Tuesday, March 2, 2021

A Time For Pondering

 

I have this photo as my screen saver on my big desktop computer. On my big screen it just glows. It was taken in late June of 2019, when everything was good. Well, not everything. But at least we had hope that we could elect a new president in the coming year, we had not yet heard of COVID, and I was still able to spend hours crawling around in my garden trimming those edges you see on that emerald green lawn. This picture makes me happy. 

Pandemics provide plenty of time for pondering. 

I listen to the news on TV and radio, I peruse the daily newspaper, I skim-read editorials from the Washington Post and the New York Times and read a few in depth. I catch other news based articles on Facebook. I do the dangerous thing of reading some of the posted comments. I get an idea of how people of different persuasions are thinking.  Then I worry.

The former president has recently emerged from his cocoon in Florida in order to be worshiped at the CPAC convention. People still love him, or at least say they do. A recent exchange with a supporter on Facebook informed me that it is all about his "policies". I find that confusing, since the former president doesn't deal in policies. But I did urge her to then find another candidate that had similar policies but one that she did not have to sell her soul to support. 

I am getting the feeling that there may be some former supporters who really do want another choice, one without the "Twitter Angst" as a responder on that Facebook post said. That gives me hope.

What worries me more deeply is the move across the nation to pass laws in state legislatures to increase voter suppression. There is a widespread attack on mail-in voting, stricter limitations of voter registration, more gerrymandering, anything to enhance the chance of Republican wins by limiting votes. How can one of our two major political parties claim to be the upholder of our constitutional representative democracy, claim to be the real Americans, the true patriots, when they scheme to win by suppressing the right to vote. 

I support with a monthly donation an organization called "Let America Vote", whose goal is to prevent voter suppression.  Voter suppression is the new battleground. There are many good organizations fighting the good fight for your right to vote. I encourage you to find one to support. 


13 comments:

  1. Your garden is beautiful! I would love the same!!!

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  2. I read where Georgia is working on that very subject to suppress voting. And here I was looking on them as the beacon of hope for our nation. You are right and I will start checking organizations. Thanks for the heads up.

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  3. I agree with you in everything you posted here. I think it’s so repulsive that Republicans are trying to suppress the vote especially for minorities.

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  4. The change in voting regulations is a worry. They can do a lot of damage to democracy.

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  5. We are a divided nation. Pretty scary. Your garden is your refuge. Mine is also - and so I weed and weed and weed almost everyday. It started as a large (for Hawaii standards) sloping lot full of terrible weeds that needed to be made more usable with cutting down the high spots and removing piles of rocks. One of these days I will be able to take a picture of a lush green lawn with avocado and plumeria trees. It is a long range goal but getting closer each day.

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  6. I heard Lindsey Graham say something that was along the lines of having to get rid of mail in ballots or Republicans would never win elections. How's that support for representative democracy -- only let Republicans vote, a landslide guaranteed every time!

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  7. Good idea. I will look. Our state is gerrymandered by the Democratic party...! Neither side should be allowed to manipulate the vote. Regarding the former President's "policies." Since he ran with NO PARTY PLATFORM, that means to me he had no policies.

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  8. I worry more about the price of gasoline and heating fuels, the price of insulin for diabetics and what kind of war Joe will get us into. I refuse to look at anything political on facebook...that is a real quagmire. I hear there is a new news network...a conservative one but I have not watched it...I prefer old reruns of Bonanza or Friends:)

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  9. I'm also terrified of these voter suppression measures because they ARE working, especially in states with GOP dominated legislatures. I can't believe we have come to this. The racism and lack of ethics or morality have come into the open, yet so many still defend them. Beyond discouraging.

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  10. I will check out that organization. It's becoming a real problem, and after our most free and fair election ever! I suppose that's why.

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  11. I hope mail in voting becomes the norm in the USA. It is so much easier for disabled people like me to vote. These Republicans are doing everything in their power to hurt us.

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  12. Voter suppression is frightening. The support of the former guy is frightening also. I don't understand the allure at all.

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