Four years ago, Trump signs were abundantly displayed in suburban Philadelphia.  In 2020, they are a rarity.  Meekly, a few have crept out this weekend, but more prevalent are displays of American flags -  appearing  to be Trump sign proxy placeholders.   

Pundits talk of “shy Trump voters” -- voters who have or will vote for President Trump but who won’t admit it to pollsters, family, or friends, for fear of being mocked, harassed, canceled or physically attacked.  Examples abound. 

TV star Don Lemon boasts of his inclusiveness, but then tells about being 'forced' to eliminate his friends for holding differing beliefs.  Did Lemon have a gun to his head?  Was a family member kidnapped? Clearly,  his ballyhooed inclusiveness was illusionary.

Then there are the Girl Scouts.

Founded in 1918, the Girl Scouts were organized to facilitate girls and women supporting girls and women; to enhance their vision of female empowerment, to promote women in sports among many things, and to encourage engagement in activities outside the home. 

This week, the Girl Scouts posted a beautiful photo of the five women to become Supreme Court Justices - with newly confirmed Justice Amy Coney Barrett included. Naturally, it included Democrats and Republicans.  One would have believed the Scouts had morphed into a terrorist organization from the opprobrium heaped upon them.  Sadly, rather than living up to their storied mission, they deleted the post.  The deletion wasn’t a political retreat, they moronically opined; after all the Girl Scouts are not political, just green.

 
Then there are the bare naked cars.  Four years ago, at least around Philadelphia, many were festooned with Trump  flags, Trump bumper  stickers and, perhaps, an American flag.  All that remains now is the American flag.  Nobody wants to be physically attacked while driving through heavily Democrat areas, or have their windows smashed or car defaced over a Trump poster.

 
Rapper 50 Cent has the best one-liner of the year. After reading Joe Biden’s tax plan, he hilariously remarked that he didn’t want to be 20 cent and endorsed President Trump.  Shortly thereafter, he was warned of the dangers and consequences of being photographed with Trump. 
In Hollywood, a handful of stars has spoken out for Trump.  Mostly male, and successful, they have gambled that they are too established to be harmed by speaking out. 

This atmosphere of intimidation is un-American. It's a kind of social pressure, and not alien to what happened in Russia, Cuba and Venezuela. But it must be rooted out here.    It is a collective stifling and shutdown of competing speech and a deprivation of one’s First Amendment rights

Shy voters should be shy no longer.  Vote on election day - vote the bullies  out. 

Image credit: Rafael Robles, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0