As an original ‘baby boomer’ I grew up in one of the most patriotic, non-war eras in American history. WWII had ended, and our government took all of the credit for the defeat of the most infamous fascist in history; Adolf Hitler. Although history reveals the Soviet Union and Great Britain were more instrumental than the United States in the outcome.

In 1951 I entered elementary school. One of our first lessons was to learn the “Pledge of Allegiance.” I remember being close to tears as I recited the words which ended in “liberty and justice for all.”

As I grew older and attended events when the national anthem was played, I sang proudly. Even when I began to understand politics and the events which happened in Washington, I remained loyal to my government; the men I believed had the interests of the American people as priority number one.

I became a political ‘junkie’ in 1956 when Dwight D. Eisenhower was seeking a second term. I was 10 years old. I knew little about “Ike,” but I knew that he was a war hero, and the majority of the American people seemed to love him.

My interest peaked in 1960; my first year of high school. John F. Kennedy was elected as our nation’s 35^th president. He inspired younger Americans and preached hope and patriotism.

Disaster struck on November 22, 1963 when I had just begun my senior year. A great man was murdered by a deranged man and for three days the world stopped spinning.

I won’t get into a discussion about the war in Vietnam which escalated after I graduated from high school and the failures of successive presidents Johnson, Nixon, and Ford. There were other men in Washington who I believed deserving of my praise and respect.

I continue to call myself an ‘Independent,’ although I have not been able to vote for a Republican i./n the federal level of government since 1980. As Ronald Reagan began his second term in 1985, I was opposed to policies which were directed at increasing the wealth of the richest Americans and ignored the needs of the working class. The Republican Party escalated its singular support and today they have forgotten their obligation to serve all 330 million Americans.

Today the great majority of the American people have been forgotten; completely ignored by the old, white, self-serving men and women in Washington. Sadly, an uninformed electorate continues to vote for the same old failures year after year.

If you are 40 years old or younger you have no idea what I’m talking about; you never experienced my America. If you are 25 or under, you know nothing about our country. You have chosen not to be involved; to become a good citizen. This is the real problem with America today. We are woefully uninformed as a nation. Social media has become more important than real news where we can learn the reality of what is happening to our nation and our future.

Most Americans assume that congress is working; they are horribly wrong. What made our nation a great democracy was the ability and willingness of our elected officials to deliberate and compromise the issues of the day. This no longer happens. Days in the Capitol building are occupied with attempts to grab power. Both the executive and legislative branches of government in 2020 are completely dysfunctional.

Meanwhile, not a single problem which faced America on election day, 2016 has been addressed by Trump’s government. Nearly 350 bills, passed by the House, continue to gather dust on Moscow Mitch McConnell’s desk. He will not allow a vote on laws which would aid military families, working class Americans, voting rights, and protections for future elections from foreign nations. This is an act of pure fascism.

I know you’re asking: “why haven’t I heard about most of this?” The answer is simple: you are like your illegitimate and failed president; you learn everything from television.

On November 9, 2016 I made a promise to myself never to watch television news again. I refuse to be lied to and lies of omission cause more harm than a blatant fallacy. The fourth estate died with the illegal election of Donald John Trump. The evil which happens every day in Washington is hidden from the American people. Why? “News” shows have become the most profitable broadcasts on every network. Once again, profit before people.

You will understand more after I offer these facts.

On January 20, 2017 there were 545 billionaires and 10.1 million millionaires. Three years later there are 704 billionaires and 18.6 million millionaires in the United States. The men and women who lie to you on Fox, MSNBC, ABC, NBC, and CBS are included in those 18.6 million millionaires. They began televising Trump five more times than all other candidates in 2015 because regardless of how many lies he told, sensationalism sells advertising.

It is the media who has aided Trump is his primary belief: “tell a lie often enough and uninformed people will believe it.” This is the only reason Trump has supporters today.

This is not my America. When I was a young man, I watched a one-half hour news broadcast each evening, usually offered by Walter Cronkite. He informed us of facts about the daily events without personal comments; they were the truth which is rarely offered today.

Today’s government is an illusion. Less than 10 percent of our nation’s 535 legislators deserve my vote. Will Rogers said it best: “Be thankful we’re not getting all the government we’re paying for.”

“The Truth Lives Here”

Op-ed by James Turnage

My eight novels, including “The Holiday Killer,” are exclusively available on Amazon; CLICK HERE; the Kindle app is a free download