Collective

By: Gabriela Yareliz

The events of the past few months– actually days– need to be acknowledged. Every day, we collectively live out history. Listen, I tried to get something at the bank today and couldn’t because of the Microsoft system meltdown. People can’t get out of Milwaukee because of grounded flights. Every day is a new adventure. (Embrace it).

I come to you with my personal, unsolicited analysis as an independent, curious mind that has no main political party affiliation (and never has). That’s right, I am your self-appointed RNC-and-current-events analyst. I got some stuff to get off my chest.

The constant of life is change. Just as I have been changing, major players on the world stage have, too, and so have the major political parties. I write to you as someone who voted for Clinton in 2016 and was irritated that she didn’t win. (Now, I think she belongs in jail– but here we are). In the past, there were times where I had felt rejected by my own country, and at times, I wanted to reject it right back.

What we saw this week was a confirmation of a shift I’ve been banking on and observing over time. Listen, I am not my 2016 self and neither are you. (And if you are, that sucks. Grow a little). This isn’t your grandfather’s Republican or Democratic party. We are collectively guilty of elder abuse and have a senile man not running the country. (Having done elder law, I know what I am talking about). Russell Brand is now a Christian. J.D. Vance is now on the same ticket as Trump, and I am fully convinced Trump is not the same, either. I say this as an intro for all I am about to share, because I think this is a moment in history that deserves a pause and reflection. I share with, again, no incentive or tie to either party, but I am sharing my observations as someone who has plunged herself deep into conversations and dialogue with others very different from me (including my husband). I have been listening for a long time (even when they thought I wasn’t, because I am sneaky like that).

I think we are all trying to grapple with what is currently in front of us. A movement that has taken on a life of its own. The Republicans who pretend that what we have today is what was offered in 2016 are lying. And I’ll explain more on this later. (But I assure you that tattooed hispanic rappers were not rapping with General Flynn and Roger Stone dancing next to them in 2016).

We are all in this incredible historic moment ahead of the 2024 election, and I want to note the things I find impressive and remarkable.

I will say that this RNC was the most interesting and well done RNC I have ever seen. America got to see real, everyday Americans take the stage and express themselves, uncensored (unless you were watching Newsmax where the hosts think the viewers want to hear them over the invited speakers. Do better, guys).

It makes no sense to start at the RNC, though. This journey started a long time ago for me, and the observations are fruit of this journey, so let’s start at the pandemic. This was a turning point for both parties and our country.

During the pandemic, there was a lot of conflict and a wild erosion of rights once Biden entered the White House. (This is a fact, not an opinion). There was an attempt to force people to inject themselves with substances now proven to have done a lot of harm. (Remember the mandates?)The basis of many regulations was control. Idiot politicians who think we are stupid, like Andrew Cuomo, want to rewrite history, but we will not forget.

Not only did we see widespread suffering because of illness, separation and death, but also through the government imposed discrimination (and spineless scared people who went along with it), we saw arbitrary rules enforced and mass-firing and demonization of the unvaccinated.

In NYC, city workers who were fired for rejecting this injectable are still without relief or restitution. I find this criminal. My own life was made infinitely harder due to the vaccine mandates because I too said ‘no.’ And I am sharing this because this is the only way the rest of this makes sense. I am pretty sure HR still hates me. I was not having it. (The details of this are a story for another time). This was a wild time where people stopped talking to you based on your “vaccine” status. People had vax cards to enter a cafe or restaurant. My own church did not allow me to worship. I never went back to that church. You can read about the thoughts I had about this and true leadership (written in real time in posts from that time) here, in posts like this one.

I carried feelings of rage and defiance inside of me for a long time due to the discrimination and experiences of that time. I became a legal scholar on my own time regarding all things civil liberties and still dream of representing folks in those matters (maybe some time soon…) These mandates WILDLY altered and limited our lives in NYC and other large cities with corrupt and inept leadership. I couldn’t believe this was our country. I couldn’t believe this was the intellect of the people at large. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to manipulate the public. I couldn’t believe how censored I was (Twitter booted me several times– pre-Elon and X days). Ironically, it was not the first time I had felt ‘othered’, and interestingly, everything that got me censored ended up being correct information. It was an all too familiar feeling but one I did not like.

