C’mon, people. If you’re going to create your own reality, wouldn’t you rather have one that makes you happy? Or is at least plausible? This tinfoil hat, coded message from the nano-transmitter in your dental work thing isn’t a good look. We HAVE to figure out how to get along, and that means we all need to compromise a little.

Apologies

I’ll start: First, we’re all really sorry for the whole ‘deplorables’ thing. It was wrong and showed a complete lack of character and respect. If it’s any comfort, a lot of us don’t like her very much, either. I don’t think any of her behavior rises to the level of criminal, but she’s not entirely trustworthy. Hillary has also come to embody all the most smug opinions, self-righteous attitudes, and dismissive behaviors that have caused a great shedding of Middle Americans from the Democratic platform. To that, I can only say that paying a lot for an education doesn’t mean you know how to use it correctly. We have to do better on this, and I hope you’ll let us try. Because the thing I know with every fiber of my being is this: The core principles of the Democratic Party benefit the average American. The Republicans consider business, corporate entities, and boards of directors first, because they believe this crowd will be smarter about using tax breaks and benefits than you will. They confirm it every time they use the word ‘socialism’ to describe any program that provides some support to average Americans. Which makes you vote against the thing meant to help you.

Socialism.

For over 50 years that word has been intentionally associated with some of the world’s worst authoritarian regimes and failed states. But really, it’s simply suffering from bad PR. I truly hope you can hear this: democratic socialism is a founding principle in Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Great Britain, Canada, the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand. I’m not sure how Belgium could be considered oppressive or dangerous, unless you worry about death by waffles.

Here’s where the syrup gets stickier: You’re already benefiting from a LOT of ‘socialist’ programs. If you’ve ever received unemployment insurance: Socialism. Also farm subsidies, Social Security benefits, and Medicare/Medicaid, not to mention all of the mundane stuff we take for granted every day like K-12 education, police and fire protection, libraries, Pell grants & guaranteed student loans, public parks, FEMA, highways, bridges, railways and mass transit, even the military, all examples of Socialism. Every time the Congress passes a budget that uses some of your money to do something for another state, that’s a basic principle of socialism.

Yes, Big Bad Socialism is what we called ‘sharing’ when we were in kindergarten. It’s all of us throwing a little money in the pot to make this a nicer place to live. For everyone. I helped pay for the new park down the street even though your neighborhood couldn’t afford it. You’re welcome. I’m happy to do it, because that’s what Americans do. We help one another.

Consider the flip side: If you think socialism means losing your freedom, how would you feel about paying a toll every time you used an exit ramp or jumped onto a freeway in a different county or state? Not very free, that. Imagine the ‘freedom’ of having the fire chief run your credit card while your house is burning down. Card declined? Uh-oh, better organize a bucket brigade with your neighbors! Except, that’s the most basic kind of socialism.

And while it’s not a big motivator for me personally, a great deal of the bible talks about generosity and kindness. The whole book of Matthew is kind of obsessed: ‘That which you do unto the least of these, you also do unto me’ (25:45); ‘It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God’ (19:24). Luke was also a big fan: ‘Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full’ (6:38). Psalm 112:5 – ‘Good will come to those who are generous.’ The Corinthians must have been greedy jerks because Paul’s letters were chock-o-bloc with generosity stuff: 2 Corinthians: ‘Whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully…And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a cheerful giver.’ 9:6-8) I can go for days. There’s a lot. You guys really want the Ten Commandments posted everywhere, but Socialism is ‘evil?’

What about Grandma? Did she ever say, ‘many hands make light the work?’ Have you contributed to earthquake or hurricane relief, or given clothes or household items to Goodwill? Have you ever sung along with ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ while on a road trip that crossed state lines? Then you both agree with and have taken part in Socialism. Can it go bad? Yeah, it sure can. It can be abused by corrupt leaders (Dictators love socialism because they use it like a personal bank machine). Just like every other aspect of our government, these programs are subject to the similar corruption and abuse. It should be addressed! But over many decades, we’ve seen that the net good being done far outweighs the problems. We should work together to improve the system.

The 2nd Amendment

Now… about guns. Yes, I hate them. I wish they’d all magically turn to dust all over the world. Just [poof] vaporized. Maybe leave a little whiff of lavender and vanilla behind to help with the stress some will feel.

That said, I believe in our constitution, and the current interpretation of the Second Amendment gives you the right to keep and bear arms. Do I think it’s been clipped and folded over the years to suit special interests, like those who profit from the sale of firearms? Absolutely. Gun rights advocates and lobbyists always leave off the first part of the sentence:

“A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

As we were trying to kick the Brits out of our new country, the term “militia” referred to all the local groups of men who banded together to protect their communities, towns, and colonies from King George. Wealthier land owners would have flintlock pistols or rifles, but not enough for everyone. More often than not, it was with spades, hoes, pitchforks, sledgehammers, and heavy clubs. This was the birth of the National Guard. So many who had emigrated to America had lived under rulers who used their soldiers to oppress the people. They had deep concern about having a standing military and thought the federal government should only be allowed to raise armies (with full-time, paid soldiers) when facing foreign adversaries. For all other purposes, it should turn to part-time militias, or ordinary civilians using their own weapons.

For 250 years, we’ve had a Federal military in addition to a National Guard. They’ve proven themselves to be trustworthy and (except for one little incident on Jan 6) they’ve never been used on the American people. Like everyone on the other side of this issue, I think the 2nd Amendment is woefully outdated and being intentionally misinterpreted by fringe-dwellers. But I know how important this right is to some of you. I hope that some day you’ll absorb that first part of the Amendment: “A well-regulated militia…” and allow criminal background and mental health checks. I promise that will shut us all up for a while.

Breaking Bread

NO, these individual guys aren’t enough. The Soviet Union was an IDEA. A ruthless and terrible idea that could pop up anywhere and do any sort of harm imaginable. A relentelss threat. Even bigger and more powerful were the Communists! Although, no one in America could say what a Communist was, exactly. Just… bad. That’s what made it so useful. It could be ANYTHING. Most the time, a Communist was anyone who disagreed with the government about something and decided to say so.

Now, with no substantial external threats to stand up to, we’re eating our own. We call one another ‘enemies’ of America. Every time one of us is called evil or ignorant, another big round of desperate donation requests hit our inbox. An insult flies, a preposterous story gets told, and 30 new videos line up in our For You queue. It makes us angry, we feel like we’re losing something that’s important to us, we’re “mad as hell and we’re not gonna take it anymore!” The panic is always existential!! If we don’t act soon, there won’t be anything left to protect. We are our own worst enemy.

We’re the only threat to American pride and justice and leadership as a nation.

The only ones who are benefitting are the loudest, most self-righteous and divisive politicians —conservative AND liberal. The louder they get, the more we mistrust, and the harder we try to shut the other down, the more money they make. With every new one who gets in, 30 more line up for this gravy train we’ve built.

There was a time when the American people trusted and relied on trained journalists to get to the truth of what was happening in our government. Politicians knew they had someone busily up in their grill, 24/7, ready to show the world if they were on the grift or abusing their power. And because the journalists were professionally trained and had a code of ethics about obtaining proof and getting sources, and hard-nosed editors who kept them accountable, they uncovered REAL PROBLEMS for us.