Why I'm doing what I'm doing

It's 3:11 AM and I can't sleep. I have too much to do, and too many thoughts floating through my head. 

I have been serving as Vice Chair for Media and Policy for Democrats Abroad Israel since the 2016 elections. But it's mostly been on a low flame. Now, however, as the election is less than 100 days away, an election that may in fact be the most important election in my lifetime, the flame is on high. I plan on spending the next three months doing everything I can to get Americans in Israel to send in ballots for blue, to get Trump out of office. It's the most important thing that we as a species have to do right now. 

I just wrote this Facebook post. I should know better than to post anything at 3:AM. There is a serious chance that I will regret it in the morning. Nevertheless, what I wrote comes from deep inside my kishkes. It is, on some level, everything that is driving me right now. 

So I'm sharing here. 

Years from now, maybe a generation or two, people are going to have some hard questions for us. 

Our children and grandchildren and great-grand children will be looking back at these dark years, the trump years, with all the layers of insanity -- corruption, greed, narcissism, cruelty, impeachment, sex trafficking, covid deaths, racism, police brutality, unemployment, immigrant kids dying in immigration camps, black kids being handcuffed face down, gun-toting confederate-flag-waving science-denying "my unmasking is my freedom" wackos roaming the streets -- and they will be shaking their heads in wonder.

Shaking. Their. Heads.

They will be asking how it was that so many seemingly normal people defended a narcissistic maniac who was causing so much death and destruction.

How? Why? I don't understand.

They will be asking these questions for years. The same way we wonder how seemingly normal Germans sided with Nazis and sent Jews to gas chambers. It defies humanity and logic.

How? Why? I don't understand.

Sociologists, psychologists, political pundits, statisticians, brain scientists, mystics, philosophers. They will all be asking the same questions. Why were so many seemingly normal people swept away in this insanity. They will be shaking their heads again and again.

How? Why? I don't understand.

I don't have an answer now and I won't have an answer then. All I can do is stay loyal to the voice of humanity that grounds me to this world, to this life. Loyal to human compassion. Loyal to human belonging. As hard as it is, staying loyal to the idea that people at their core deserve care and compassion.

I'm thinking about my unborn grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I think about what I am going to say to them when they ask these questions. I'm planning the answers I will give years from now with my actions right now.