My Fellow Americans,
We’ve been dividing. It has been unsettling to say the least. Families have been torn apart. It seems one side is at odds with the other. There is a bi-partisan loyalty that has been taking priority in many of our hearts and minds.
I’ve had a recent shift in loyalties. After this weekend, and Trump’s first week in office, I have seen and read and participated in so much. I’ve been overwhelmed–so over involved in my personal political beliefs that I missed the big picture.
I’m an advocate of admitting when you’ve made a mistake or made assumptions in ignorance. I’ll live by my own words now–I did not see this coming. I underestimated the Trump administration in a very dangerous way.
There are some things we may never agree on. I don’t think we’re going to agree on God/Goddess/Universe/Spirit/Allah/Jehovah/Nothing/other. I don’t think we’re going to agree on immigration, refugees, or national security. I don’t think we are going to agree on reproductive rights or marriage rights. I don’t think we’re ever going to agree on which News sources are fake, which are real, which are biased or unbiased. However, I’d hope that one thing we can all agree on is that we are Americans.
Now more than ever, I feel a loyalty to my country. I remember visiting Washington DC in High School and laying eyes on the nation’s most fundamental documents. I didn’t comprehend what they meant then–not like I do now.
Democracy is a beautiful vision, and our founding fathers were truly enlightened men–even if they were also men of their time. They won a revolution that should have been impossible. They thought things through, and planned for the checks and balances that keep our system democratic. The amendments put in place by our founding fathers were brilliantly constructed to keep the government in balance with itself, and to empower the people if the government fell out of balance.
I will admit to you, Obama was not perfect. He had things going on I don’t agree with. He’s as corrupt as any of them behind the curtains–I’m sure. He’s a wonderful man, but he’s a politician. His administration did some wonderful things for civil liberties, but they were still financially sketchy and not always transparent. He’s a man, flawed as any. That’s what the 3 branches of government are for. They kept things in check. They kept him from gaining too much personal power.
We need to stop debating who is the better president. We have to stop comparing Obama to Trump or justifying Trump with Obama’s mistakes (or even his triumphs).
Can we please admit, openly and on friendly terms, that there might be some things wrong with our government right now?
The gag ordered silence, the executive orders, firing the AG, sudden travel ban–its only been a bit over 1 week. ONE WEEK! The change that has occurred in one week is so dramatic, I’d compare it to an entire 4 years of another administration. Some might say this is good–successful. However, I encourage you to think about why this is happening. There’s a reason for this, and it’s not good.
The democratic process is being abused.
The reason it takes other administrations so long to get things done is because our system depends on a very organized process of checks and balances. Those checks and balances are fundamental to maintaining American Democracy, as it was put forth by our nation’s founders. If those checks and balances are being overlooked or completely ignored so that ANY party can get this much done this quickly, Democracy itself is being threatened.
Trump is a business man who is not used to politics. He is used to making decisions for a bureaucracy, not a democracy. He’s not waiting for permission from the branches, he’s just taking action. In business, this is successful! I’d commend him! I can actually see this being a very aggressive business tactic, and I’m not surprised he has been so successful.
But in politics, this can be fatal for millions of people–and in the US, it violates our constitution. It’s illegal. It’s unconstitutional. It’s very dangerous.
I think one thing we can unite on as a people is our Constitution and the Declaration of Independence–the genius, enlightened documents on which our country was built. I am loyal to these documents. I have studied them, and I will continue to study them for further understanding. I will defend them because I understand them and I agree with the vision they put forth. The general outline of American democracy is brilliant–but its being abused more than it has been for decades.
The checks and balances that are necessary to our system are currently being tested, and it is vitally important that people from all over the political spectrum stand up–not on behalf of a President but on behalf of American Democracy. We need to hold the government to the utmost standard of balance with respect and responsibility to the democratic process as it was put forth by our founding fathers’ pens.
We are the final balance put in place by our founding fathers in their construction of this political system. WE are THE PEOPLE and we are here for the United States of America–life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness! Democracy!
Going forward, I’m sure the protests will continue. Regardless of where you stand or what you stand for, we must keep the government in place, in line, and in balance. Democracy is at stake. The most important thing right now is not whether or not you agree with your government, its whether your government is operating legally and constitutionally. If you support the president, but he breaks the law or does something unconstitutional, you should be concerned. We have to stop comparing to the past. We have to acknowledge that, right now, something is very wrong and we have to stop blaming each other.
The future of this country depends on people from all sides coming together and keeping our government in check.
An out of balance system is not a win for any of us. It leaves us vulnerable to more than just terrorism. It leaves us vulnerable to political takeover, trade excommunication from other countries, war on our own soil, nuclear war even. The most valuable defense we have against foreign enemies is a united community of Americans and a polished and balanced democratic system. We have to be infallible politically. We have to be practicing genuine American Democracy to keep up the strength we wish to maintain. That is more powerful than any size military.
I’d love to debate liberal and conservative politics with you, but first we need to make sure that we all maintain the right to do so.
The People are the heroes now.
We, the People are the final check when the 3 branches fall out of balance. Things are very unstable right now. If they continue to fall out of balance, we will have to stand up together to fix it. We have to find a way to unify. We have to find a way to stand up as a people. Left and right wings are attached to the same bird. It takes both wings to fly.
We are most powerful as a country when we are united as a People.
I don’t know how to unite us. We’re so torn by hard moral topics. It is so difficult to have conversations nowadays. I will say, make your voice heard and listen other’s voices. Try to reach out, try to build bridges. Be willing to build bridges. Be willing to stand up against your president if he crosses the boundaries of democracy, even if it benefits your beliefs. We must maintain the checks and balances of the American democratic system. Our Nation depends on it.
It will take all of us.
Every single American.