The Bottom Line

 

I was reading a blog post about Justices RBG and Scalia and the idea of unity and "getting along" with Americans who have political differences, like we used to. While I think we all agree that would be nice, let's examine what it really means.

I'm generalizing a little bit, but given official Republican positions on these issues over the past four years, I don't think I'm generalizing unfairly.

Republicans are okay with turning away foreign people fleeing poverty, violence and crime. They are okay with keeping children in cages, not keeping them safe from crime and disease while in custody, and don't seem to care about the forced sterilization of women.

Republicans are okay with depriving tens of millions of people of affordable healthcare. Not just keeping them from getting it, but actually taking it away from people who have it.

Republicans are okay with a criminal, corrupt, vulgar, incompetent, divisive President who has openly spoken of becoming dictator for life.

Republicans are okay with police violence towards minorities in America, criminalizing protests, using U.S. troops against peaceful protestors, and supporting white nationalists.

Republicans are okay with undermining the post office, delegitimizing voting, allowing foreign interference with our elections, and suppressing Democratic voters, mostly minorities, whenever they can.

Republicans are okay with cheating to pack the courts with unqualified judges, and ignoring their own precedent in order to keep liberal voices from contributing to our political discourse.

Republicans are okay with a President who has mocked and derided veterans, military families, military casualties, and active armed force personnel.

Republicans are okay with 200,000 (and counting) American deaths from a preventable pandemic, when the man in charge has admitted that while he knew the disease was very dangerous, he allowed it to spread because he thought the deaths would be mostly in blue states. He has also made every pandemic response decision based on reelection concerns, rather than on what would protect American lives.

I don't care if you support Trump only to get conservative judges on the bench. I don't care if you're a moderate Republican who is uncomfortable with the administration. If you are a Republican, you support these things, because THAT'S WHAT YOUR PARTY IS ACTIVELY DOING.

All of the above being true, I am NOT interested in maintaining friendships or associations with people who hold these views. The above positions don't represent political disagreements, but reflect support for fundamental violations of human rights, the ideals of American democracy, and plain decency. Americans will only come together when Republicans embrace treating all Americans equally and all human beings with dignity. We don't need to meet Republicans halfway, they need to come to us.

How can anyone who believes in justice and human rights, willingly associate with people who don't share those fundamental beliefs?

Only when Republicans are voted out of office, deprived of all political power, can we begin to heal this nation.

Vote as if your life depends on it, because it does.