Now, as I have already stated in a previous Blog, I am not a Democrat or Republican. I am an Independent. I believe that the polarization of our nation will become our undoing if it continues. Our legislature needs to come together and have adult discussions on the problems we face and come to solutions to those problems that both benefit the majority of the American populous and lead to the current and future stability of America.
Those solutions, I am sad to say, will not be found on the fringes of politics. They will not be found on the far right or far left. They will be found somewhere in the middle, middle right, or middle left depending upon the issue.
Take for instance the Border Wall. Yup, Trump is going to build a wall and make Mexico pay for it...oh, Mexico says they won't pay for it...weird. We all knew from the beginning; at least those of us with any common sense, that the Wall Trump has mentioned hundreds of times since deciding to run for office was never going to be paid for by Mexico. Is the Wall the answer to our problems? Is the Wall financially viable? Is the Wall simply a tag line to foster an idea that certain voters in Trump's base liked to hear? Yes, it is the latter. Even today we see news stories on the networks covering the news while leaning to the right stating that the Wall has been started. Trump himself said at a rally recently that the Wall has been funded and construction has started.
A simple fact check will show that the Wall has not been started. The funding that was approved in the spending bill, under 2 Billion Dollars, was not for the construct of a new Wall, but for repairs to existing fencing along the border and improved border security. This is one of those issues that falls to the far right of American Politics. Is the answer open borders? No, it isn't. Is the answer to build a Wall so glorious they will forget the Great Wall of China was ever a thing? No, it isn't.
The answer, if you dig into this wonderful area of the mind called 'common sense', lies in the middle. Our immigration policy needs to be improved. We need to look at the vetting process, the total numbers allowed to legally enter the United States every year, the requirements for citizenship, current border security issues, the Judicial Branch's handling of immigration cases, and other pieces of the overall pie that is Immigration. We need to look at ways that border security can be improved; from adding additional personnel, to the introduction of more drones and other technology to aid in the detection of illegal entry into the United States. We need to look at how we currently handle illegal immigrants identified in the United States. We need to lock down a future for people like the Dreamers who cannot go back to countries they don't know. We need to do so much; none of which includes building the Great Wall of the United States. Compromise is key. Common Sense is key.
Gun Control is the next issue that polarization has blown far out of proportion in the United States. You have the fringes on the right belting out a cadence about needing to be able to own anything that shoots a projectile. Messages on social media stating things like, "When the 2nd Amendment was created citizens had the same weapons as the government." Then you have the left fringes wanting to take all guns away.
The far right diverts attention from the gun conversation and thrusts messages forward in the media about mental health. The far left concentrates on gun deaths to drive their narrative. Here is the thing. Everything is important. The fact that we have tons of murders in the United States every year with guns is important. The fact that we have shootings at schools and other institutions around the United States every year is very important. The fact that our tracking and reporting of mental health in conjunction with gun ownership is abysmal in the United States. The fact that the purchase of guns in some areas of the United States is far easier than other areas is important. The fact that common sense leads one to the realization that there needs to be limits to what a person can own is important.
We can't all own tanks and rocket launchers, and taking guns away from everyone is not the answer. Where is the answer...weird...it's somewhere in the middle. It lies in a place that takes everything into consideration. It lies in a place where good laws are equally applied across all states to ensure consistency. It lies in a place where the mental health and stability of individual gun owners is well documented and controlled through proper documentation and application of laws stopping certain individuals from owning or purchasing weapons. It lies with law enforcement in troubled communities with high volumes of gun violence to step in and deal with the problems head on and not stop until progress is made. It lies with families to raise their children properly; instilling knowledge and values in the next generation of leaders. It lies in a vast number of areas that all need to be addressed separately in order to improve the system that we have in the United States today.
People need to shut up about taking all guns away. People need to shut up about infringing on their rights. Both groups need to get off their talking stumps and get to the root of the issues we face to come to viable solutions. Until that happens, people will continue to be senselessly murdered.
