Letters: Our democracy is at stake; Dishonesty, not policies
Our democracy is at stake
Probably my most favorite Garry Trudeau “Doonesbury” appeared a few years ago and has been posted to my refrigerator ever since. It is, sadly, still a delight to read:
(From the pulpit, a pastor reads the following):
One final announcement from the Board of Elders: “There has been some confusion among evangelicals as to what currently constitutes sin in the eyes of the church. So to clarify, we now condone the following conduct: Lewdness, vulgarity, profanity, adultery and sexual assault. Exemptions to Christian values also include greed, bullying, conspiring, boasting, lying, cheating, sloth, envy, wrath, gluttony and pride. Others TBA. Lastly, we’re willing to overlook Biblical illiteracy, church non-attendance, and no credible sign of faith.”
(Parishioners leaving church and greeting the pastor): “Lovin’ the lower bar, pastor.” “Me, too. I feel like a freakin’ saint now.”
“Enjoy,” replies the pastor.
The words of Martin Luther King still haunt me: “If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.”
No less than our hard-won democracy is at stake. If respected voices of authority treat this election as a third-rail “issue” I tremble with fear for our future. If you support a man whose rallying cry is “I am your retribution,” I dare not think of the repercussions. Frankly, I’m a bit afraid to even write a letter these days; who knows who might come after me if our wanna-be dictator were to win? Doesn’t sound very “love-thy-neighbor”-ish, does it?
Dishonesty, not policies
The response to President Biden’s State of the Union again showed that Republicans just don’t get it.
It was delivered by Katie Britt, a young Alabama Senator reported to be a potential VP candidate. Unfortunately, she didn’t help herself or her party.
Speaking from her kitchen, Britt downplayed her professional accomplishments, instead highlighting her domestic roles of mother and wife. She played into all the stereotypes about women — speaking in a “little girl” voice, overemoting, and smiling broadly while discussing serious matters — reassuring conservatives that successful women aren’t threatening.
Britt spent much of her speech blaming Biden for inaction at the border. She never mentioned that she voted against the bipartisan border security bill that she helped negotiate. The reason: Trump doesn’t want the problem solved; he’s running on it.
Most troubling, Britt created a false narrative to make her point. She recounted her meetings in south Texas with a woman who’d been trafficked as a child — a victim of Biden’s policies, Britt claimed. In truth, the abuse happened decades ago in Mexico, not the United States. Britt knew that.
Despite subsequent fact-checking she continues to lie.
It’s too bad Britt’s attempts to court women are not matched by real policy proposals. Concerns of both women and men extend beyond the kitchen. Britt said nothing about pay equity, child care, health care, education, jobs, or reproductive justice.
In the end, Republicans showed disregard for American women, and may have destroyed the career of one of their own.