On Trump's frightening political theater ...

Profiles in Courage: Rep. Al Green - my latest for the Star Tribune

Hi Readers,

Here sharing again my latest for the Minnesota Star Tribune. I’ll share a gift link to the entire piece at the bottom.

Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) was a singular man of courage in Congress last night

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Today, churches around the world celebrate Ash Wednesday, a day of repentance, contrition, recognition of our own mortality, and the beginning of the season of Lent: a time for withdrawal, fasting, contemplation and prayer.

Lent seems the perfect antidote to the frightening political theater we witnessed Tuesday night in Washington, when a rambling, yet supremely confident President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress for the first time in his second presidential term.

For those of us who watched coverage of bizarre Trump rallies over the summer — complete with incongruously joyful ‘80s music, disembodied dancing, and supporters who’d been paid to attend, only to hope that November would bring the end to these orgies of projected anger and demonization of invented enemies — Tuesday night was a scary reminder that those rallies are no longer the province of cable TV but instead the vision of a new, authoritarian America projected to the world.

When the Minnesota Star Tribune asked me to write a response to this speech, I honestly had to wrestle with the choice to do so. Too often national journalism has normalized Trump by covering his speeches and politics as a typical manner of course: pomp and circumstance papering over the threat of concentration camps for immigrants and dehumanization of transgender Americans.

Then, I saw Rep. Al Green lift his cane at the start of Trump’s speech, standing solidly on his own two feet. Contrary to Republican claims, Green’s conduct did not appear unhinged or rude. Instead, his countenance was solemn; his face grim. I saw in that face the resistance of generations of Black Americans, the resistance of people around the world to authoritarian rule, which is marked by its cruelty to the poor people who Green has championed throughout his political career.

“You have no mandate,” Green said.'

At least someone in that room Tuesday night was willing to speak the truth. And ultimately, that’s why I decided to write after all. If most Americans disagree with what’s happening in this country right now, the time for staying silent is over.

ANGELA DENKER, contributing columnist

Read the rest at StarTribune.com

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