It’s not often that I’m surprised by what I hear in the salon or barbershops when hanging out with former coworkers and friends, but lately I’m downright shocked by the change in the political climate that’s happened in just a few short years! And it’s not just me, many of my former clients, now drinking buddies, have noticed the shift as well. First Dr. Umar, now Trump
Salon and Barbershop conversations are rightly heated on matters of racism, police brutality, child support, baby momma’s, and best rappers alive and dead, but usually we agree, or agree to disagree after someone says something that’s either ignorant as hell or funny as hell (oftentimes they are one and the same). But, not any more!

This election cycle has America in a chokehold wondering what this country is about to look like with either a criminal or a fossil for POTUS. From Inflation, immigration woes, a resurgence of Covid-19 conspiracies about the jab; and, the unwavering support for Israel, Ukraine, and Palestine with our tax dollars while tuning out the deafening cry for student loan debt relief and reparations for generations of government sanctioned discrimination, Biden is no prize. And, he is up against a man who isn’t afraid to lie, steal, and skirt the constitution or the tax code to make a buck.

Trump’s claim to fame is a conservative Supreme Court and a gazillion federal judges that will vote to uphold the ‘myth’ of white supremacy no matter the cost. Also, cutting taxes for the rich, a hugely successful GOP tactic, is just another way of defunding programs that benefit women, children, and people of color without appearing racist or sexist. He did give us free money in the way of stimulus checks, and for the single issue, low information voter, that is enough! Trump has a shot at winning because Biden keeps playing in our faces.

Conversations are dizzyingly circular as it relates to the power and necessity of the vote, the Black vote. Perenial voters considering sitting out the 2024 presidential election because both candidates are damn near octogenarians. The most infuriating assertion being, “…a vote for Biden is the same as a vote for Trump anyway” or “We’ve (Black people) been voting for over a hundred years and still have nothing to show for it,” and, of course, the most popular trope, “they’re all just crooks anyway!”

Yes, we vote them in and it seems like nothing changes in our favor, nothing of consequence anyway. I, myself have never missed voting in an election believing that I was preserving the rights my ancestors marched, fought, and died for! But after SCOTUS’ reversal of my federally protected rights to decide when and how to start or grow my family, I, too am left scratching my head.

Admittedly, there are no lies told about either candidate but one; Biden and Trump are not the same. The former has read the US Constitution and has sworn to abide by it for the last forty years, the latter is a would be dictator that thinks the US Constitution only applies to suckers and losers; incidentally, he is also on trial for treason and sedition. But for some reason, barbershop bros have decided that throwing a few dollars at us and telling a few racist, sexist, xenophobic, and unchristian-like jokes, is enough to represent us as the leader of the free world. Personally, I don’t mind paying a few extra dollars for a modicum of sanity in the world, and not to hear the name Donald J. Trump ever again!