Civilization takes a gut punch as America elects a fascist and pro-Russian president

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going."

The results of the November 5, 2024 elections bring back memories of when I was a fullback on my high school football team, when I was running full tilt and was tackled head-on, hard, and got the wind knocked out of me. I lay on my back, sometimes for a couple of minutes, with the trainers at my side. Then, slowly, I got my wind back, and got up and went back to the huddle. Sometimes the next play called on me to charge into the middle of the line where I was tackled again.

These were moments when I remembered our team’s mantra: “ When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

Our team was tough. As captain of the team, I led the team for a mile-long run around the playing fields, after two hours of scrimmage in the hot Texas sun. We developed our endurance, and in the event won a lot of our games in the fourth quarter. The climax came when we won our conference championship on the last play in the fourth quarter of our last game.

While America and the world suffered a gut-wrenching blow on November 5, we who make up the forces for democracy and the Constitution and international law are resilient. We have had the wind knocked out of us and are lying on the ground waiting to get our wind back. Then we will get up and go back to the huddle. And run the ball right up the middle.

We will make first down after first down, grinding out the yardage, with an occasional spectacular pass or run.

I remember how in those moments we used to yell at each other, “The fourth quarter is ours!”

And so it was.

And so it will be for us, the resilient forces throughout the world who are fighting to uphold constitutions, democracy, and the rule of law.

James Rowles is a former Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School and professor of international law at other universities.

He is the author of The Rape of American Democracy: Republican Actions and Democratic Failures, 2016-2021 (September, 2024, now available on Amazon and soon to be available from IngramSpark).

His most recent book, Don’t Be Stupid. Pay Attention, Damn It! Advice for Undecided Voters and Voters Leaning Toward Trump, will be available on Amazon and IngramSpark in late October, 2024.

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