It should have been over with the children in cages. It should have been over with the arming of teachers in response to mass shootings. It should have been over with Helsinki. It should have been over with the granting of security clearances. It should have been over with Flynn. It should have been over with the tax returns. It should have been over with the pussy grabbing. It should have been over with making fun of the disabled reporter. It should have been over with the Muslim ban. It should have been over with the “both sides” argument.
It should have been over with the children in cages. It should have been over with the arming of teachers in response to mass shootings. It should have been over with Helsinki. It should have been over with the granting of security clearances. It should have been over with Flynn. It should have been over with the tax returns. It should have been over with the pussy grabbing. It should have been over with making fun of the disabled reporter. It should have been over with the Muslim ban. It should have been over with the “both sides” argument.
Each of these moments, each of these decisions, should have been a turning point. They should have been the line in the sand, the moment of reckoning. They should have been the catalyst for change, the wake-up call that spurred action and accountability. But they weren't. Instead, they became part of a long list of grievances, a litany of injustices that seemed to stretch on without end.
The children in cages should have been a moral outrage that united us all. The idea of arming teachers should have been a non-starter, a clear sign that we had lost our way. Helsinki should have been a moment of clarity, a stark reminder of where our loyalties should lie. The granting of security clearances to those who should never have had them should have been a scandal of epic proportions.
Flynn's actions, the refusal to release tax returns, the vulgar comments about women, the mockery of a disabled reporter, the Muslim ban, the equivocation in the face of white supremacy—each of these should have been enough on its own. Together, they paint a damning picture of a time when our values were tested and found wanting.
But it's not too late. It's never too late to stand up, to speak out, to demand better. Each of these moments is a reminder of what we must strive to change, of the work that still lies ahead. The fight for justice, for decency, for a better future is ongoing. And it requires all of us.