Polarization is what is stopping this country from moving forward on the major issues we face right now in the United States. Look at Illinois, my home state. We have a state pension deficit of around 150 Billion dollars right now and absolutely no plan on how to stop the hemorrhaging of funds and get the state back on the right track. The legislature has had years to figure out a solution, but the polarization of the state legislature has resulted in zero progress. We have Mike Madigan, Speaker of the House in Illinois. He has been in the Illinois State Legislature since January of 1971...did you hear me correctly? That is part of the problem; Politicians who spend decades at the helm of sinking ships because of a lack of compromise and failure to work together as different parties to achieve a sustainable goal. Who allows these people to remain for decades in the state and federal legislature? We do. It is our fault in many cases. Mike Madigan wouldn't be where he is today without the citizens of this state continually voting him back into office. Our state is failing because of a failure of the Republicans and Democrats to connect to reality and work together for their constituents...no, by constituents I do not mean large corporate donors and special interest groups...I mean us, the citizens of this great nation.
We need to set politics aside and make decisions for this country based on what is right; What is moral, fair, and right for the American people and the current and future stability of this country and the states therein.
Note that I have entitled this Blog "Donald Trump". I haven't talked about good old Donald much in this Blog, but the reason for the title is to drive a point home. That point is simple. The solutions for the problems we face at the federal and state levels in America start at the top. Donald Trump has done nothing over his first year+ of Presidency to drive toward compromises that will bring this country together and lead to solutions to our problems.
Donald Trump has driven deeper wedges between groups of people than existed before he ran for President. He is divisive in his approach to leadership, has a narcissistic personality and tends to appreciate autocratic leadership around the globe. Donald has the exact opposite approach than what this country needs. We need to be inclusive. We need to identify what is best for everyone, and not simply small sections of society.
The more we divide ourselves as citizens of this great nation, the more we get away from what really makes this country great. That seems a bit counter intuitive to the big red hat message if you ask me. Let's stand up as a society and demand better from our leaders...starting at the top and cascading down the line to local municipality leadership. We, the citizens of this great nation need to stand up and let the government know what we need, and that isn't to be divided, but rather brought together in support of common goals that will benefit us all as a nation of people who are proud to live in the greatest and most inclusive nation on Earth.
Dunk
Those solutions, I am sad to say, will not be found on the fringes of politics. They will not be found on the far right or far left. They will be found somewhere in the middle, middle right, or middle left depending upon the issue.
Take for instance the Border Wall. Yup, Trump is going to build a wall and make Mexico pay for it...oh, Mexico says they won't pay for it...weird. We all knew from the beginning; at least those of us with any common sense, that the Wall Trump has mentioned hundreds of times since deciding to run for office was never going to be paid for by Mexico. Is the Wall the answer to our problems? Is the Wall financially viable? Is the Wall simply a tag line to foster an idea that certain voters in Trump's base liked to hear? Yes, it is the latter. Even today we see news stories on the networks covering the news while leaning to the right stating that the Wall has been started. Trump himself said at a rally recently that the Wall has been funded and construction has started.
A simple fact check will show that the Wall has not been started. The funding that was approved in the spending bill, under 2 Billion Dollars, was not for the construct of a new Wall, but for repairs to existing fencing along the border and improved border security. This is one of those issues that falls to the far right of American Politics. Is the answer open borders? No, it isn't. Is the answer to build a Wall so glorious they will forget the Great Wall of China was ever a thing? No, it isn't.
The answer, if you dig into this wonderful area of the mind called 'common sense', lies in the middle. Our immigration policy needs to be improved. We need to look at the vetting process, the total numbers allowed to legally enter the United States every year, the requirements for citizenship, current border security issues, the Judicial Branch's handling of immigration cases, and other pieces of the overall pie that is Immigration. We need to look at ways that border security can be improved; from adding additional personnel, to the introduction of more drones and other technology to aid in the detection of illegal entry into the United States. We need to look at how we currently handle illegal immigrants identified in the United States. We need to lock down a future for people like the Dreamers who cannot go back to countries they don't know. We need to do so much; none of which includes building the Great Wall of the United States. Compromise is key. Common Sense is key.