The pandemic was strange. I was in a city that had been mine for years, but I felt far from home, abandonned, trapped and alone. It was around this time that I found Dr. Naomi Wolf (a former progressive) leading the charge on all things vaccination and civil liberties (see her Pfizer Papers project). She did this tremendous work based on thousands of FOIA-requested documents with the War Room, the brainchild of Stephen K. Bannon (one could argue he is the main political strategist behind the MAGA movement). I can discern fear-mongering from any party and emotional manipulation (having been in religious circles my whole life, my radar for this is excellent). The same is admittedly sometimes present in War Room segments not unlike MSNBC or CNN– but as I witnessed this community with Dr. Wolf and Bannon, one thing became pretty obvious, they were brilliant.

In my own journey, as an officer of the court and someone who loves this country and has taken an oath to uphold its consitution, I also recognized their love of country. The ideals and values I cherish, too. I started watching semi-regularly, mostly as almost a case study to see how movement was structured and how to call people to action. I found a lot of fascinating things (also a post for another time).

I also started to sense, even two years ago, that this movement was shifting. And while I had heard and disliked some voices on this show (which I won’t name now), and had seen these same Republican darlings spew genuinely racist things on social media which I disagreed with and rolled my eyes at, I realized the party was and is morphing into something even they are trying to keep up with. It took on a life of its own. Some doors opened, and unexpected faces showed up. Some people are still adjusting to this. Get used to it.

And listen, the Republican party is not exclusively guilty of this, as much as people like to paint it as so. This is a humanity problem, not a party problem. Having worked for nonprofits that masquerade as nonpartisan but are pretty much marxist in ideology– I have witnessed the extreme vitriol, racism, self-loathing and self-righteousness the left offers. I have seen them obliterate excellence and reduce me and others to an identity. I saw progressives do it to each other and to our clients. I know what I have seen over the years, so don’t come at me like I am clueless. Trust me. I know what I know. Mama didn’t raise no fool.

Something major that has happened within the Republican party has been the new prominence of voices of color. If you say this was always the case, you are on crack. Let’s not pretend. Even a year ago, I was seeing prominent people in this same movement say some pretty atrocious stuff about minorities. If there is one thing I intensely dislike, it is the dehumanization of other people. That is forever unacceptable in my book.

With the literal death of mainstream media and the rise of independent journalist voices, I have also seen the rise of black and hispanic voices who are thinking beyond party lines and speaking and seeking truth. This is refreshing, and for the country in general, it is the only way forward.

Alongside the media voices, we also have a new genre of music artists breaking the charts with political music. As an Independent, I have also been excited to see the new dimension added to the political game with Bobby Kennedy Jr. as the third party candidate in the race. This man has an incredible intellect and career as an attorney (more accomplished and filled with integrity than all who call him crazy, I promise you that). This is all people have to try to shut down the emerging voices– insults. Crazy. Racist. Bigot.

Unlike these insults, honest words have power. Free words have power. We must never give that up.

One of the wisest things my father ever told me was to keep writing, because if I am writing, it means I am free. And make no mistake about it, I am free. Many are free. We, the collective, are free.

This political season has been filled with dimension and sparkle. Through my own research and seeking of truth during the pandemic, I came to know things that added tremendous context to what we have witnessed in the last week.

I think we have all come to what Russell Brand (now a converted Christian, which brings me joy) would call a “collective awakening.” Anyone awake and paying attention who has an honest bone in his/her body would admit nothing has been going well (by American standards) in this country for a long time. We have mistaken insanity for tolerance and unsustainable policies and expenditures for compassion. We live in a spiritual world, and darkness feels like it is closing in.

As a collective, we have also been witnessing the weaponization of our government and justice system. An exchange of civil liberties for illusive safety and petty personal revenge (labeled as justice) that does not exist. I don’t care what side you are on, this is a fact. I have spoken to shop keepers in NYC who have discussed this with me. You don’t have to be an attorney or legal mind to see what is so plainly wrong with what we have witnessed in the last year. It has left the thinking with unease. The implications of these things we are witnessing threaten our very way of life. Those in the legal profession who support political persecution and terrorism should be disbarred and stripped of their licenses. This is a violation of your oath. There is no way around that. Plain and simple. Our government and citizenry have behaved like petulant children willing to do anything to gain what they have decided they want.

