What are you going to do about it, kid?

By Nathaniel Smith, Columnist, The Times

After each school shooting, our national government essentially says to the survivors and their families: “Just get used to it, it’s the new normal around here.”

Or, as the Republican candidate for governor recently said to Chester County native Rose Strauss, “You’re a little young and naive” —no doubt thinking to himself: “Take that, kid. And what are you going to do about it?”

Her answer: social media. The exchange between the two—the seasoned recipient of fossil fuel industry largesse and the environmental science major—is a hit on the intern, in addition to being featured in the national press.

In 2016, Donald Trump said “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters.”

Our government is now essentially saying the same to us all. National life has become like one of those pain tolerance experiments. The Trump regime lies continuously, turns national interests over to foreign powers, drives the conscientious out of public service, works to deprive Americans of health care, housing, the right to vote, democratic checks and balances, and world respect, and thinks we aren’t going to do anything about it.

People often reference the frog that doesn’t feel the water warming in the pot until too late. Well, in 2018, this frog is going to jump.

The bully’s taunt is always: “And what are you going to do about it, kid?”

Yes, there is public opinion; yes, there is social media; yes, there are rallies and protest. But most of all, there is the vote.