Gov. Tim Walz: The fascists depend on fear. Don't give them the power.

I recently went back to remind myself of the first time Gov. Tim Walz talked about Donald Trump and J.D. Vance being weird. 

Gov. Walz on trail stumping for Harris. Posting a few of his remarks that stuck out to me.

"These guys are just weird," he said before calling Trump/Vance "a threat to democracy" who will put people in danger. He said Trump is going to have his "ass handed to him" in Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/BcHYSFKFxX

— Eva McKend (@evamckend) July 28, 2024

Here's the transcript (emphasis mine): 

These guys are just weird. That's who they are. So it ain't much else.

Don't give them the power. Look, are they a threat to democracy? Yes. Are they going to take our rights away? Yes. Are they going to put people's lives in danger? Yes. Are they going to endanger the planet by not dealing with climate change? Yes, they're going to do all that.

But don't lift these guys up like they're some kind of heroes. Everybody in this room knows. I know it as a teacher, a bully has no self-confidence, a bully has no strength. They have nothing.

The fascists depend on fear. The fascists depend on us going back. But we're not afraid of weird people.

We're a little bit creeped out, but we're not afraid.

The part about Trump/Vance being weird got all of the press. But I think that the most important part of what Walz had to say is the context he provided  - and that part is even more important now that the weird guys have been re-elected: "Fascists depend on fear, so don't give them that power." 

When I think about fear and power, this quote from Audre Lorde comes to mind.

Standing up as a Black lesbian woman 50 years ago would have given Lorde plenty of reasons to be afraid. Notice that she didn't simply dismiss those fears. Instead, she said that they became less important when she dared to be powerful. In other words, she didn't focus on her fears...she focused on her vision and her own powerful self.

I think that's what Gov. Walz was trying to tell us last July. At the time, it lifted our spirits and brought us joy. Of course, the threat is more real today than it was back then. But the message is still the same: let your soul shine!

When your world seems cold
You got to let your spirit take control

Talking 'bout soulshine
It's better than sunshine
Better than moonshine
Damn sure better than rain
And now people don't mind
We all feel this way sometimes
Gotta let your soul shine
Shine till the break of day