A lot of stuff happened with the Supreme Court this week, and not all of it was good. (Massive understatement.) 🤣
And some reactions were — well — strong.
I get the anger. I get the outrage. I get the sentiment.
But we’re playing a political game where THANKFULLY elections still matter and THANKFULLY elections have consequences.
So, we fight this battle on the political battlefield. And on the political battlefield, words matter. Persuasion matters.
Alleviating fears of the other side matter.
Not reinforcing thoughts of the other side matter.
You get the point.
The Right thinks anyone but MAGA basically hates America. They lump a lot of groups into this category of hating America, including RINOs, moderates, liberals, progressives, people on the Left, and certainly communists, socialists, and whatever terrible names they’re using these days, of which there seem to be many.
The party of Lincoln and love and kindness is gone.
The angry body of screaming, furious, distrusting MAGA folks have picked up the banner of Lincoln and defaced and marred it — perhaps permanently (though I hope not).
But back to the bigger point of calling our country a “shithole.”
Don’t do that.
First of all, it’s not.
Second of all, we rightly criticized Trump for this kind of language in 2018.
I mean, we live in one of the most incredible, most powerful countries in the world, and our 245-year history will stuff history books for centuries, even if it all ended tomorrow.
Our country is no shithole. I didn’t raise my right hand to protect and serve a shithole. We won’t attract great men and women to serve our country if we start demeaning it and referring to it as a shithole. (Reminder: the military is struggling to hit recruiting numbers; cops are, too.)
We must be proud of our country even when it’s not perfect. Even when it’s not the full embodiment of what it could be.
The truth is the same now as it was 158 years ago: America IS the last best hope of Earth.
But it’s possible that our experiment ends. That we tear apart or reject democracy for authoritarianism.
There are no guarantees.
It is a fact of American history that we are not always good, but that goodness is possible. Not universal, not ubiquitous, not inevitable — but possible. A quote by historian Jon Meacham.
Certainly, we are not perfect, and we have backslid for sure.
But that’s how history goes.
It is incumbent upon us now to correct our course. To begin moving forward again, and I would suggest — as I have sooo many times, and as others have before me — that more unites us than divides us. And that most Americans are good.
Furthermore, it is through love and kindness that we will further advance the work of making a more-perfect union.
Our country isn’t perfect, but we don’t need to lower our language to the harsh, uncivilized scorn seen so frequently on the Right.
We can be articulate, peaceful, and inwardly outraged — but let’s not give the Right ammo that we do not love America.
We love America. We love the flag. We love free and fair elections.
And with an outwardly happy (and inwardly outraged) spirit, we are going to outwork and out-organize Trump and those who want to “burn it all down.”
Though the skies may be gray right now, though the future seems uncertain, the forces of decency have won the vast majority of elections in recent years, including in 2018, 2020, 2022, and in 2023 (in Wisconsin).
Never forget that it is this spirit of light that the Trump cannot defeat, and it is the spirit of light and optimism that will MOST attract the precious middle that guarantees the electoral gains that we must achieve.
Keep the faith. And keep working like we’re ten points behind.
We’ve got this, and our grandchildren will thank us for not faltering during our times of struggle and doubt.
Love and peace,
Stan R. Mitchell
Don’t forget: You can comment anytime, and I’ll answer quickly! You can also reach out privately at: authorstanrmitchell@yahoo.com. (You can say “hi,” vent, or send news tips! I love all three of those things!)
CLOSING THOUGHT: Do not despair in these coming days. The light of dawn is emerging, and nothing can stop light (or truth).
P.S. Don’t forget to check out my books. I’ve written 11 of them: a CIA/Marine sniper series, a detective series, a private investigator series, an action-packed Western, a motivational self-help book about President Obama, and two realistic war novels: one about World War II and one about Afghanistan. You can find all of these books on Amazon.
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Amen to that, Stan. Countries and their citizens are not dumps, but it is most of the politicians who rule them, unfortunately.