Rhoda Bernstein looked rattled after she voted. She walked with a cane, but still on her own, an impressive feat considering she is 93 and a half, a detail she rattled off eagerly.
Her intensity on this autumn Tuesday at the Karsh Alumni Center was all about politics. Bernstein worries a lot about gun violence in America, especially in schools. She hates that the gun lobby can “get into the pockets” of lawmakers. Asked about Kamala Harris’s gun ownership, she was vague. “I don’t think [Harris and Walz] can do any more… they are up against a tidal wave of ignorance.”
Bernstein wore a vibrant red lipstick, purple Michael Kors sunglasses, and a patterned fanny pack. She spoke with passion, as if she were trying to persuade a crowd.
In 2016, Bernstein stopped eating and could not read past the first page of a book. She lost 60 pounds. “That, in itself, was a very good thing.” She said she used to be overweight.
That seemed odd, especially since she mentioned her love for crossword puzzles and a library at home full of books, including a vast collection of biographies. Had there been a death in the family? An illness?
No, it was that America had elected Donald Trump. His victory was “beyond what I could physically tolerate.”
Bernstein abhorred Trump’s victory in 2016 for a reason that hit her close to home. She was a career educator. She always taught her students to appreciate America’s history despite its imperfections, and that they would be capable of changing the country for the better. With Trump on the ballot for a second term, she no longer thinks that’s true.
In our conversation outside the polling center and in a follow-up 30-minute phone call, Bernstein had plenty to say about Trump. Yet she never said his name.
She was also plenty critical of the Democrats: “I just have never understood why my party, the Democratic Party… have not risen to the extreme challenge of what we’re facing.” She suggested that when the Biden administration came into office, they should have sent an “armed regiment” to Mar-a-lago to “hold him in.”
She’s glad she voted, but not optimistic. “I hold no hope for the election. I vote because that’s all I can do.”
Above: Rhoda Bernstein smiles after casting her vote during early voting. Photo by Kulsoom Rizavi — The 9th Street Journal
