I've come to a depressing realization that not every American follows politics as closely as I do. In fact, sadly, most Americans are ignorant about what is going on around them. Even worse, they don't care that they are ignorant and are doing nothing to change their lack of knowledge.
My original idea for today's blog about the differences between the two parties was scrapped once I heard a gentleman speak last night on cable news about a podcast series he was doing. He has been interviewing young people, primarily Democratic leaning, to get their thoughts on issues in the upcoming midterm elections.
His findings are beyond scary.
Most of them have no idea what the hell is going on. Many of them didn't know what "midterm elections" meant. They told him that politics bores them because all that is being talked about is the January 6th insurrection, voter suppression, election denying, and the melting away of democracy. Seriously.
What they want to hear is how are they going to get help to buy a house, eliminate their college debt, reduce the price of coffee, oh, and they are upset at the right to choose being taken away from them. They sort of heard about Roe v. Wade but didn't know what Dobbs v. Jackson was.
They don't understand that if we lose our Constitutional Democracy we lose everything else that we have come to expect here in America. Our foundation for a country is based on simple things like everyone agreeing to a peaceful transfer of power after an election, the right for everyone to vote, supporting the ideal of our branches of government even if you don't agree with everything they are doing, and of course following the guidelines set forth in the Constitution, everything, not just the ones you like.
Back in the day we listened to Walter Cronkite, or read our local newspaper, and felt like they were giving us the best information possible about what was happening around us. It was easy because we had few other choices. Today with cable, the internet, and social media we have so many false stories and information thrown at us that it is hard to know what is legitimate and what is crap.
I will help you here. 99% of what you see on social media is crap. 80% of what you see on the internet is crap. 70% of what you see on cable is crap. The challenge for you, America, is to work your way through that crap for the truth and educate yourself about what is happening around you so that when you vote, you know what the hell you are voting for, or against.
Here is another thing to keep in mind when you are following a story or looking for information. Sean Hannity lies, Rachel Maddow lies, Antifa is not an organization, the Democrats are not practicing child molestation in a pizza shop, and the January 6th insurrection was not a simple march against illegal voting. Use some damn common sense for once in your life.
Open your eyes and ears to what is happening right now. One party is trying to destroy our democracy in favor of an autocracy. They are scared to death about people of color, immigrants, women, and young people voting because they don't represent their values. They prefer to only have uneducated white men vote because they can influence them to vote for what they want. And it is working for them.
The party screaming the loudest about the government and the Justice Department being politicized is the party that has done the most to politicize the government and the Justice Department. Their goal is to have us turn on each other in a civil war because they have more guns then the other side and they think they could win a civil war.
We've done this before as a country and it didn't turn out well for the side that wanted to fight and there is no reason to think it will turn out any better for them today.
This November we have a choice to push the country back on the road to a democracy or send it caterwauling out of control and allowing us to be turned into an autocracy. It is our choice. Do some damn research and don't listen to your neighbors or friends because they are likely just a stupid as the next guy.
Get registered and go vote.