“Everything’s going to change now, isn’t it?”
Love in the Time of Corona: Election Day 2020
I haven’t written an article in this series in many months. As the pandemic has dragged on, I’ve felt less inspired—days have become more monotonous, and I’ve settled into a kind of stasis: I do my work, I socialize some while practicing pretty good social distancing, and I read and watch TV.
Last night I re-watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire because I’ve been conducting a mini-marathon of the movie series (yes, I know I am a nearly 34-year-old man, thank you), and it struck me that there was a glaring similarity between this movie—and the corresponding book—and the political moment in which we find ourselves. The similarity was powerful enough that for the first time in a long time, I needed to write to you again.
For those of you who are (shamefully) unfamiliar with the Harry Potter universe, Goblet of Fire is the fourth installment of a seven-book/movie saga. What always struck me about this book was how it marks a turning point in the series; at the beginning of the story, Harry and his friends still exist in more of a children’s world than an adult one—but by the end of it (Spoiler Alert), the innocence of the previous three books is a thing of the past.
Near the end of Goblet of Fire, the arch-villain Lord Voldemort—who has heretofore in the series only appeared as a shadow of his former self—regains all his powers and rises again to threaten the magical world. I remember reading the book when I was younger and thinking how Voldemort’s return is a point of demarcation for the series; prior to this, there has always been the threat of Voldemort returning, but now that threat has been realized. The stakes have been raised.
As Harry’s friend Hermione says to Harry and their other BFF, Ron: “Everything’s going to change now, isn’t it?”
Harry answers her matter-of-factly: Yes. Yes it is.
Equating Donald Trump to Voldemort is probably an insult to Voldemort (who is far better-looking and has only split his soul into seven different pieces), but there are some common threads. Both men are insatiably cruel, they do not seem to have any capacity for empathy or love, and they both talk to snakes (if you count Jared and Stephen Miller).
This story isn’t really about Trump, though, or who to vote for. (This being Election Day, if you want to read my thoughts on why you shouldn’t vote for this man, I laid out my case pretty clearly—and issued my reaction—four years ago.)
This is about the significance of what today means in our history, regardless of whether Trump stays in power or Joe Biden takes office. Either way, Hermione’s words apply: Everything’s going to change now.
Isn’t it? I mean, we seem to be far past the point of civility or bipartisanship in this country. This is, as Joe puts it, a “battle for the soul of the nation,” and whatever happens today (or however long this takes to resolve), there is no going back to what we were before.
There are many scenarios in which that’s not the worst thing. When Harry says, “Yes,” to Hermione’s question, it’s not necessarily a sad “Yes.” There absolutely are possible scenarios where this moment catalyzes a brighter future for this country. Conversely, there are also scenarios where this is the day when we descend irreparably into the worst version of ourselves, dooming this country not only for this generation but for that of our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Much like Harry Potter at the end of Book Four, we do not know what the future holds. What we do know is that the Dark Lord has risen in our midst, and we will have a hell of a battle ahead of us if we are to restore decency and kindness to our world.
Today and in the days ahead, let us preserve our spirits for whatever may come. This moment demands the best from us—courage, perseverance, strength, patience, patriotism and love.
Yes, everything is going to change. But we can be constant.
Read other posts from the “Love in the Time of Corona” series by Sam Rosenthal:
- Love in the Time of Corona — Day 1
- Days 2 + 3, Purgatory
- Day 4, Powerless
- Days 5 + 6, On the Necessity of Everyday Heroism
- Days 7 + 8, Rose-Colored Realism
- Days 9 + 10, Stir Crazy
- Days 11–13, Turning the Corner?
- Day 14, A Down-and-Up Kinda’ Day
- Days 15 + 16, Thanks, Health Heroes
- 15 Practical Ways You Can Help Fight COVID-19
- Day 30, Do The Things That Make You Happy
- Day “I’ve Lost Count,” Fatigue
- Race in the Time of Corona: On the Deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery
Read more of Sam Rosenthal’s work at samrose101.com, check out his #businesscardstories collection, follow him at @SamRoseWrites and stay tuned for his debut novel, Walking Backwards.
And always Keep It Movin.
