Where I stand

By Michael Sieve

Rushford, MN

My senior year in high school was an election year and a year of great conflict in this country — 1968. Richard Nixon was running against Hubert Humphrey for the presidency. Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy were both assassinated that year. There were many protests against the war in Vietnam, and the Democratic Party convention in Chicago that summer spiraled downward toward chaos and violence. George Wallace, the Democratic governor of Alabama, ran as a third-party candidate for president that year. His attacks on liberals, intellectuals, and the press are legendary, but he is best known for his racism, his defense of segregation, and his blocking of the door of a schoolhouse as he tried to stop the education of black children. His famous quote, “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow and segregation forever,” summarizes his views pretty well. George Wallace received more than 13% of the vote that fall, and he was instrumental in moving conservative white southern voters from the Democratic party to the Republican party, where they were welcomed with open arms. Richard Nixon recognized this trend and took full advantage of it, encouraging it in what is known as the “southern strategy.”

In the small town I grew up in (Wilmont, Minn., population 350), I remember how one of the prominent local families became strong and vocal supporters of George Wallace — with lawn signs, bumper stickers, and all. Although more than 50 years have passed since that contentious election, I still remember seeing lawn signs in my hometown, which was—and still is—filled with good people, for the most prominent racist in American presidential politics at the time.

Flash forward to 2020. There’s a new prominent racist in American presidential politics. I’m not writing this to change anyone’s mind about who to vote for; I don’t think there are many minds left to change. Instead, I’m writing this to create a record about where I stand on this election and on Trump. I disagree with Trump’s values, his lack of respect for science and the Constitution, and the way he treats people. Those traits and values are not mine.

And 50 years from now, I don’t want my grandkids, my great-grandkids, or anyone else to ever wonder where I stood on the issues in this election. History takes a long view. The heat of the day will fade over time and when it does, I want to be on the right side of history. I don’t want to be associated with George Wallace, the racists of the day, the Proud Boys, or any other groups who see Trump as one of them. My paintings, the trees I plant, and my loved ones will be here long after I’m gone. I want my reputation to be intact for a long time too.