Guinevere Nell
We all make mistakes – believe strongly in ideologies, groups, or even jobs – which we later see for the bad things, for the dangers, they truly are. Being too certain itself is a big problem, because we all make mistakes. I might as well as anybody be the one to stand next to Michael Cohen and say Mea Culpa Too. The long version of my Mea Culpa is here.
All those who voted for or profited from the right wing movement which has become today’s MAGA movement, and now regret it, should consider writing (or making a video) as many have already done – some type of a Mea Culpa, just as Cohen did, and tagging it #MeaCulpaToo so that we can create a movement around this sharing of honest regret. That is a great way to start the process of forgiveness and unity. And that forward progress would be aided by those who express regret also taking the Pro-Truth Pledge, so that they are not dismissed cynically, as many on the left dismissed The Lincoln Project.
I believe that this substantial group of people, as I did, would feel better to admit those mistakes in a Mea Culpa, so long as it was accepted in the manner and spirit it is given – with humility and openness. I think that a perfect way to make a Mea Culpa stick would be to also take the Pro-Truth Pledge (as I did some years ago) as a way of regaining any lost reputation or concerns about our past. A promise to do better, and a willingness to be held accountable for being honest, going forward, is a great way to show that you are a person of good faith, and not someone who will change their minds again and kowtow to Trump. There must be a number of Nikki Hakley voters and supporters of other Republicans who spoke out only to later endorse him again, who are feeling cynical about politicians holding to any values.
Trust and optimism are essential for democracy and freedom – much more so than security and paranoia or cynicism, which help usher in a more authoritarian system. Democracy requires hope, to give people the incentive to get out and vote, and to volunteer or run for office to help bring change. Without this spirit of hope the only people who run for office do it for selfish reasons. This is why the abolition movement among slaves was lifted by their churches (and other churches) and song and faith and optimism, and that this held through the Civil Rights Era. It is also expounded on in a more academic fashion by the Russian pro-democracy advocate Peter Pomerantsev, and the connection between cynicism and irony has been explored for the ways they may affect political engagement. To break through this, we may need some radical truth, and pride in being who we authentically are. Cue Tik Tok video?
Russia is often portrayed as steeped in multiple layers of cynicism: post-transition, postmodern and late-Soviet, each of which has impacted majority political participation in specific ways. In the twenty-first century’s second decade, cynicism can appear to be the one type of discourse available to all groups of Russian society. It encompasses those in government and business as much as those far from the centers of power and wealth. In 2011, journalist Peter Pomerantsev claimed that, rather than conservative nationalism or neo-authoritarianism, the Kremlin’s ultimate ideology is one of a cynical form of postmodernism incarnate in a political project: ‘a world of masks and poses, colourful but empty, with little at its core but power for power’s sake, and the accumulation of vast wealth’ (Pomerantsev 2011).
We must forgive others for doing past wrongs, and forgive ourselves – for that, we need to admit we were wrong, or misguided, or at least got something wrong – which we should admit to with a Mea Culpa – and , if we care to save democracy, we must try to do better: by taking a pledge to try to be truthful and learn, listen to others who have evidence, to try to be better, more scientific, more well-informed. The Pro-Truth Pledge is about that. It’s as good a tool as any (I have no connection to it aside from taking it), it properly states what I have said here: I will try to be truthful and admit when I have been misguided as to the facts, and promise to be honest to the best of my ability.
Why It’s Important for Each of Us to Do It
Michael Cohen famously worked for Trump and then loudly proclaimed his Mea Culpa – and has continued to work to fight Trump’s movement. Republican Voters Against Trump have shared many videos from people who tell stories about what they once believed, and about voting for Trump at least once, who now regret it — essentially, these are Mea Culpas too. I have a Mea Culpa myself, having worked for 5 years for the “think tank” which put out Project 2025. I worked there some years ago, but my story can shed light on some things and help to bring us together. We need this, because even the Bulwark (a group created by never-Trump Republicans and named to represent a way to save us from another Trump term and save democracy) – at least right up until Biden graciously dropped out – thought Trump might win. Most are now Democrats, because only one party cares about democracy, now.
