Let's Not Fool Ourselves

Perhaps we have been fighting for justice inside a government that has been corrupt for years. Trump is no doubt the icing on the cake when it comes to lawlessness and abuse of power, but corruption was created long ago.

TV analysts fear that we are about to lose our democracy, our republic. Yes, we have. “Democracy” means “a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives,” or so says my online dictionary. When people are not allowed to vote because of long lines and voter ID laws prevent the poorest from voting, we don’t have a democracy.

A “Republic” means “a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch.” Our masses don’t hold the power. Only a small subsection of them do.

We may get mesmerized by sound bites and fantastical propaganda depending on our favorite news outlets. Trump was elected by the few, and our current electoral college in its obsolescence allowed not only him but George Bush to become president, instead of the candidates who won the popular vote. Our leaders do not represent all of us.

Thank goodness Congress changed a little in 2018. But, we still have plenty of shouting, blistering Republicans who, when they cannot argue about content, scream about the process of impeachment, disagreeing with our current Constitution’s rules. Our president gets his feelings hurt and attacks people rapidly with his assaults, what a role model for our children.

I believe that our government is an oligarchy, “a small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution.” Money talks and usually, the more money, the greater the vote. Look how the Democratic National Party supported Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders.
Where is fairness and justice? Where is representation of all people? Republicans kowtow to Trump because they want to be elected again and he blackballs disagreers. Some are anxious, alarmed leaders at best.

I implore all people to educate themselves about impeachment, about candidates, and about policies instead of believing the Republican missive that Democrats are doing nothing but fighting Trump in Congress. The Democrats in The House have actually sent hundreds of bills to the Senate while Mitch McConnell sits on them, trying to prove his claim that Democrats are lazy and do nothing.

Let’s not fool ourselves when we see lion’s clothing. Greed and power can corrupt even our best values. The populace votes against its best interests too often, hoping to trust and believe in powerful men who they hope will take care of them with their empty promises, electing the most aggressive among them.

We human beings get fooled far too often by glitz, glamor and guts. That has not worked well for us lately. Let us educate ourselves well during this next year to try to create a real democracy and republic. And, if you really want a dictator, please move to a country that offers such leaders.

Calling for a Revolution of Justice

One of our esteemed Congress members recently tweeted a quotation from Desmond Tutu: "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez encourages us all to speak out, particularly when there is so much corruption, dysfunction and sickness in our nation.

The list of current horrors is immense. Our government as a whole supports: torture of children and adults, separation of families, growth of the huge businesses of sex trafficking and private prison corporations that offer big profits while people suffer -  just to name a few. Our President lies on average several times a day and Republican Congress members will not stand up to his poisonous talk and monstrous policies. Climate change is increasingly dangerous, and women are no longer allowed to be in charge of their bodies while trying to protect their current children from harm. 

Racism and violence are encouraged by our president’s use of language, his impulsive, child-like tweets continue to embarrass us all over the world. Many people are afraid to go out in public concerned that some (usually) white young man will spray them with bullets. No safety anymore with weapons of mass destruction at angry, young men’s fingertips. No illusion of safety, either.

We cannot go on this way. We cannot listen to the news on a daily basis because we hear and see so much horror that we lose our balance and our hope. A revolution needs to occur, so that we can begin to tackle so many of these very real tragedies.

People all over our nation, including you and me, continue living with this now chronic terror, this continuous battle of partisan politics and some people’s voting directly against their own needs and interests. Corporate money and foreign countries buy our elections and Jeffrey Epstein’s death suggests that even alleged criminals cannot be protected well enough so that justice is served.

In 2016 we elected as president a horrid example of a human being who is affecting us all by his powerful choices about policies and about those who work for him, including new supreme court justices and figures like William Barr, who acts in direct opposition to how his role is defined.  Barr is just a robot, carrying out Trump’s agenda instead of protecting the masses in this crazy upside down nation. And, no one stops him. How many more Trump employees need to be convicted before Trump is prohibited from more disastrous actions?

We can be complicit or we can work together to take action. If you have no idea about how to begin getting involved in a revolution of justice, please google any number of organizations that need your help. From immigrant rights to white supremacy to health care reform, there are current local, state and national groups trying to combat the criminal behaviors of our government and its people. Please help us. We need you all.

Calming Traffic, a public health and safety hazard

For the past 45 years, I have been amazed at Nashville’s growth. Some love it and some hate it. 

 

Having lived mostly in the Hillsboro/West End/Belmont area of town, I began walking daily with a group of friends 30 years ago. We walked every day except for two in a two year time span, dedicated to each other and enjoying the outdoors. I even married one of my fellow walkers. 

Fast forward to 2019, and although much has stayed the same, much has changed. Friends have come and gone, we have worked hard, and we have aged. Our neighborhood streets are now clogged with traffic, a public health and safety hazard. Recently, some of our former walking group members began walking regularly again. But this time, we risk danger every time we step out onto our street with cars whizzing past, no sidewalks, no bike lanes, no easy ways to make a change to slow down the traffic. 

We have contacted our Metro council member who says that traffic studies have been ordered and conducted during the past few years. We are attending neighborhood meetings so that we can empower ourselves and our elected officials to find and implement solutions. 

This is not just an elitist problem though, unique to our neighborhood. All over Nashville, residents are asking for more assistance, for more sidewalks, bike lanes, stop signs and traffic calmers to create more safety for all of its residents. It breaks my heart to see a mother struggling with her baby carriage walking on a 12 inch wide space on a busy street, risking her and her baby’s lives. I hope that another tragedy does not happen before some necessary changes are made. 

Even when driving, with all the construction and repair happening these days, it is hard to get to where we are going, never knowing which roads will have detours and which roads will be busy near the congested interstate system that fills up like a parking lot in the mornings and by 2 PM every weekday. How people get to work on time amazes me! 

It is time for Nashville to decide if its calling itself an “It” City is true. An “It” City would offer its residents ample spaces to walk, ride bikes and travel whether it is to and from work, or for recreation and tourism. Certainly an “It” City wants its residents healthy. We love our parks and neighborhood centers, but if people can’t get there without high personal risk, they will stay away. 

I do not want to just complain, but to activate and motivate other Nashville residents to consult with those in power, those who will listen to us and not let us get too caught up in bureaucratic red tape without successfully implementing prioritized decisions for our neighborhoods. Please contact your council member and arrange meetings and actions that will bring attention to your needs, Nashville!