“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men (people) do nothing.â€
n n n
That quote, often attributed to Edmund Burke, is one of the most powerful principles that freedom loving people must adhere to in order maintain our cherished freedom. Evil will triumph if people of goodwill do not stand against it. This is particularly true when we are led by the unprincipled who will say or do anything to satiate their thirst for power and control.
The operative word here is “good people.†The expectation is that those who are not good people will go along with the lowest elements. But the preservation of our society and democracy is dependent on good people being willing to stand against the evil that they encounter.
The use of the word “evil†should not be taken lightly. Reasonable people can have differences of philosophy. We should be careful not to demonize our differences when one’s philosophy is merely an opinion on a different political scale. Nevertheless, there are times when decisions rise to the level of being not merely difference of opinion but evil, which is profound immorality and wickedness.
There are many reasons that supposedly good people stand silent in the face of evil. There is no question that it is easier to stand silent in the face of evil than to face the ramifications of speaking out. America is being governed by President Donald J. Trump, an unprincipled leader who is known by his inability to tell the truth. He is also a convicted felon and has shown very little dignity on virtually any topic. Additionally, West Virginia is led by Gov. Patrick Morrisey, a Trump sycophant who to date has only shown a clone-like adherence to Trumpian principles of marginalization against groups who have historically faced discrimination.
For instance, the Trump administration’s demonization and dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is patently evil. USAID was established in the early 1960s to administer humanitarian aid programs on behalf of the U.S. government. The agency undertakes a wide range of activities. For example, not only does USAID provide food in countries where people are starving, it also operates the world’s best famine detection system, which uses data analysis to try to predict where food shortages are emerging. Much of USAID’s budget is spent on health programs, such as offering polio vaccinations in countries where the disease still circulates and helping to stop the spread of viruses which have the potential to cause a pandemic. Importantly, USAID provides food for starving children.
To dismantle the USAID program in the name of cost cutting is patently evil. Trump and his co-president, billionaire Elon Musk, have previously claimed that the aid agency is a criminal organization. Neither Trump nor Musk provided clear evidence to support their claims, but the lack of evidence did not stop them from shuttering the agency.
Another clear evil is the administrations’ obsessions in dismantling programs they deem as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion or “DEIâ€. DEI has been demonized by both the Trump and Morrissey administrations as “woke†ideology. The idea that is being advanced is that DEI gives marginalized groups unfair and discriminatory advantages.
The reality is that DEI is the advancement of programs that promote fairness and equality. The anti-DEI movement is modern racism, sexism, homophobia and xenophobia cloaked in the garb of equality.
This anti-DEI rhetoric is particularly damaging in higher education. Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the Harvard and UNC cases, race can no longer be used in the consideration of admission. While the cases are limited in their scope, the Trump/Morrisey cabal is now dismantling all programs designed for access and support for marginalized constituencies. The Trump administration is attempting to use anti-DEI to attack some of the most important and prestigious colleges and universities in the nation.
Gov. Morrisey ended the DEI programs at colleges and universities in West Virginia even though the DEI programs were cost effective and very modest throughout the state. The state Legislature passed legislation that is currently on the governor’s desk to make anti-DEI part of state law.
The question that remains is how can good people resist the evils that are currently presented? I do not think that the American electorate will ultimately support the chaos of the current administration. Since the midterm elections are so far away, good people must resort to peaceful protests to challenge the current administration’s policies.
We should contact our representatives to make our displeasure known. While the West Virginia congressional delegation is completely in the MAGA camp, it is important for Sens. Shelly Moore Capito and Jim Justice, along with Reps. Carol Miller and Riley Moore to hear from us, so we should show up and speak out at every available opportunity.
We should be encouraged to see the all the peaceful protests around the country. People of goodwill must stand against the current trajectory that, unabated, will only get worse. It is important for West Virginians to join others around the country and make our voices heard. The only way that the current evil can prevail is if good people do nothing.
