We the people . . .

Are confused

Within the chaotic swirl of politicized facts, alternate facts, and accusations, one thing has become clear – for pre-election America, the truth hurts. When faced with the truth, we the people are not happy.
The truth is that in the last election less than half of us voted for the legally elected president. Yet, another truth is that less than half voted for the “other” candidate(s). Neither the winner nor the loser received a clear majority. The result is that we the people remain divided into “them” or “us”.
Another truth is that with the exception of indigenous peoples “we the people” are all immigrants to some degree. The writers of the Constitution were immigrants. Our current president is a second-generation immigrant; our first lady is a recent immigrant. “We the people” of the US Constitution were/are immigrants.
Bans on people are not productive. Bans target vulnerable people. They perpetuate stereotypes. Stereotyping an entire group of immigrants as “bad dudes”, “rapists”, or “terrorists” is divisive, not productive. Immigrants fuel our economy. What we the people need is immigration reform, not immigration bans.
What is the truth about the current economy? Well, the economy is better for some, not better for others. Who was/is president does not matter. What matters is that only some of the people are working more and many are not working at all.
Climate change is another truth. The melting of ice caps and glaciers, is a scientific fact, not a hoax. We the people are facing huge changes in the earth’s climates: warmer winters, hotter summers, rising ocean levels. We may not agree on the causes, but we the people need to agree on some solutions before we all become extinct.
Healthcare needs reform. Pandemics, accidents, sickness, are not choices, they are part of life. They happen despite our best efforts. Access to healthcare should be a right, not a privilege.
To find solutions, we the people need leaders who lead, not leaders who divide. We need more decorum in our elected officials, not blame placing. The truth is we need real facts, not alternate facts and bombastic rhetoric. We the people need a free press and the freedom to agree or disagree.
And lastly, we are all equal and we do not need anyone to make our country great again. We need someone to remind us that America has always been great because, despite her problems, she is ALL of us together. Her Constitution guarantees free speech, freedom of religion, and equal opportunity for all of us. But, the truth is that not everyone enjoys those opportunities equally. Ultimately, how we the people cope with that fact will define whether or not we remain great.

© Jo Anne

July 4, 2020