We are living in scary times. They say it’s like we’re watching the rise of Hitler or Mussolini, but in our own backyard. I’m sure that one day, when the battle is won, my grandchildren will ask me, “Grandpa, what did you do to help defeat Donald Trump and fight the rise of fascism in America?” And I know I’ll be able to sit them down and proudly tell them that I wrote some really clever tweets.
I took on this hateful movement of racism and xenophobia with multiple social media posts of less than 140 characters. Sometimes, I would even mention Trump directly so he could read them himself. My dozens of followers would stare at their phones with bated breath, waiting for my brilliant commentary that was not only profound, but often quite funny too. I bet I swayed some undecided voters, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a few Trump supporters changed their ways as well.
The Greatest Generation stormed the beaches at Normandy, marching into unimaginable violence as they liberated a continent from tyranny. They rationed resources on the home-front to help the war effort. They came together as one, setting aside personal differences to save the world. They gave their lives so others could experience the freedom and liberty we so often take for granted. Just as they sacrificed, I wrote pithy remarks on the internet. I didn’t know if people would agree with me. My opinions were controversial and unfiltered. I could’ve lost friends, or worse: followers. Yet I knew I had to do the right thing and be on the right side of history. In a way, I now understand what those brave men and women went through during World War II. You must answer the call when your country is in need.
Perhaps I’m being too modest. I could tell my grandkids that I also wrote some Facebook posts and would Snapchat my friends during the debates with captions like “LOL Trump what are you smoking?!” I could tell them about my nightmares, where I’m back on my couch, checking my Twitter notifications only to find that nobody liked my latest tweet. But I will tell them that I was just doing what any good citizen would do, and that a time comes in everyone’s life when they must decide whether to fight back against hatred and persecution or simply put down their iPhones and accept the status quo.
When you’re old, you don’t want to look back and wonder, Could I have done more? You don’t want to shamefully tell your grandchildren that you did nothing as the American experiment faltered. If you aren’t doing anything to challenge Trump and his horrible ideas, you need to stop reading this and pick up your phone. Sign in to Twitter and get to work. I’m at peace with my efforts — are you at peace with yours? There is too much at stake in this election to simply sit back and watch.