What we witnessed last Saturday (the assassination attempt), left any feeling human shook. Trump’s reaction and control of the moment will live on in history as one of the most iconic moments in American history (whether you love him or hate him). I thought the frat boy photo was going to be the photo of the year (someone on IG said, “Frat boys are the most iconic American symbols.” As a state school grad, I can’t disagree). Another photo trumped that one.

Even Mark Zuckerberg (who I am not a fan of) said it was one of the most “badass” things he has ever witnessed personally in his life. Saturday’s events, had they played out differently would have likely taken us down an unrecognizable path. Yet, we all collectively witnessed a miracle.

Now, we can speed into this RNC week. It has lessons for all of us on all sides of the spectrum. Steve Bannon is in prison (still). I am convinced that someday, history will recognize that man as one of the most brilliant political minds of our time. (Marking my words here).

I remember Peter Navarro before he was sent to prison; he was so scared (can’t blame him). He would appear so cautious, and you could just see it in his eyes when he spoke. The Peter Navarro I saw speak at the RNC is a different man (in a good way. And good for him). He is unbreakable. I guess this is what happens when you don’t betray your convictions. With integrity, there is nothing to fear.

Amber Rose spoke. Mainstream media called her speech the most “dangerous.” Because God forbid a person of color think for themselves. Here for it. Be free, Amber. Be free.

The RNC played a Forgiato Blow x Amber Rose song as interlude. (This made me smile). More evidence of a clear shifting demographic and true inclusion.

It was clear Russell Brand and MTG became besties after meeting in person. I believe his words to her were, “I love the way you run your mouth. You are bloody lovely.” Both Brand and Lorenzo Sewell (Pastor Zo) shared testimonies and their journey with Jesus.

The only time I cried during the RNC was when the parents of Omer Neutra spoke. I could hear the anguish, passion and prayer in his mother’s voice. #BringThemHome This was a highlight for me, personally.

Another highlight– Guys, they brought the UNC frat boys to hold the flag. #iconic. This was pretty awesome.

Among other iconic and heartfelt speeches, we heard from gold star families, DeSantis (from my great state of Florida), Hulk Hogan (also from my great state of Florida), Tucker Carlson, Dana White, and J.D. Vance.

Dennis Quaid made us all nostalgic for Parent Trap.

I read J.D. Vance’s memoir a while back, and I have to say I am a fan. It was remarkable to see where his journey has taken him and to see his mom in the crowd. If you don’t know about his story, the trailer to the movie based on his memoir will give you an idea. He is a story (one of many) that reflects the American Dream.

Alina Habba, esq. was brilliant as always. Melania was glowing. (Can someone tell me who does their tans and teeth whitening? I have never seen whiter teeth than at this convention). Usha Vance was the epitome of grace.

The homage to the Comperatore family was a collective moment of grief and honor. Maybe I have overused the word “collective” in this post, but that is what we need more of in this country, no matter who you are and your own journey. Less arrogance. Less insecurity. More humility. More understanding. As Americans, we need unity. We need vision. We need a better tomorrow. This ain’t it.

As a country, we need to stop voting out of our traumas or the boxes people place us in. Stop voting out of envy or a desire for moral superiority defined by someone who doesn’t care. We need to stop letting outside voices tell us who we are as a country or who we should be. We need to mature. We need to call what is evil, evil and what is good, good. We need to celebrate.

Forty-five’s speech was probably one of the longest speeches I have ever sat through. I did appreciate the vision casting and call for unity. His final words were ones I can get behind. I share the sentiment.

“For too long, our nation has settled for too little. […] You’ve been told to lower your expectations and to accept less for your families. I am here tonight with the opposite message. Your expectations are not big enough. It is time to start expecting and demanding the best leadership in the world. Leadership that is bold, dynamic, relentless and fearless. We are Americans. Ambition is our heritage, greatness is our birthright, but as long as our energies are spent fighting each other, our destiny will remain out of reach and that is not acceptable.”

I think that, collectively, no matter what the next season holds, we are walking into a “next thrilling” chapter in American history. We have to make it so. The responsibility lies with us. I don’t care what party you align with or perhaps none, like me. But be free. Speak freely. Come to your own conclusions. Hold onto the promise and values of this country. Our eyes are wide open. Choose freedom.

May the collective of America win.