We should all be standing with The Bulwark – to help former Republicans into the fold of pro-democracy fighters. I don’t think Trump has a good chance to win fair and square – and we can stop them from cheating and undermining democracy if we stand together and make sure everyone knows that this is not a normal election, and why. Everyone must be aware what Project 2025 is – and that it’s the same, just more detailed, as Trump’s Agenda 47 plan, and that it is written to ensure that they can and would implement all of it – not just some parts, as has happened with previous Heritage “mandate for conservative leadership” documents. This is Trump’s GOP now, and all who are with him are all in. That is indeed the primary point of Project 2025.
Project 2025 is based in the authoritarian playbook (or Active Measures), to take over a democratic government like Orban and Putin did. That’s why it is so dangerous – along with its promise to deport millions, introduce a ban on abortion pills, contraception, pornography, and because the movement makes use of violence and tireless corruption. It is a neo-fascist movement.
And now the Supreme Court is backing Trump up! The case against him over his unwillingness to return the people’s classified documents has been dropped. This all must stop now, the people must wake up and realize that this is an election like no other. Trump wanted to stay, expected to stay, in office despite losing in 2020. We somehow managed to avoid that, by the skin of our teeth, because good people who were working in government stopped him, including Mike Pence. That is why their new plans, as laid out in 25 and 47 have that possibility eliminated through a hiring process centered on loyalty to Trump, not the constitution.
Enthusiasm and Forgiveness
So let’s all admit any mistakes we made in the past – and like MeToo make it a movement that goes beyond what Republican Voters Against Trump have already been doing — and welcome everyone to the side of democracy with open arms. Let me tell my story, my Mea Culpa. I never voted for Trump but I helped the movement which led to him….
It is too easy to say to ourselves: well, someone else, so many others, did worse than I, I just worked for someone or voted once in a bad way. If we who did less make the first move, we can encourage others to do the same — until we all roar like a lion and demand it of all those still being bad, working for the wrong side. That’s what hashtags are for — the MeToo movement was a roar, the Gay Pride movement was a roar, we can roar when we want to enough. Now it’s time for us all to push out #MeaCulpaToo.
We all make mistakes — being too sure that you are right about what you believe — be it based in religion, trust in others, ideology, or even what you perceive as good science and/or logic or common sense — being too certain itself is a big problem, because we all make mistakes. Hence:
Although my Mea Culpa, and other anti-MAGA ones are most important right now, to apologize for being part of what has become the MAGA movement, there are other things which may require a Mea Culpa. Whether it is something you were raised in or something you found yourself in, and it took you too long — in your own mind, in all honesty — to leave or speak out. But, as long as we finally do, we should be forgiven and forgive ourselves and others.
All of Us
But this movement must also bring in those who have made other mistakes – we must all be honest. The third link above is an article by a progressive LGTBQ+ woman about working in a ‘trans clinic’ – it is a Mea Culpa of sorts by the woman who wrote it, for not leaving and speaking out sooner — will she accept the tag #MeaCulpaToo – or perhaps #MyBad? Is there anyone else wrong about the trans issue, on any side, particularly that of not allowing people to speak in a fair and open environment about the subject? Let’s be honest, this is a brand new discussion. People may be wrong, may be taking anti-trans positions by accident. And people may be wrong about the science, or the way that clinics have been set up. In other democratic, and more progressive, countries there have been changes to clinics, and the guidelines are not the same as those in the United States. It is fair to discuss why and which one is better.
Discussion about youth trans clinics has been censored and divisive from the beginning, in large part due to parents and the idea that anti-trans media has set them against their children – which it certainly has in some high profile cases, at least so it seems from afar. But censorship is not good: you must think this, you must think that. We must have an open dialog, and right now there seems to be very little open, honest, discussion. We must not embrace censorship or go along with anything we personally feel is wrong, simply because it will allow us to fit in, gain power, or profit – large or small – for it. This is of course easier said than done, if we are surviving paycheck to paycheck on the proceeds from working for people who are doing wrong in the world. So we all can understand and forgive each other as we all have made the mistake of working for bad people.
