even a snowflake can become an avalanche if it brings along enough of its friends.
Many of us thought we had put a dark chapter behind us and could finally move forward, only to discover another column of Nazis heading our way. Back in France, standing along the side of a road and dreamin of home, five men took stock of their lot. They gave years to each other, fighting inside a hot metal box moving from battle to battle. So many comrades died along the way, and they were within touching distance of going home. Finally, the heavy silence was broken by one of the men who simply chuckled, and with that, they exchanged glances and climbed back into the tank.
