Anthony Guererro
The Paw Print
Rushing in with the 112th Congress, citizens can fully expect to endure two years of political theatre. The new Speaker of the House, John Boehner, has vowed to repeal the Health Care Reform Bill that became law in 2010, as well as win the battle to continue the Bush-Era Tax Cuts for the wealthiest of Americans and to cut all foreign and domestic spending significantly. How far these threats will become reality is hard to fathom since the Democrats still have the majority in the Senate and completely control the executive branch of government.
It is not that far from memory to recall the massive demonstrations in opposition to the Health Care Reform Bill, the overwhelming misinformation in support of and in opposition to the bill, and the violent and hateful turns some demonstrators took.
Despite this opposition, the bill was still passed in the House of Representatives, tightly in the Senate, and was easily signed into law by President Barack Obama. Now, that progress is threatened by the House of Representatives, if only for show. It is expected the law will be repealed by the House of Representatives, the one in which the Republican Party controls the majority.
It is doubtful the bill will easily pass the Senate while the Democratic Party remains in control, and it is highly unexpected President Obama would sign the repeal bill. Although this time, we can expect to see demonstrations and protests from an outraged progressive community. It seems our nation has forgotten the word compromise, and our leaders are unwilling to find common ground.
This sentiment was greatly expressed when Speaker Boehner refused to even utter the word compromise in an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes. It is no wonder then that the citizens are also like sheep to the slaughter following the example or arguing with one another and forgetting that each one of us are American citizens.
The current political spectrum is a far cry from the campaign promise made by Senator Obama to be a bi-partisan president and work to at least cease a little of the bitter, deep partisan divide. It is perhaps deeper than other times in history. Though, in fairness, President Obama has made a significant impact on our social progress, and opposition to this would be fully expected. One need only recall the Civil Rights Movement, the violence and deaths, all in the name of making America just a tad bit more just for all.
It is unfortunate our politics have been reduced to a MTV reality show. There are clear Looney Tunes on both sides of the aisle, and it is becoming clearer that they are the respected leaders in their respective political ideologies. There are those on the right that, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, continue to spark anger and resentment that Obama is not an American citizen; there are those who cannot accept him leading our country because of his ethnicity, and those who insist he is a secret Muslim.
On the left there are those who demonize all who have worked hard to make a better life for themselves, whose sense of having equality in the U.S.A. is not simply being given the opportunity to chase that dream, but to make all people social and economically equal therefore creating a socialist society.
Our leaders should begin to address these issues and demonstrate that though different ideas may emerge, once can still address these differences respectfully and sanely.
What’s Been Said…