More than one thing can be wrong and scary at the same time — while Trumpism may be the much larger threat to the majority everywhere, the dangers of experimenting on children is also a potential threat which should be discussed , and in a democracy it can, should, and must be discussed. If what this person says is true, this threat also exists and must be fought, before it puts democracy at risk – before it puts children at risk. It must be discussed, rationally and without fear. This is, again, where the Pro-Truth Pledge can help. If one person writes a Mea Culpa, or for other topics perhaps a simple #MyBad, and then takes the Pro-Truth Pledge (tagging #ProTruthPledge), this can open a door for discussion on the topic – will others still promoting the ‘bad thing’ someone wrote their Mea Culpa about also take the pledge and have an honest discussion, resolve any disagreements?
For a democratic and free society, acting in good faith, we can discuss these things. Those who are acting out of hatred should be exposed for this but to do this, we must discuss any real issues that may come up, from people acting out of love and good faith.
No censorship should be taking place as we discuss any issue; which means protests against those spreading actual hate – as the protesters see it – are as valid as any other kind of free speech, so long as we do not allow violence or hatred to fill them, and we try to have good and fruitful discussion with all those who are willing to do the same. The Pro-Truth Pledge can help distinguish between these intentions, as we can hold people to their word and ask serious questions, with the Pledge as the go-to agreement to be honest.
Since when are we afraid to discuss any topic? What topic is so dangerous that it cannot be discussed? So long as we hold to good faith honesty and use discussion not violence or intimidation, we should be able to discuss things, especially when they are new to us.
Unity, Democracy, Freedom
Maybe there are people in the Middle East or anywhere around the globe who would like to Mea Culpa and get along with peace and love and understanding and forgiveness. These are necessary for democracy. It is the love we must not forget, which brings us back to music, the church, and optimism over cynicism:
The nation’s progressive wing shudders at the notion of engaging any concept that cannot be empirically defined. The conservative community abandons the challenge of love when love stirs people to question doctrine and realign political alliances. In our culture, love gets jettisoned from prophetic doctrine in favor of edicts. Instead of creating a loving dialogue around poverty, abortion, and race, we take positions. But the black church has held on to a vision of love with special poignancy. Its unique history required it to see America from the underside and adopt the love ethic of Christ as a community bruised and scorned by a society claiming democratic ideals.
We must do this now, embrace love (with or without religion), all of us, to put the hate behind us. This is the only way forward, if we want life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness rather than death by shootings, other violence and war, and an authoritarian, neo-fascist state and global movement. So, perhaps we say we are sorry for whatever we might have done that was contributing to badness, hate, violence, or authoritarianism, and promise to be better going forward, held to account by the Pro-Truth Pledge.
Republican Voters Against Trump has thousands of videos which could be tagged as #MeaCulpaToo, and those people can also be asked if they would like to take the Pro-Truth Pledge, as a part of the Mea Culpa – a promise to try to do better going forward. The Bulwark, and The Lincoln Project (despite progressives being suspicious of the latter, and a few scandals) are people who have given Mea Culpas and interviewed others who have done the same. All these people should be praised for what they have done already and asked to share in the movement and request for forgiveness, embrace into the pro-democracy movement, and agree to take the simple pledge to do better in the future.
There are many people out there who would do good for themselves and for all of us if they unload about what they did, such as voting for Trump, and we forgive them. Embrace them into a better community: a gathering of democracy loving people of all persuasions. A step forward with faith and love in our hearts for a better future – right now only one party wants democracy, if we are being honest and looking at facts and evidence – so it will be with Kamala Harris leading us, along with the new Labour government in Britain, and change happening everywhere for better and sadly worse. But we can face it stronger if we embrace each other despite all our past mistakes. Those of us who are Pro-Truth and pro-democracy must stand together, despite our pasts, and forgiveness, honesty, and love are essential to such a movement.
Community Service Notice: If you have done any of the above things or anything you regret, don’t think “well, I’m in too deep now” or stay in denial or think only of money or position or short term pain, gain, risk — think instead of who you want to be known as, for all history — someone who helped make things better or helped make them worse. If you once helped make them worse in any way, small or large, it will do the world good to hear of your Mea Culpa and your pledge to do better. It will help others come forward. It will help bring us together. It’s not too late. Do it now.
