By now we've all heard, or read, about the potential decision by The Supreme Court on repealing Roe v. Wade. This column is not really about that decision but it has gotten me wondering about where we go from here in this country.
Recently, CNN released a poll taken right after word leaked out on the above and it compared how people felt about things and did this potential decision change their minds about things in this country compared to a poll taken just before the announcement.
What concerned me is that this did not change anyone's mind.
We are so screwed up as a country right now that even a possible reversal of a right given to women years ago is not going to change how people feel about either party or direction of the country. Certainly those on the side of pro Roe are unhappy and the other side is jubilant but unbelievably this is not going to make anyone more or less inclined to go out and vote this fall.
We are a country split down the middle on nearly every issue. Each side feels their party is doing all the right things on the economy, civil rights, voting rights, education, crime, and on and on. Even more shocking is that only 13% of us think either party is too extreme. 13%! How bad do things have to get for more than 13% of us to feel things are getting too extreme?
With all the momentum swinging towards conservative causes and the GOP it is the Republican voters who are the most energized to get out and vote this fall. The liberal or Democratic voters are saying meh, I'm not sure if I'll vote this fall or not. If ever there was a group that should be thundering towards the voting booth it is them.
But this is the sad reality of where we are right now. For the past several decades the GOP has been steadily and relentlessly electing local politicians, state politicians, federal politicians, and most importantly conservative judges that are moving this country back to 1950. The Democrats are fighting among themselves about whether or not to plant trees on the roof of office buildings and will the squirrels be ok if we build new roads.
Hey Democrats, here is a thought, how about actually working on some minor things like, voting rights, inflation, lowering taxes, fixing health care, and maybe getting more of you elected around the country? Right now the Democrats have brought pea shooters to a gun fight with the GOP and the results are speaking for themselves.
It is time for people on either side of the aisle, and in the countryside, to take back this country from the radical right and fringe left. I know that there are plenty of issues we can come together on if we just stop shouting at each other and start talking to each other.
We can't let the clowns and crazies continue to lead us down a path that is not helpful for this country. We need common sense plans that help all of us, not a minority. We need to stop trying to force our radical ideas on each other. In the same way I don't understand how it is ok to put a gun in the hands of anyone but not allow a woman to decide if she wants to give birth or not, I don't understand why we need to set crazy and expensive environmental goals, but are ok with making daylight savings time permanent which uses more energy.
The sad reality is that I'm only going to be around for another 20 - 30 years at best and no matter what happens to this nation it will not get bad until after I'm long gone. It just seems like we should be more afraid of the direction we are heading because once you start down a path it can be difficult to turn around and find your way out again.
Comments