by Craig Colby
“People act like we released the Kraken.”
A relative of mine sent me that message the day after Donald Trump was elected in 2016. We had been texting back and forth all day, discussing the results. She voted for Trump and was dismayed by people’s reaction to her choice. I didn’t tell her this, but I thought the expression was correct, that American voters had unleashed a monster.
At the time I expected racism, buffoonery, incompetence, and a healthy dose of corruption but I had no idea it would be this bad. Four years later, 400,000 Americans are dead from the bungled pandemic response, the economy is shot, the country burned all summer, and Trump organized and incited an insurrection against his own government. Washington D.C. is locked down for the inauguration of the next president because of the threat posed by the followers of the outgoing president.
Divided Families
The most lasting effect may be that a country with a history of division has been cleaved more deeply than it has since the Civil War. People are turning in family members who attended the insurrection. In my family, there’s tension I’m not sure we’ll recover from. I’ve barely spoken to my Kraken quoting cousin in years. Another distant relative has gone from indoctrinated to radicalized. He’s convinced the election was stolen and taunts friends who disagree.
So how does the United States repair the Kraken’s damage? Trump’s American Carnage is substantial.
Some of the problems can be addressed by the new administration. Put all the resources available into getting people vaccinated. Create a stimulus package for Americans in need. Hold people involved in the insurrection accountable through prosecution. That means everyone involved. I’d like us to clean up lying for profit too.
The government won’t be able to heal the country’s emotional split. To me, the red Make America Great Again hat is now a symbol of sedition. If you wear it after the Capitol Building siege, you’re doubling down on a man who assaulted both democracy and decency. But 74 million people voted for him. The 81 million of us who voted against him need to decide if they want to get along with countrymen who support this narcissistic demagogue, and visa versa.
Fortunately, the will is there it can be done.
Living with the Damage
My wife and I toured Ireland for two weeks in 2002. In Northern Ireland, the owner of the B&B we stayed at talked openly about her resentment of the former Irish Republican Army members who now served in government. Tension remains from the bombings and conflict decades ago, but the ceasefires instituted in the 1990s stand. The country moved on, damaged but intact.
On October 30, 1995 the citizens of Quebec voted on whether to separate from Canada. The Quebec Independence Referendum brought out 93.52% of eligible voters to decide the country’s fate. The margin of victory was less than 55,000 votes, with 50.58% of Quebecois voters deciding to stay. Canada stayed intact by a razor thin margin. It was touch and go if the country would recover from that vote, but 25 years later la Bell Province still graces the Great White North.
Moving On
How will the United States get past its bitter division? As a dual citizen, American born and living in Canada, I take some lessons from our crossroad with Quebec. Trying to get the other side to admit they’re wrong is a mug’s game. You’ve probably had enough arguments with your relatives already, and they’re not going to listen to you now, if they ever did. You need to let the past go away for a while.
Families should take the lead from their new President, Joe Biden, who invited the senior Republican Mitch McConnell to church. Focus on shared interests, maybe have some fun together. Talk about anything but politics for a while. Yes, there are still huge problems to deal with, but they won’t be solved quickly, certainly not over dinner. We probably should lay off responding to every one of our relatives posts on Facebook too. It’s time to take a break from being right all the time. I know. That’s really hard to do.
When I see my relatives again, I plan to put a sock in it. Instead of bringing up the Kraken. I’ll stick to something we all care about – football. After four years of fractured landscapes it’s time to find some common ground.
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Craig Colby is a television executive producer, producer, director, writer and story editor. He runs a storytelling consulting and production service for businesses. He can be reached at craig@colbyvision.net for consulting, training, writing or production.