I was born in England in 1948. I met and married an American and emigrated to the USA in 1978. I am now 76 years old. In all those years, to retain a job or anything else that was important or dear to me, I have never once been required to subscribe to something I knew to be untrue.
It was Donald Trump’s takeover of the Republican National Committee that set me thinking about this – specifically, the news that, to keep their jobs, Republican National Committee staffers must support the “big lie” that the last election was stolen. And now Mike Johnson, speaker of the House, has made a pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago and does the same.
I woke up recently at 3 a.m. and had trouble getting back to sleep. I was wondering how I would react if forced to support a blatant falsehood in order to hang onto something important to me. I’d like to think I would refuse to do this, but history tells us I probably would not; most choose a quiet life over taking significant financial or other risks for truth and honesty.
When and how do we find the courage to choose self-respect over protecting those things and people that are dear to us? I am so lucky to have not once been forced to make this choice. I hope to live out the rest of my days in a society where this never becomes an accepted part of everyday life.
Nigel Calder
Newcastle
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