Republicans' goals are not Americans' goals
In response to Rich Polk, May 24, “All is fair in love & left,” polarization in Congress and society does not apply exclusively to Republicans.
I agree in principal with this assertion. I am, however, a Republican turned independent, solely due to the polarizing tone and undesirability of the Republican Party’s policy positions and its inept candidate in the upcoming presidential elections, and I am not alone.
You are correct: The left has its polarizing issues, as does the right. The contrast between the current right/conservative issues and the issues espoused by the left/liberals has more to do with who (class) and the number of “ordinary”Americans affected by legislation and policies, proposed and supported by those who are either in or are currently pursuing positions of leadership and influence over our citizenry and our economy.
The left/liberals seem to work for the majority while the right/conservatives seem to work for a much smaller fringe minority. All of the tax breaks, all of the control over our citizenry, business deregulation and influence over our ability to democratically select our representative government is flowing to the top 1 percent while the other 99 percent is expected to submit to this status quo while footing the bill to finance this flawed, counterproductive process.
Public-sector employees and our public schools are under an unprecedented attack by conservatives who intend to leach every dime they can get out of public education and funnel the proceeds into tax breaks for the wealthy and for-profit voucher systems for private schools across this country. Balance the budget at any cost even if it’s detrimental to job creation, resist raising the debt ceiling even to meet our current obligations, preserve tax cuts for the wealthy, roll back women’s pay equity and women’s health and reproductive rights, oppose rights for LGBTs in any form, eliminate the Dream Act for those seeking/dreaming of becoming citizens of the greatest society that the world has ever known, bust organized labor unions across the board and oppose any measures taken to provide health care coverage for as many Americans as possible are conservative goals.
But these are not Americans’ goals. We are better than our politics, and our goals are “liberty and justice for all.” I implore Republicans, conservatives and every other American to always hold fast to the idea that we came together in this land of the free for “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Any party — Republican, Independent, Democrat or otherwise — that tries to bring us to anything less than this ideal has a fight on their hands that they must not win.
Len Maydwell
