We recently took some time off to contemplate life and the state of the world. As we did, this country experienced yet another mass shooting in Andrea’s beloved State of Maine. Despite this and the death of all those ensnared in previous mass shootings, lawmakers remain frozen in place and not able, once again, to change the rules to protect the innocent. Once again, the new GOP offered prayer and a moment of silence as their solution. This type of inaction does not help the grieving families or those yet to become victims of sniper rifles and weapons of war here at home. We ask, what does a moment of silence mean if not followed by action?
We naively did not expect today to have a toxic leadership resulting in such wreckage to our democratic society. The GOP is proving to be an ailing culture that is willing to tolerate crisis and even more willing to create it. We do wonder if there is a cure for this sort of political malady. Will Americans wake-up to that fact before the 2024 elections?
There is no assurance of where the winds will blow and what damage may result from the next political storm as we have seen in the past. For some reason, the US has developed an affinity for Bad Boys and Bad Girls. And, today, it seems that the “bad boy and bad girl” syndrome has permeated our Congress and the halls of our Washington political institutions. Toxic and hegemonic masculinity and femininity has worked its way in and is showing itself to be a socially destructive force. Regrettably, this movement may condone sexual assault and domestic violence and normalizes violence, bullying, discrimination, and aggression in general. Despite this, their followers are unable to resist them.
The lure of the bad boy or bad girl by their hegemonic behavior is the modern-day Sirens de jour. And, like the Sirens in Greek mythology, the bad boys and bad girls of politics today, as with Trump, DeSantis, Gaetz, MTG, Santos, and now Mike Johnson, are luring those to an island with their sweet songs and promises. And those who follow are foolish prey.
We clearly have a GOP leadership that is out to prove that the government does not work. Years of preparation have created that self-fulfilling prophecy and, yes, our government is failing – a fulfilled plan of the GOP’s underbelly.
With an average of only 50% in the US voting in most elections, Americans are deemed non-consistent voters. Scores have forgotten that lives were lost to gain their privilege to vote. With such low voter turnout, have we as a democratic nation become so apathetic and complacent that we no longer grasp the fragility of our democracy?
Can the Democrats, Independents and the non-Maga Republicans move this country from chaos to chois? Will the American people embrace the opportunity to choose and select a leader who will lead us out of this septic mess that the GOP has created and back into the world of choice and democracy? Clearly the Grand Old Party is no more.
Democracy, we are finding, is like the good friend we thought would always be there. And now, suddenly there is a threat to its existence. Yes, we are stunned by world events. Who would have thought that we would be at these crossroads today? At the helm, we now have the king of the nice guys, Joe Biden. In 2024 may the good guys and democracy win. And, may the nice guys and gals rule again!
