I am sympathetic to productive change in America in many areas that Conservatives desire
I am for reason and for practicality, and, because I practice a historical form of the Christian Faith, I see the world through a particular lens. Call it a bias, I don't mind, but it is (I do believe) a compassionate one, and we must remember there is no such thing as an unbiased viewer. You, dear reader, are also biased. Let’s establish that first.
Every human view about life is biased, yet not all biases are incompatible with reason and grace. It is possible for people with differently biased views to work and thrive together. This, as I understand, is one of the geniuses of our American Experiment. This notion is at the philosophical core of our Constitution.
So - here is what I have always maintained about the following topics, and still do:
1. BOARDERS
America must secure our boarders. It is imperative. Non-optional. Every sovereign nation must. The failure of the Democratic party to seriously address this glaring problem spelled their downfall in the last election. They simply lacked the vision and the will to implement a sound plan. That was a fatal mistake.
2. FINANCIAL WASTE & MISMANAGEMENT
Government waste of money and resources must be checked, and it needs to be seriously addressed. It's been a well-known and perennial problem for year and years. However it is both unwise and dangerous to allow a complete novice control over our treasury department computers to make God only knows what cuts and rearrangements. This is not only inadvisable, it is distinctly illegal. YES - let's fix the problems - legally.
3. ILLEGALS DRUGS & CARTELS
The flow of drugs into this nation must be stopped. The US's so called "war on drugs," was a failure. Allowing drug cartels to operate without the most severe retaliation by our nation is more than a mistake, it is insane. The drug cartels must be destroyed, period. They cannot be allowed to operate. No argument with that.
4. HIGH PRICES
Price gouging and high prices on "everything" needs to be brought under control, but begin with the worst offenders, pharmaceutical companies, big oil, things controlled by the military industrial complex, on down to groceries and fuel prices. However, there are people who do not want the Federal government to intervene in the free market system. This is a mistake. High prices won't come down unless they are regulated. I have learned from experience that people won't change what benefits them until they are forced by laws and enforcement to do so. Think of the cop in your own rear-view mirror. Does it make you check your speed or not? Republicans historically wouldn't support federal interference in price regulations, so voting for Republicans to do that would not have worked in the past. But now??? Trump says he will. That is not the Republican way . . . but I am for it.
5. WOKENESS
What is called "WOKE" agenda has frightened and menaced millions of American citizens by its forceful and intransigent language and bold and confrontational posturing--especially in the areas of gender and sexuality. That, to me, seems to be an unreasonable, unwise, and counterproductive strategy -- it will backfire. It has backfired.
6. NO ONE IS GOING TO REVERSE THIS TREND
But the conservative voice is equally recalcitrant, refusing to recognize that people choose what they choose for whatever reasons, and that is not un-American. There was never a time in human history when people chose traditional or "christian" sexual/gender roles. Never was a time when everyone did, or ever will, fit into traditional gender/sexual roles. Thus - it is important that a more realistic conversations be developed.
7. MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY
n any intelligent discussion, it can never be "all one way or all the other." We negotiate. That's what politics is about. Finding a way forward. If we demand "all or nothing" we'll get a "one-or-the-other" coercive domination of the citizenry, who wants that, really? Americans were given freedoms under the Constitution that must be honored (though perhaps chafed against), or opposing groups will end up dishonoring "human rights" in general and will start oppressing their neighbor. It doesn't work well if one group absolutely demands "their own way" against a fair consideration of their neighbor's.
AT PRESENT, THIS EXTREME POLARIZATION OVER SEXUALITY AND GENDER ISSUES IS NEITHER OPEN FOR A CONVERSATION BY EITHER SIDE OF THE POLEMIC NOR A WORKABLE SOCIAL CONTRACT. WE ARE AT AN IMPASSE.
8. CLASSROOM CURRICULUM
I also agree that public education about gender and sexuality should not promote non-historical cultural norms that have existed for thousands of years. nor should educators VILIFY people who choose these ways of life, or believe that they were naturally born a particular way. Even if there is social evidence for it having been done in the past, there is no science for the validity of choosing one's gender in either direction. These are things dictated by one's "beliefs" and "inner feelings." No one should be punished, marginalized, or criminalized for their beliefs and feelings. What we are seeing now is "the criminalization" of citizens based on their gender identity and or sexual preferences. This is also unworkable and repressive. Not in harmony with the freedoms granted us in our founding national documents.
Inversely, no one, in my view, should insist on behaviors as normative that are inconsistent with ontological realities. Generally speaking -- Nature does not make mistakes. I say -- "Nature is Truth"-- Nature is the only truth science can go by. Keen observation of Nature is the discipline all sciences are founded on. If we cannot trust Nature, then there is nothing by which we can understand the cosmos itself. Nature IS the cosmos. Nature has the final say, not my feelings or beliefs...and I believe every physicist I can think of would agree with that basic premise. Why can't we?
