In today’s United States, we are anything but united about almost anything. Even the weather can be turned into a he said/she said discussion! And it seems that everyone must declare to be either one of two political parties. Even when I declare that I do not identify with either party, I am told that I am clearly a member of one party and that I’m not being honest if I don’t declare that.
I don’t identify with political parties at all; well, at least I didn’t until the Republican Party became the Party of Trump. Now, for this election at least, I have no choice, if I want to never have to pay attention to Trump again, but to vote for a Democratic ticket.
But, just to declare it once and for all, I am not a political party. Judge me as you will, but know this – I am an individual, not a party, and I’m an ecumenical Christian, not a religious fundamentalist. Take me or leave me, but don’t try to define me for me, and don’t try to judge me as if you have the corner on righteousness.
I believe that the job of police is to keep us ALL safe. Many do a really good job of that. Some have prejudices and poor training that make them predisposed to judge people by the color of their skin and their social status. More training and more policing of police are needed. Social service agencies that help people need more support so that they can give these people hope rather than leaving them in despair.
I am pro-life. I find it hard to imagine the circumstance in which I would have an abortion, kill anyone, or encourage my daughter to do so, for that matter. Also, going to war should be a last resort, in my opinion, and is a sign that we have failed as human beings to successfully and humanely resolve differences and conflicts. It is never noble to take another life, although I recognize that sometimes there may be no other choice.
I am pro-choice in the broad sense. It is not the government’s role to tell me what I need to do with my body. I believe firmly in the First Amendment – that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
I also believe that the right to vote is fundamental to our democracy. We need to make sure that EVERYONE who is eligible to vote gets the opportunity to vote. This is who can vote by law – https://www.usa.gov/who-can-vote. It needs to be easy, accessible and safe for every eligible person to vote. We need to encourage everyone to vote – get information to them about how they can vote, give them time off to go vote, offer free transportation to those who can’t drive or walk to vote, and make voting by mail/absentee voting easy, safe and reliable. Voting, to me, is the one thing that keeps fascism, socialism, Communism, or any other -ism from worming its way into our system of government.
I also believe in the Second Amendment. I don’t see my belief as being in conflict with the need for the government to guarantee our safety by requiring stringent background checks that would assure us all that people with unresolved mental issues and people with a record of attempted or successful murder don’t have access to guns. I also don’t see the sense in anyone having an automatic rifle.
Having worked for 10 years for an agency that resettles refugees and having been a Lutheran for almost 35 years, I am dismayed over our country’s current response to immigration. I want clear, reasonable, humane immigration policies that guide us in welcoming and supporting people who need to leave their homeland because of religious and political persecution that put them at risk of death. We need to send back those who are coming here to take advantage of us or do us harm, but we are a country of immigrants that had a proud history of welcoming those who need us. Many, not all of course, who come here illegally are doing so because they can’t find a way to come here legally, even though they desperately need our help.
All of us need to step back from trying to defend our own status in life to try to understand how others feel. Protest strengthens our country, not weakens us, because it gives us a chance to learn, embrace and maximize the talents, energy and fervor of all Americans. Racism is still very prevalent throughout our country. Those of us who are privileged to be white often don’t even recognize our privilege and prejudices, but that doesn’t mean that the negative discrimination that people of color deal with and fight to get out from under is any less real. We ALL need to be willing to listen to each other and respect each other as full (not two-thirds) human beings beloved by God and of equal value to this kingdom on earth. The first step in acknowledging our failings as white people in the ways we have treated people of color is to be willing to say out lout “Black Lives Matter” without feeling the need to state what should have never been in question, which is that all lives matter.
Honestly, I just don’t get the mask and social distancing thing. COVID-19 is real. The fact that it is highly contagious is real. I don’t want me or those I love to die; hell, I don’t want anyone to die. Why would I not do anything possible, even if I’m not sure it will work, just in case by my not doing these safety measures I end up getting someone else sick or being responsible for their death. We wear seat belts; don’t allow smoking inside buildings; ticket jay walkers, people who drive drunk and people driving while on their cell phones; put our children in car seats in the back seat; etc. Why not require by law that people take care of themselves and others by wearing masks, socially distancing and staying away from crowds, especially given that many citizens have shown that they are unwilling to do what is needed? I realize this disease affects people’s ability to peacefully protest, but I wish that they wouldn’t right now. I support their right to do so, but I do believe that right now in the middle of this pandemic, they need to be using paid advertising, social media, emails, snail mail, etc. to bombard their elected officials to demand change, rather than protesting en masse in the streets.
Our country’s minimum wage is unsustainably low. No one can live on $15,080 a year ($7.25/hr), and that assumes that people making $7.25/hr work fulltime, while most jobs that pay that little are part-time jobs, not full-time. If the United States is not going to offer people a living wage, then it is going to have to fund social programs that give people making $7.25/hr the things they need to at least live and take care of their families. Higher minimum wages or social programs or some combination of both is simply reality, assuming we think it is important to not let people just die from hunger or poor health. The other reality to consider is that taking care of people who have fallen through the cracks ALWAYS costs more than helping people become as successful as they can.
Karen J. Rieley 