What Makes an Enemy?
A daughter recalls how her late father and actor Paul Newman congratulated one another when they found out they were both on Richard Nixon’s enemies list. She now wonders what it means for a divided country under president-elect Donald Trump who is said to compiling his own list.
I still remember when my late father, Harold Willens, and his political pal, Paul Newman, found themselves on Richard Nixon’s Enemies list. Not only did they celebrate with pride, they debated who got listed higher and why. Paul said it meant more than his well-deserved, if belated, Oscar.
Of course, they were proven to be on the right side, so to speak, when Nixon was eventually driven out. Donald Trump now is bragging about the list he’s compiling of those he considers foes. That could be thousands of pages long, including every journalist who dared tell the truth, every Republican who dared make the switch, every late-night host, and every litigator and judge on his multiple cases. Even our beloved local paper!
We all know how divided this country is. I spent the last three days of the campaign trying to convince voters in Arizona. That state fought hard and was one that made a real difference in other areas. Former U.S. ambassador to the U.N, and Obama official, Susan Rice, popped up in one campaign office while we were stuffing envelopes. A homeowner there, she thanked everyone for their service and revved up the troops.
On the other hand, the following day, I worked at a farmers market and was occasionally confronted by those on the other side. One man kept getting in everyone’s way, barking, “just admit the government is corrupt!” Another walked by, wearing his MAGA hat, and yelled, “I already voted..and I did it for them!” pointing to his two small sons.
So, besides feeling concerned (for my two children, among others) I really wonder what words mean anymore. What is justice? Trump has been impeached twice, convicted everywhere, and faces sentencing soon in his 34 count felony conviction that can’t be overturned at the federal level. But his other federal cases appear dead and whatever he does in this next term appears to be beyond the reach of the Justice system thanks to that other newly awful word—immunity—which has come into play. Thank you, Supreme Court.
I grew up considering the Yankees the enemy—but eventually became a bi-coastal admirer. And it was a game, after all. Our newly elected leader idolizes Russian head of state Vladamir Putin, the man who we have heretofore considered our legitimate enemy even before his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
In 1982, my father ran—and won—a California initiative for a nuclear freeze. He was aided by the daughter of then GOP president Ronald Reagan. When the initiative passed, they duly presented it to Reagan in the White House. He and my dad talked about their daughters with humor and respect. Can one imagine something like that happening in the near future?