9. BIBLE & PRAYER IN THE CLASSROOM
Here I must say that it might sound nice to institute such things, but I must be honest that these are not provided for in the Constitution of the United Stated of America. Freedom of worship is, but not these kinds of curriculum initiatives. So - no. That kind of education is for the home or for “faith-based” schools. There is is fine. But such is not for the public schools. That said, no public school should harass or forbid the free expression of discussion of its students about these topics. Public schools should not forbid religious topics from being discussed or practiced by its students on a personal level, that would be intrusive and heavy-handed. BUT, if we are going to go down this path of insisting on bringing religion into the public schools, then it opens up the topic of all religions being discussed on a equal basis, and I think there would be many christians who would resist that tidea.
10. SPORTS: ONTOLOGY & PHYSICAL COMPETITION
It also seems inconsistent to me, with respect to ontology, that biological men should be allowed to compete in biologically women's sports. I know someone will think this suggestion horrific, but -- why not provide Trans-athletes in physical sporting events of their own, not necessarily related to "natural biology," but organized according to the gender (or no-gender) the athlete identifies with?
Let trans-athletes complete on an equal basis with other trans-athletes according to the gender with which they identify. That seems to me to be the only fair way to settle that question. Hashing out the details along those lines may be a way forward on that topic. Biology always was an issue in sports, say, in the Olympics, as well as was doping, and clandestine hormone therapies, and none of that, in my view, should be changed because of Trans issues. Men with men. Women with women. Trans with Trans. I'm sure this must sound like an outrage to some, but so does the other to many people. Outrage is not a solution or a strategy. Is there a win-win situation here? I don't know.
11. ISSUES OF PATRIARCHY AND COLONIALISM are real
Patriarchy and Colonialism are real things -- and have caused real problems. These are not to be ignored or dismissed, but, ultimately a lot of that conversation is (at present) unproductive, because of the ways people discuss these things. I mean, how in the world can "colonialism" be undone? It can't. It can only be called-out and redressed. The best thing may be to systematically face the abuses one by one. I am no expert on these things. Except to say that nasty things have been done in this world in these areas, and many have been institutionalized. That is not good. Those can be addressed but they cannot be undone, and we are left with the consequences to mediate. We can make a better world if we want to.
12. CRITICAL RACE THEORY which is a new, emotional & uncertain term
We CAN fix injustices if we try, but we cannot do that when those injustices cannot be discussed or published. We have fixed injustices that have been talked about. We have done it before and we will do it again. We cannot undo slavery, but we can stop practicing and sanctioning it. There are still people in this country who do not condemn slavery, but it should be condemned in the strongest terms, in every instance, and its abuses and crimes should never be forgotten or repeated. Rather they should be rehearsed in our educational system forever. We should remember these things. We must never hide or downplay the facts that these crimes against humanity were practiced by our forebearers. That must never be passed over, minimized, or normalized. Yes. We should feel shame over these things, until the end of time. That is the only way not to repeat these sins, or downplay their devastating effects on generations of US citizens.
13. HERE IS THE WEIRD IRONY
The party that has traditionally been for SMALL government has just become a proponent of HUGE government -- with powers expanded in the executive office, as if the president were a king -- overnight. This is against everything Republicans said they stood for through the years. This is not the Republican party any more. This is not the America we once knew.
This is what is so shocking. Not just the "flip," but that the Republican Party can now grow in this direction from here forward. It's a NEW DIRECTION for the Republican Party. The Nation may not have been overthrown, but the Republican Party absolutely has been. That concerns me deeply.
We are just at the beginning of seeing the intrusion of Federal government into our lives. We have a real problem on our hands, and it won't go away once Trump is out of office. They are just getting started.
14. POWER IS POWER
Power is power. Humans are humans. These two things are married. People want power more than anything else. There is no such thing as one party wanting less power in the political realm, and the other party(s) wanting less power. Just stating it in those terms makes one laugh. All parties want power. All politicians want power. There is nothing at stake but power itself . . . and those who will wield it. The Democrats won't just walk away, their response is likely to be just as startling . . . if they can wrap their minds around what's just happened to them.
Which brings me back to my initial statements. -- I am NOT against the needed changes in America. I am FOR them. What I am against are two things:
A) the way these changes are being enacted and fortified, and
B) the person who is presently at the helm making these changes. Currently, both are criminal. THAT is what I stand against. The horror to me is that DJT is schooling the Republicans on how to dismantle the Congress by use of the courts. The courts are the fly in the ointment. Democrats knew this too, but they never had anyone at the wheel who had the will to use them at this level and with such force.
The core of my fears are that so many Americans are being swindled to think that this leader has any intention of doing his best for the American people. Based on my own observations and my average analytical skills, that is not my perception. This is not about America for Trump, it is about his personal pride, power and wealth alone. Americans, under the guise of legitimate national needs, are being (have been?) hijacked and we are being swindled. That is my sincere evaluation -- not to detract from what I said above about things that needed to change in America. I stand by that, regardless of which party or leaders bring it.
This President's administration is what is sometimes called a "Bait and Switch" operation.
It is NOT these legitimate issues that separate Americans, it's the persons at the helm of this government who is driving it. As I have said at least 100 times, "For me, it's not about the issues, it's about that man."
That is my view on things.
I just absolutely do not trust HIM!!!
He is hell-bent on hurting everyone who opposes him.
That is neither how I roll, nor how the American people should conduct the affairs of State.
We are ALL "better" than this.
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