Gun Control is the next issue that polarization has blown far out of proportion in the United States. You have the fringes on the right belting out a cadence about needing to be able to own anything that shoots a projectile. Messages on social media stating things like, "When the 2nd Amendment was created citizens had the same weapons as the government." Then you have the left fringes wanting to take all guns away.
The far right diverts attention from the gun conversation and thrusts messages forward in the media about mental health. The far left concentrates on gun deaths to drive their narrative. Here is the thing. Everything is important. The fact that we have tons of murders in the United States every year with guns is important. The fact that we have shootings at schools and other institutions around the United States every year is very important. The fact that our tracking and reporting of mental health in conjunction with gun ownership is abysmal in the United States. The fact that the purchase of guns in some areas of the United States is far easier than other areas is important. The fact that common sense leads one to the realization that there needs to be limits to what a person can own is important.
We can't all own tanks and rocket launchers, and taking guns away from everyone is not the answer. Where is the answer...weird...it's somewhere in the middle. It lies in a place that takes everything into consideration. It lies in a place where good laws are equally applied across all states to ensure consistency. It lies in a place where the mental health and stability of individual gun owners is well documented and controlled through proper documentation and application of laws stopping certain individuals from owning or purchasing weapons. It lies with law enforcement in troubled communities with high volumes of gun violence to step in and deal with the problems head on and not stop until progress is made. It lies with families to raise their children properly; instilling knowledge and values in the next generation of leaders. It lies in a vast number of areas that all need to be addressed separately in order to improve the system that we have in the United States today.
People need to shut up about taking all guns away. People need to shut up about infringing on their rights. Both groups need to get off their talking stumps and get to the root of the issues we face to come to viable solutions. Until that happens, people will continue to be senselessly murdered.
Polarization is what is stopping this country from moving forward on the major issues we face right now in the United States. Look at Illinois, my home state. We have a state pension deficit of around 150 Billion dollars right now and absolutely no plan on how to stop the hemorrhaging of funds and get the state back on the right track. The legislature has had years to figure out a solution, but the polarization of the state legislature has resulted in zero progress. We have Mike Madigan, Speaker of the House in Illinois. He has been in the Illinois State Legislature since January of 1971...did you hear me correctly? That is part of the problem; Politicians who spend decades at the helm of sinking ships because of a lack of compromise and failure to work together as different parties to achieve a sustainable goal. Who allows these people to remain for decades in the state and federal legislature? We do. It is our fault in many cases. Mike Madigan wouldn't be where he is today without the citizens of this state continually voting him back into office. Our state is failing because of a failure of the Republicans and Democrats to connect to reality and work together for their constituents...no, by constituents I do not mean large corporate donors and special interest groups...I mean us, the citizens of this great nation.
We need to set politics aside and make decisions for this country based on what is right; What is moral, fair, and right for the American people and the current and future stability of this country and the states therein.
Note that I have entitled this Blog "Donald Trump". I haven't talked about good old Donald much in this Blog, but the reason for the title is to drive a point home. That point is simple. The solutions for the problems we face at the federal and state levels in America start at the top. Donald Trump has done nothing over his first year+ of Presidency to drive toward compromises that will bring this country together and lead to solutions to our problems.
Donald Trump has driven deeper wedges between groups of people than existed before he ran for President. He is divisive in his approach to leadership, has a narcissistic personality and tends to appreciate autocratic leadership around the globe. Donald has the exact opposite approach than what this country needs. We need to be inclusive. We need to identify what is best for everyone, and not simply small sections of society.
The more we divide ourselves as citizens of this great nation, the more we get away from what really makes this country great. That seems a bit counter intuitive to the big red hat message if you ask me. Let's stand up as a society and demand better from our leaders...starting at the top and cascading down the line to local municipality leadership. We, the citizens of this great nation need to stand up and let the government know what we need, and that isn't to be divided, but rather brought together in support of common goals that will benefit us all as a nation of people who are proud to live in the greatest and most inclusive nation on Earth.
Dunk
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