What does it mean to be a liberal/progressive? If you are a “conservative,” you deny the truth and label us ‘communists,’ and some go so far as to call us ni**ar lovers.
For me it means that I believe in the Bill of Rights without exception. I do not pick and choose the parts I support. Freedom and equality belong to all Americans regardless of race, religion, country of origin, color of skin, or sex. I do not separate men or women by the money in their wallets. The first amendment contains the greatest words in the history of the world, and our right to vote is the most important right ever guaranteed to the people of our nation.
Today the world is facing a pandemic. With our federal government poorly equipped or prepared to stop the spread of the coronavirus or to lessen its severity, many of our state’s governors have taken timely and aggressive action.
Yesterday Trump signed a stimulus bill. It will be a one-time effort to save the economy which is suffering from the effects of the pandemic. However, it is too little, too late, and will be nothing more than a Band-Aid on a lethal wound.
Issues which faced the American people on election day, 2017, continue to be problems today. Trump and his circle of sinners have accomplished nothing in more than 38 months. Instead, they passed a “tax reform” bill which gave permanent tax breaks to the wealthy and drastically reduced the corporate tax rate. In 2019 a whopping 1.2 trillion dollars was added to the deficit. Trump continues to waste more than 16 million dollars each month to live the life of a real billionaire. Common sense does not exist within the right-wing of our government.
A failed healthcare system continues to cost our nation billions of dollars each year. The cost higher education remains a serious problem as we lose some of our greatest minds each year because they cannot afford tuition. Nothing has been done about the opioid crisis. There is no serious plan to solve our immigration problem. White supremacists have taken control of our government. Income inequality continues to grow. Woman rights have been ignored for decades by the right. The Constitution is under attack by Trump and his puppeteer, Vladimir Putin.
As a life-long liberal, Independent voter, my primary belief is that doing the right thing, regardless of public opinion or the prejudices of others, will be my first action in any and all situations. Racism and bigotry are pure ignorance. Ignoring the truth and denying facts are pure ignorance. Believing the lies constantly coming from the White House is pure ignorance.
The truth is that this stimulus should go to the working class and small businesses, and no one else. Thanks to Trump and his party, the wealthy and large corporations do not need more money. Once you understand that the stock market is not an indicator of our nation’s overall economic strength, and cease believing the lies of Trump, Lindsey Graham, Moscow Mitch McConnell, all Fox’s fake journalists and others extremists, you will reinstate yourself as an American. The right-wing has moved so far to the right they have become radicals who lean towards fascism while denying democracy for all.
Stand up for America and vote on November 3rd. Republicans have become the enemy of the people.
The Truth Lives Here.
Op-ed by James Turnage
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