In December, an atheistic, pro-choice, anti-gun, environmental activist — a.okay.a. a resident of Santa Monica — requested me, “So how do you propose to ring within the final yr of American democracy?”
Now, months into 2024, the world gives little in rebuttal to that grim forecast. And but, regardless of a marine layer of dread on the seashore, no Santa Monicans I do know have made good on their threats to contact actual property brokers in Portugal or Uruguay or Cape City. I haven’t gotten to Step 2 on my plan to gentle out and dwell off the saturated fats of the land.
The actual fact is, even when 2024 exceeds its potential for nationwide disaster, we’ll keep the place we’re. For one cause: We predict we’ll be protected right here. Santa Monica is a good place to cover from America. Simply ask Whitey Bulger.
As unhealthy as we expect it might get someplace, we don’t foresee diners tipping Giorgio Baldi valets with one hand, an open-carry Glock within the different. Gynecologists at St. John’s getting learn their Miranda rights for doing their jobs? In some way feels unlikely. “The Handmaid’s Story,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “The Hate U Give,” George Orwell, Toni Morrison, Artwork Spiegelman and Anne Frank banned from the SaMoHi library? Uh-uh. No approach. By no means ever.
Then once more …
Probably the most decimated perception of 2024 America is “it will possibly’t occur right here.”
Each 10 minutes, one other e-book comes out about the way it can occur right here, or worse, the way it is occurring right here. Quickly each new bedside-table buy will include a complimentary copy of Yale professor Timothy Snyder’s “On Tyranny.” Good e-book however, you already know, not overly cheerful.
As of now, the locals’ finest approach of rationalizing the “it will possibly’t occur right here” fallacy lies in redefining “right here”: Santa Monica merely isn’t “right here.” It’s a sanctuary metropolis the place we defiantly gap up in peace.
OK, not essentially the most formidable plan, proper? Mendacity low in our inexperienced zone sounds fairly defeatist. However after 9 years of rehearsing arguments we by no means have with individuals we by no means meet whose opinions we might by no means change, we’re simply wiped. It’s dreary what number of ageing boomers in Santa Monica have their towels able to throw in: “Possibly we’ll be getting out on the proper time.”
So we’re maintaining our associates shut and our enemies out of sight, out of thoughts. We’re low-dosing Rachel Maddow and bingeing escapism; ignoring Quinnipiac College polls and demo-ing the newest in thought-canceling headphones. We’ve fallen in love with our bubble to the level that borderline agoraphobia has gone from an affliction to a treatment.
Was, we’d knock into one another on the road and strategize activism that will get extra People seeing issues our approach. Leashes in hand, idle walks would flip into avenue discussions so fervent our canine’ ears perked up on the identify Raffensperger.
Now we’re thrilled to debate when or if one other atmospheric river will drench Los Angeles.
“We want the rain however not this a lot rain.”
“True. The L.A. County flag ought to learn: ‘Nothing sparsely.’ ”
Something that distances us from oncoming visitors, international and home, is warmly welcomed. In an impromptu dog-walking klatch final week, I joked about how one of many issues I like about Santa Monica is that while you see a person on a weekday carrying a swimsuit and tie, you are feeling sorry for him.
One whatever-kind-of-doodle mother laughed and mentioned, “Yeah. Being out in the remainder of the world? Who wants it?”
And therein lies my large concern: We by no means get on the market once more. Complacency has a reasonably filthy historical past that options an overflowing roster of fine individuals turned notorious.
And herein lies my large hope: We give “it will possibly’t occur right here” a pair extra days or perhaps weeks, and spring, with its infinite cliches — rebirth, renewal, recommittal and all that gobbledygook — blows into Santa Monica and shoves us east previous dread, throughout La Cienega and into the fray.
Peter Mehlman’s newest novel is “#MeAsWell.” He was a author and producer on “Seinfeld.”
