In the famous words of ring announcer Michael Buffer:
“Let’s… get ready to… RUMBLE!”
Now we’re not talking about the “Thrilla in Manila” or the “Rumble in the Jungle.” No, we’re talking about the heavyweight bout that happens every four years — the presidential election. Our contenders? Well, let’s just say they ain’t no Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, or George Foreman dancing in that ring, I’ll tell ya that.
Fighting out of the red corner, former President Donald Trump is at it again. Do I even need to say more? I mean, the dude literally has rallies where the crowd is chanting “Send them back!” when referring to Haitian immigrants in Ohio, where he tries woo women in our community by promising to be their protector once he’s elected. Uh, yeah, that same Donald Trump who prides himself on taking away women’s reproductive rights… and grabs their you know what. I won’t even get into his running mate’s comments. What a jackass.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t get any better in the blue corner. We have a lifelong prosecutor in Kamala Harris, whose legacy of incarcerating multitudes of Black and Brown bodies speaks for itself. Yes, the prison industrial complex is alive and well in California, where Harris’ legacy lives on. So for all you liberals out there, just do a little homework. Or try reaching out to the brothers in San Quentin fo more insight. And I mean, I enjoy a Taylor Swift song as much the next person, but it’s gonna take a little more than her endorsement and the Swifties to erase the crimes of Harris’ past.
I feel like we’ve pretty much heard it all if you’ve had any conversations about the upcoming election. If you speak to any Trump supporter, the level of loyalty is damn near cult-like. I love hearing folks tell me about how much they love Trump because of his economic policies, blah blah blah. But when I ask which ones or if they can share any specifics, they just start telling me about how horrible Kamala Harris and the rest of the Democrats are. Sound familiar?
And if you’re a Harris supporter, well… at least she’s not Trump, right? The argument that she’s the lesser of two evils is probably the most common, and most compelling depending on who you talk to. Plus, “how cool would it be to have our first Black and Asian woman president ever,” equipped with celebrity endorsements and designer pantsuits galore?
So make sure y’all get out there and register to vote! That’s what all the cool kids are doing, right?!
Damn… we’re in trouble, y’all. When our choices for the next leader of “The Free World” is between a white supremacist sex offender and a prosecutor-in-chief. Nah, I’ll pass. But pass onto what… and to whom?
We’ve been duped into playing this two-party political game for so long that many of us can’t even imagine anything different. Look, when we start talking about the “lesser of two evils,” what are we really doing here?
Shit, I’m a convicted felon, I can’t vote anyway. And for those of y’all who didn’t know, voting rights are just one of the many rights immediately stripped from prisoners and those convicted of a felony. While that would probably lead to many people assuming that incarcerated people don’t care about the presidential election, you’d be surprised at how many self-proclaimed political commentators are behind bars. And you’d definitely be surprised at how many diehard Trump supporters are locked up… who have never voted a day in their lives.
Conservative values and prison gang values have many parallels, which is what I attribute their Trump support to. Just like in many conservative circles, gang culture promotes homophobia, segregation, and many sexist patriarchal norms. Now, I’m not saying that these are things that are not present in liberal communities, because they absolutely are, I’m just saying that conservative circles are a little less worried about hiding their true agendas, standing on that rhetoric proudly.
So you can probably imagine how awkward it is to see some of these so-called convicts — a term generally used to describe a well-seasoned and respected prisoner — getting real friendly with the guards and bonding over their love for Donald Trump. C’mon, bruh…
Kamala Harris supporters behind bars on the other hand? Almost nonexistent. Well, at least not out in the open. Hello? She’s a prosecutor, remember?
But I wanna get back to my earlier question: “Pass onto what… and to whom?”
If I’m being honest, I’m not sure. But I do know that our people deserve better than to be forced into choosing between a racist billionaire and a prosecutor who knows damn well what her contributions to mass incarceration are.
I get it, many of us are scared of any alternative and the potential negative consequences of the “other” candidate winning the election. But it’s that fear that keeps their two-party system in power, and people like us running their bogus missions.
You see, our community has been participating in this process for quite a long time, and what do we actually have to show for it? It doesn’t matter who wins and rises to the top. Their job is to keep us at the bottom. Quite frankly, we should be done with their bullshit. I don’t care who wins because both candidates will be working to maintain a white supremacist system that only benefits white Christian men in the first place. Yes, I said BOTH!
So, go ahead and maintain your loyalty to Trump, and keep pounding that pavement for Kamala if that’s what your heart compels you to do. No shame in selling out, bruh. But don’t be afraid to demand more and choose to do something different. And especially don’t let these clowns punk you into playing their game and paying their rent while their police continue to prey on our communities.
The rest of us will be keeping the spirit of George and Jonathan Jackson alive.
Until next time, keep dreaming!
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Felix Sitthivong is a journalist, organizer, member of Empowerment Avenue, and advisor for the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Awareness Group (APICAG). Through APICAG, Sitthivong has organized immigration, social justice and youth outreach forums and has designed Asian American studies courses, an intersectional feminism 101 class and an anti-domestic violence program. You can reach him with questions for “On the Fence Line” via Securus (WA #354579) or write to him at Felix Sitthivong #354579, PO Box 900, Shelton, WA 98584.
Felix Sitthivong is an incarcerated storyteller, community organizer, and founding member of the Peoples’ Empowerment Assembly for Collective Equity (PEACE). Sitthivong is also the former president and senior advisor for the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Awareness Group (APICAG). He is currently serving a 66-year sentence at the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton, WA. Reach him with questions for “On the Fence Line” via Securus (WA #354579) or write to him at Felix Sitthivong #354579, PO BOX 900, Shelton, WA 98584.
