On this, the 5th of November 2020, the first day of the second national lockdown in the UK, Guy Fawkes Night, the third day of the American election: the atmosphere is a strange mix. Yesterday people in the city were laden with their shopping seemingly searching for that last present before Christmas Day. Last night, crowds of people went to the pubs to surround themselves with their friends and it felt a bit like New Year’s Eve. Today everyone has been confined once again to their houses because of a global pandemic. The eyes of the world are on an unsettling election. It’s as if this entire year has melted into itself while quietly preparing to be sucked into a black hole. Time seems blurred, today could be tomorrow, or it could be 3 months ago.
Guy Fawkes Night
The 5th of November will be a familiar date for those of you in the UK. But for my fellow Americans it is just another Autumn day. In the UK, it is known as Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night. In the modern version of the celebration, fireworks light up the sky and communities gather around massive bonfires which are organized by their local government.
It’s an event that commemorates the failure of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 which involved blowing up the Houses of Parliament with the intention of killing King James I and many members of parliament. The plot was planned by a group of Catholic conspirators who were upset with the lack of religious tolerance.
I’ve always found fireworks in November to be extremely ill timed. It’s dark, cold, and you’re forced to be outside to see the fireworks. It should be no surprise that as an American I’m much more comfortable with watching fireworks at the end of a stifling July day. A pyrotechnic display to celebrate the country’s independence as well as the freedom and opportunity it advertises. The same freedom and opportunity that I wish it would offer to all people, not just a select few.
For my sensitive soul the most unsettling part of Bonfire Night is the burning of an effigy. Traditionally it’s a figure of Guy Fawkes, one of the conspirators, or Pope Paul V, the pope at the time of the Gunpowder Plot. More recently, however, the effigies have become more creative and are often representations of whichever public figure is most despised at the time, Trump included.
The Presidential Election
I’ve celebrated two bonfire nights in England. One with a significant bonfire and one with an impressive firework display.
This year, however, the lockdown means there are no organized events for either the election or Guy Fawkes Night. Instead, I’m sitting inside nursing a gin and tonic, listening to CNN’s updates which are occasionally interrupted by a rogue firecracker.
Since election night, I’ve been in a semi-constant state of nervous anticipation. Like many Americans, I have been checking the news regularly for updates, staying up late and waking early to see what has developed. Three days on and nothing has been conclusively decided. This long wait for results has caused three unusual events to collide: the 2nd national lockdown, an American presidential election, and Guy Fawkes Night.
The Moral Victory and The Political Victory
This election has been long awaited; the last 4 years have been difficult to endure. The rhetoric has been so hateful, so disrespectful, so divisive. My country has been led by the most vile man I could imagine. The things I love about my country have been overshadowed by all the things I hate. Frankly, during Donald Trump’s presidency, it’s been difficult to find anything about America that makes me feel proud.
This election was a chance to secure two victories: a moral victory and a political victory. It was America’s opportunity to prove that we are a forward thinking, sensible, loving, accepting people. How sweet it would have been to see a landslide vote against racism, police brutality, hatred, and gross political mismanagement of the biggest public health crisis of our generation.
I still have hope for a Biden victory. In fact, it looks likely. But even if Biden does reach 270 electoral votes in the hours or days to come, the victory will be bittersweet. Don’t get me wrong, it will be a huge sigh of relief. But the wafer thin margins of this election are only indicative of the vast chasm separating the people of the nation. Their beliefs are so strongly held and so polarizing that they are incapable of treating each other with respect and coming together for the common good.
An echo from the past
I’ve found it interesting that these events should take place at the same time.
Over the last 4 years I have seen America become more and more divided and less and less willing to listen to anyone who doesn’t share their view. This kind of behavior will lead us down a dark path. The trouble is, the leader of our country has been encouraging it. This election leaves us with very little doubt of just how divided we are and that should terrify every single one of us.
Guy Fawkes may now be a fun celebration, but in its time it was a massive, domestic terrorist attack brought on by division of the people and their unwillingness to come to any sort of understanding. The tendency to resort to violence in desperation is not new. We’ve seen it time and again. Now is the time to learn from it and turn our nation around while we still can.
Remember remember the fifth of November
Going forward
As I wind down my election viewing for the night, I am finally allowing myself to have a sliver of hope that Biden could win. The return of human decency to the White House would be a fine thing. But I fear what Trump’s words will do to our nation over the next few days and weeks. The false accusations are cutting into the fabric of our nation and it is dangerous. Our country is not invincible.
I know that the final tallies, triple checks, and law suits won’t be done any time soon. But when it is done, I hope to see you on the other side working together toward a better, kinder, more united world.
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