Pub. Note: Julie Blacklow was arguably the greatest local investigative reporter of her generation while at KING-TV. And she has been the grande dame of Facebook on the subject of the outgoing occupant of the White House—with a large and loyal following. Here she reflects on that four-year odyssey with the same eloquence and insight evident in her recent memoir, Fearless—Diary of a Badass Reporter.
By Julie Blacklow
“If I’m certain of anything, I know without reservation that most, if not all of us, are more than ready to say goodbye and good riddance to 2020. The one great exception and bright light was, at least to me, the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Their victory was a salve over so many of the wounds suffered at the hands of ‘he whom I shall not name,’ the most divisive, incompetent, petulant and cruel President in American history. Some may argue with this, but there is little disagreement among my friends, colleagues and legal scholars whose essays, articles and commentaries I have been following for years.
“I began blogging and posting on Facebook on the day ‘you know who’ came down the escalator of his gaudy New York Tower to declare he would seek the presidency. I, and I suspect many others, thought his announcement was a joke, something he considered an episode to enhance his ‘brand’, since his television career was waning and he craved once again to be the center of attention. I have known of this contemptible man for decades. I had uncles and cousins in the real- estate business in New York City who knew what a truly terrible person both he and his father were, titans of bankruptcy and deals gone bad. He always craved to be part of the elitists of NYC, but they knew he was a fraud then and he never changed his stripes. As the late Maya Angelou said: When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.’ I believed him.
“I wrote at least 300 Facebook posts condemning, criticizing and mocking this insecure sociopath and, much to my surprise, never got put into ‘FB jail.’ I must not have raised enough red flags. I never put the words ‘Trump’ and ‘death’ together in any posts. I was careful with my choice of words, but my fury and contempt for his disgraceful performance were very clear. This was no time to sit on the fence, not with this guy. Being silent or sitting on the sidelines of this epoch in history were not possible for me. To be silent would have been choosing the side of the oppressor. As Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel said: ‘We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.’
“Truer words were never spoken. Then came COVID-19, another chance to choose sides and, arguably, an example by the presumptive leader of the Free World to continue to exemplify ineptitude of historic proportions. By doing nothing right, he created the quagmire in which we still remain. Failing to demonstrate the simplest and most readily available thing to curtail the virus—wearing a mask—a quarter of a million people have died to date. By politicizing the worst health crisis in a century, the mask became a political statement. If you wore a mask, you were defying the president, and if you did not, you were one of his followers. People chose sides and many of them died for their beliefs. I believe that kind of mindless thinking and abject support is a special kind of sickness for which there is no vaccine.
“As a journalist of almost 50 years, what pains me almost as much as the rejection of science is the rejection of truth. When a statement by the odious Kellyanne Conway, claiming there was such a thing as ‘alternative facts,’ was uttered outside of ‘our’ White House, I was horrified. It was truly one of the most oxymoronic phrases I ever heard. The belief in such a concept has been, and continues to be, the leitmotif of this entire, rancid administration. Lying, deceiving, manipulating and bullying are the currency we have witnessed for more than four years. We all are exhausted and need a rest.
“Which brings me to the great, shining light radiating from this year—the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris—brought into our lives in the nick of time when we most needed hope and the promise of something better. In approximately one month, they will be sworn into office, and I have not a scintilla of doubt that when they swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States, they will mean every word they say. With the virus permeating our lives at every juncture and dominating the news all day, every day, the significance of having a woman—and a woman of color —as our next vice president seems not to have received the notice it deserves. It’s also noteworthy that, despite the fact that Kamala seemed to verbally attack Joe in one of their debates, he nonetheless chose her as his running mate. This is a good-hearted, decent, fair man at the helm, not threatened by strong women, but a man who respects them. His actions spoke louder than any words ever could.
“Another point worth making: both Joe and Kamala have named an all-female group to their communications team, which means women will have a say in all matters of importance in all areas of our government. Women will be the spokespersons for this incoming administration. Additionally, there are people of color, people of different sexual orientations, from different backgrounds and myriad life experiences coming to the Biden-Harris government. Joe said he wanted everyone at the table, and he is making good on his promise.
“Even with the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and their delivering on their pledge of inclusion, this will not be enough to completely rid us of the darkness still hovering over us. We must all do our part to create the light. Our tasks are formidable but achievable, if—and only if—we all do our part. We must follow the science, wear our masks, continue to distance ourselves from our friends and family and get the vaccine shots when they become available. I have many friends who suffered with COVID and lost several to this terrible virus. I miss my friends, my family, my lunches with girlfriends and my ability to even shop at a grocery store. I even miss what I refer to as ‘the company of strangers,’ just watching people going about their daily lives. This isolation will, in time, pass. This, for most of us, is the hardest of hard times.
“My resolution for the New Year is a simple one. Stay present. Be kind. Let people merge in traffic. And one more thing: no more derogatory rants or impugning of the man still occupying the White House. I’ve said it all and there is nothing left to say. I chose sides and chose not to sit on the fence. Not that I was ever much of a fence-sitter. It’s a very uncomfortable perch for me.”
Click here to order a copy of Fearless—Diary of a Badass Reporter. You can contact Julie at jblacklow@msn.com.