"It can't happen to me." . . . Until it happens to you
As voter suppression laws are passed in states where republicans control a majority of all branches of state governments, something occurs to me. Why are republican voters not standing up in opposition to these illogical, illegitimate and immoral laws? The obvious answer is that these actions could guarantee a win for their presidential candidate, but there could be another reason: A reason that has been primarily ignored by the media. In my humble opinion, I believe that republican voters have remained mum on this matter, because it does not affect them.
Why the major news outlets have not given a voice to this possibility is of less importance than what tolerance of tactics that circumvent our Democracy mean for our country. This reluctance to stand up for "other" people's rights has been seen throughout history. It was this attitude of "looking the other way" that allowed the Nazi's to kill so many Jewish people and "others" who did not fit into Hitler's ideals of humanity. While this may seem like an extreme view to take, it shouldn't, because all one need do is look at what is happening in America these days: The middle class is dwindling and those who are poor or becoming poor are being labeled as a blight on society. Even when these people have done everything that was supposed to lead to the American Dream, they have found themselves in a nightmare and we are supposed to look them as parasites . . . And how did Hitler look upon the Jews?
Before I relate this attitude to voter suppression and the acceptance that seems to flourish amongst the republican constituency, I would first like to delve further into the fact that so many are becoming impoverished and so many more are allowing this to happen. It can't be, as some of the more boisterous republican, presidential candidates and GOP pundits try to frame it, that those who have fallen into the ranks of the unemployed, uninsured, homeless and under-represented are lazy, ambition-less and lacking in some way. My doubts arise from the fact that these are the same people who were, at one time, hard-working, mortgage paying members of society. They were teachers, fire fighters, policemen and women; Some were vice presidents at small or large companies while others made comfortable livings at more labor intensive jobs. Many were people who thought that "It could never happen to them" And, until it did happen to them, they ignored it. Sound familiar?
There are people living in their cars who can't get food stamps, because they own their car. Others live in motels, because they couldn't afford their mortgages, after losing their jobs. Are these people in their situations, because of poor planning? Maybe . . . some, but I doubt all. The way that so many who found themselves homeless were demonized, so too are those who've found themselves jobless. Do you remember when everyone was saying that the housing market was only collapsing because of greedy house flippers? Well, I think we ran out of house flippers a few years back, but people are still losing their homes. Could the banks be more at fault than people want to credit them? And don't the arguments about the unemployed sound similar? Claims like "It's lazy, shiftless people who don't know the dignity of work." seem to say something different, but carry the same sentiment which is "It's their own fault" But is it "their fault"? Did the tens of millions of Americans who are out of work cause their jobs to become redundant or unnecessary, due to lack of work? Is it simply the fault of those who were at one time middle class or upper middle class that they find themselves a mere statistic for people like Newt Gingrich to demonize.
And, for those who haven't yet been hit by what I believe is coming. Appreciate the things you think are secure in your lives. Rest easy at night for now, because there is little logic in the pursuit of fortune that we see in this country and the world over. Just remember this: As you looked the other way, while things happened to "others" (voting rights suppressed, jobs eliminated, homes foreclosed), someone was trying to figure out a way to get your money next. When this game that the 1% are playing comes knocking on your door, there will probably be people who, just as you do now, look the other way and say "At least it's not happening to me."
Sleep tight. Don't let the Billionaires bite.
Why the major news outlets have not given a voice to this possibility is of less importance than what tolerance of tactics that circumvent our Democracy mean for our country. This reluctance to stand up for "other" people's rights has been seen throughout history. It was this attitude of "looking the other way" that allowed the Nazi's to kill so many Jewish people and "others" who did not fit into Hitler's ideals of humanity. While this may seem like an extreme view to take, it shouldn't, because all one need do is look at what is happening in America these days: The middle class is dwindling and those who are poor or becoming poor are being labeled as a blight on society. Even when these people have done everything that was supposed to lead to the American Dream, they have found themselves in a nightmare and we are supposed to look them as parasites . . . And how did Hitler look upon the Jews?
Before I relate this attitude to voter suppression and the acceptance that seems to flourish amongst the republican constituency, I would first like to delve further into the fact that so many are becoming impoverished and so many more are allowing this to happen. It can't be, as some of the more boisterous republican, presidential candidates and GOP pundits try to frame it, that those who have fallen into the ranks of the unemployed, uninsured, homeless and under-represented are lazy, ambition-less and lacking in some way. My doubts arise from the fact that these are the same people who were, at one time, hard-working, mortgage paying members of society. They were teachers, fire fighters, policemen and women; Some were vice presidents at small or large companies while others made comfortable livings at more labor intensive jobs. Many were people who thought that "It could never happen to them" And, until it did happen to them, they ignored it. Sound familiar?
There are people living in their cars who can't get food stamps, because they own their car. Others live in motels, because they couldn't afford their mortgages, after losing their jobs. Are these people in their situations, because of poor planning? Maybe . . . some, but I doubt all. The way that so many who found themselves homeless were demonized, so too are those who've found themselves jobless. Do you remember when everyone was saying that the housing market was only collapsing because of greedy house flippers? Well, I think we ran out of house flippers a few years back, but people are still losing their homes. Could the banks be more at fault than people want to credit them? And don't the arguments about the unemployed sound similar? Claims like "It's lazy, shiftless people who don't know the dignity of work." seem to say something different, but carry the same sentiment which is "It's their own fault" But is it "their fault"? Did the tens of millions of Americans who are out of work cause their jobs to become redundant or unnecessary, due to lack of work? Is it simply the fault of those who were at one time middle class or upper middle class that they find themselves a mere statistic for people like Newt Gingrich to demonize.
And, for those who haven't yet been hit by what I believe is coming. Appreciate the things you think are secure in your lives. Rest easy at night for now, because there is little logic in the pursuit of fortune that we see in this country and the world over. Just remember this: As you looked the other way, while things happened to "others" (voting rights suppressed, jobs eliminated, homes foreclosed), someone was trying to figure out a way to get your money next. When this game that the 1% are playing comes knocking on your door, there will probably be people who, just as you do now, look the other way and say "At least it's not happening to me."
Sleep tight. Don't let the Billionaires bite.
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