There is hope for the United States of America.
Over the last few years, things didn’t look good. SCOTUS overturned Roe v Wade. TFG gained popularity while President Biden sank in the polls. The environment continued to degrade. Disasters and wars dominated the news. Nut jobs tried to pull off a putsch to prevent the results of a legitimate election from being made official. And just recently Hamas launched a brutal attack on Israel, which retaliated by bombing innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip and frustrating efforts to get humanitarian aid through to them.
Now the news is sounding a lot better. Voters in Ohio ensconced reproductive rights in their state’s constitution, while those in Kentucky re-elected a Democrat as governor. Virginia voters prevented a Republican trifecta, foiling Governor Youngkin’s efforts to outlaw abortion in that state. Candidates who campaigned on protecting abortion rights clobbered their Republican opponents. The Blue Wave in Virginia guarantees that their legislature will protect reproductive rights, at least in the foreseeable future. The anti-choice “victory” in overturning Roe v Wade is looking more and more Pyrrhic.
On top of that, efforts by the infamous pro-censorship group Moms for Liberty to take over school boards across the country were stymied. Evidently, enough voters saw through the parental-rights sheep’s clothing and beheld the hatemongering wolf underneath.
And why did these come about? Because millions of people refused to give up. Because millions of people in those three states got their butts to the polls and voted. This election cycle may indicate that We The People are not just slowing this country’s tumble into fascism, but reversing it and starting to restore genuine democracy.
This is no time for complacency, though – this is time for momentum. Our recent victories should inspire us to work harder in the next election cycle. 2024 is an important election since US voters will be selecting not just our Representatives and a third of our Senators, but who will occupy the Oval Office for the next four years. Biden may run for re-election, and though he has not been an outstanding leader he definitely has been better than his predecessor. We need to make sure the Tangerine Troglodyte is disqualified from running – democracy in the USA will not survive if he gains a second term. And if you think he can’t carry out his insane plans, guess again. Have you forgotten the coup on the 6th of January? He has a large enough base of fanatical followers that he could become a dictator.
While writing this essay, I learned that Rep. Brandon Prichard of North Dakota wants authorities in Ohio to overturn the recent election results. He claims that “[d]irect democracy should not exist.” This cannot be an isolated case. You can be certain that GQP candidates and office holders will want elections that give results they don’t like ignored.
Once again we need to Vote Blue No Matter Who. I hope that, by 2026, we can be more choosy and elect Democrats who truly believe in and support what that party is supposed to represent.
