Juan Gonzalez: It would be a mistake to miss this election, just like it was in 1968

AMY GOODMAN: So, Juan, today is election day. This is the last day of voting in the United States.

JUAN GONZALEZ: Yes, Amy, it is. And, you know, at such moments everyone has to take stock, although it is obvious that voting is not the main factor determining social changes in the country. And I know that many progressive and first-time voters have faced the agonizing dilemma of choosing between two unsatisfactory candidates this year, especially for those Americans who are outraged by our government’s continued support for Israel’s year-long genocidal attack on Gaza and all the bombings. the killings that Israel has committed throughout the Middle East. So I think it’s understandable that many refused to vote for either candidate, either chose third-party candidates, or simply waited it out.

But this isn’t the first time Americans have been faced with such dire choices. I remember 1968, when I was in my early twenties and the country faced a choice between Republican Richard Nixon and Democrat Hubert Humphrey. Another terrible war raged in Vietnam, which ultimately claimed the lives of 2 million Vietnamese. And then the United States itself committed war crimes, used napalm and Agent Orange, as well as massive bombing of civilian areas in Vietnam. And at home, Nixon used racist rhetoric about law and order, clearly aimed at the protests, mass protests of black Americans, just as Trump today uses racist imagery against immigrants from Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean. And Nixon promised to end the war in Vietnam if he was elected. And that’s why many of us refused to vote in this election. And, of course, Nixon won, opening the way for the modern right-wing shift in US domestic and foreign policy. Instead of ending the war, Nixon expanded it. He invaded Cambodia and Laos, and the killing continued in Southeast Asia for another six years.

And it will take many of us many years to realize that we made a big mistake by missing this election. And I don’t pretend to judge what people are doing now, but I would simply advise those who have not yet made a decision that making these decisions during elections can be difficult, but sometimes necessary to open the way to possible changes in the future.

AMY GOODMAN: Well, today we’ll be looking at elections across the country, from House races to Senate races, to misinformation and disinformation campaigns across the country, and the potential for problems with the entire certification process. Tonight, Democracy now! we will do four hour special on democracynow.org and on radio and TV stations nationwide from 8:00 a.m. ET to midnight. We’ll take it on again from 8:00 am EST to 10:00 am, an extended two-hour show tomorrow. But right now, when we come back, Donald Trump is laying the groundwork to challenge the results again if he loses to Kamala Harris. We’ll talk to New York Times reporter Jim Rutenberg. Stay tuned.