It’s a truly rare moment in a person’s life when they can bring a life’s work to a close in an instant in front of 20,000 people with a simple statement: “Yes we can.” One thing is certain: Barack is a skilled speaker.
The Obama administration passes into history. Already the thoughtful, gracious manner is missed. We walk out onto the street – which is noisy, unfocused, ungracious and taking actions in secret – whether because the new administration doesn’t know what they are doing or because it doesn’t want us to know. Likely both.
Large, complex cultural structures are at risk of collapse because new Department Heads are antagonistic toward the safeguards provided our citizens by their Departments. Science, health, human resources, social justice, the economy, and common cause are facing a bashing.
The 115th Congress, having stopped and denied legislative progress for eight years already has demonstrated it has forgotten how to pass meaningful legislation. Among many piecemeal efforts aimed at shrinking discretionary funding, Congress passed legislation eliminating the Affordable Care Act – but not really; some time in the future the Republicans will come up with a replacement but for now they don’t have one. Since the ACA has been eliminated, however, it can’t be improved. In the midst of sensitive, even volatile times, a racist is made the nation’s top law enforcer.
There were two positive actions Donald could have performed: derail the establishment – both democratic and republican – so a new direction could begin or as a double negative effort, prevent the Republican Congress from ravaging the Obama legacy. Unfortunately, there is little ‘law and order’ in our Federal Government. Mariner is reminded of the shootout at OK corral.
Mariner often has lamented the laisse-faire attitude of American voters. Among all democracies, the US ranks 27th out of 35 functioning democracies with only 53% of eligible voters participating. Further, only 84% of eligible voters are allowed to vote. Yes, allowed to vote. It is no secret that nearly half the active political people in the US do not want people of color, young, or disadvantaged social classes to be able to vote.
However, as debilitating as low voter turnout is, the most damaging abuse to our democratic process is gerrymandering. Gerrymandering alone blocks the influence of half of all voters. Gerrymandering exists in your State. Redistricting will be performed by the next election of Governors and State Legislators.
Some of the oldest readers may remember the zeal, the fervor, the energy of the US citizen during World War II. Coming out of the Great Depression and combining that commitment to recovery with the nationalist fervor elevated by the War, political responsibility was palatable. Every precinct had a political club as active as any neighborhood association today. Where it mattered, ethnic groups had fund raisers and additional neighborhood networks.
Today, no matter where in the fifty states one may live, political clubs are kept small until campaign time and managed by incumbent politicians so as to assure their reelection.
In addition to your card club or hobby club, join a political party club. We have a war on our hands.
Remember what he said: Yes We Can.
Ancient Mariner