A Virtual Church

The sleepwalking America

Today

When Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7, 1941, it was said the event “awakened a sleeping giant.”  The collective push to rid the world of Hitler and fascism was something all Americans supported.

After the My Lai massacre, Walter Cronkite’s investigative reporting broke the real story about Viet Nam and a sleeping America awoke to the truth about the Viet Nam War. Thousands of young Americans were dying. And we were not winning the war.

I can only liken what I see happening around me today is that America is again sleepwalking. Last week it was reported that Steve Bannon, in his war room, was scheming ways to elect President Trump again in 2028. A third term is against the 22^nd Amendment. Trump himself has hinted at such a thing, saying “If I am elected again, you may never have to vote again.” That alone should shake the socks off you.

Legislatures around the country are doing pinpoint gerrymandering that will disadvantage minorities and Democrats in ways that winning an election with be almost impossible.

Law is flouted completely. People in my circles say, “But there is the law. He can’t do that.” Well guess what, he thumbs his nose at us and challenges us with a “Just stop me” bravado.

If you and I went in with bulldozers to tear down a property that is on the historic registry, we would be in handcuffs tout ‘suite. Never mind the historical significance, never mind the asbestos laden building materials. Never mind doing work with no prior approval. It’s full speed ahead. There is no stopping this man from tearing down the East Wing and replacing it with an arena size ballroom.

If you have seen interior photos of the Oval Office, the situation room, hallways, colonnade walls, the Rose Garden, and the pictures of the Grand Ballroom it all looks like Versailles. Gilded rooms with huge chandeliers, gold famed portraits of mostly Republicans hang everywhere. Trump has cheapened the look of the White House with garish décor that looks like the Imperial President is in residence.

Many of us life-long Democrats are working to awaken a sleeping people. I see and hear what the problem is. Right wing Media is spreading propaganda. The Republican Congress, the Supreme Court and the Justice Department work together to encourage this immoral and corrupt government.

Senator Chris Murphy wrote in the Washington Post a similar take on the sleepwalking America. His opinion piece is worth a read.

Most Democrats are sleepwalking too. The momentum of the No Kings movement has not stirred real tangible vision and ideas for saving our republic. There are individual leaders – Pritzker, Newsome, Shapiro, Buttigieg, Murphy and a hand full of others, who individually rail against the autocracy that is sweeping across our country. But I do not hear a cohesive message coming from our Democrat leadership in Washington. Schumer is sleepwalking and ineffective. Jeffries has no real power. We Democrats are in a crisis of leadership and vision. Where will the ideas come from?

Democrats need marketing and messaging that does not always include a fundraising pitch.

Truth is, neither party has good messaging and every day the sliding takes us down a little bit more. Yesterday it was shooting down random ships in the Caribbean. Today it is halting SNAP benefits. The government shutdown is in the hands of recalcitrant parties who have no desire to compromise.

We all have a responsibility to base decisions on what is true, real and always in the best interest of we the people. That means all of us!

A Republican congressman was on CNN last week touting good Trump policies. He pointed to the stock market as a sign. The wealthiest people in America own 90% of the stock market portfolios.  Around 62% of Americans who have an income of $100,000 or more own stock, mostly small amounts. The stock market is geared toward more affluent Americans.

It’s still the kitchen table issues that affect a majority of us more.

Recently I went to buy a small ribeye steak for dinner. It cost $22.00. A lunch at one of our favorite small restaurants last week cost us $86.00. My last tank of gas cost almost $3.00 a gallon. We have noticed rising electric and water charges. Costs are high and rising for all of us. Many people are going hungry.

My home economics training is coming in handy. Home cooking efforts save money. I feel like we are 30 again, watching a budget with caution and trepidation. And we thought when we retired, we would be set in our growing old.

Smart people are beginning to say autocracy is already here. However you might want to sleepwalk through it, you will be affected in ways that will become increasingly hard to ignore.

Awaken, O people. Tempus fugit!

Lib Campbell is a retired Methodist pastor, retreat leader, columnist and host of the blogsite www.avirtualchurch.com. She can be contacted at libcam05@gmail.com 

 

 

 

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