Did 2020 Break America?

Many of us would say that America is indeed broken. Lots of us believe the fault lies squarely at the feet of the GOP, senate leader McConnell and the corrupt and incompetent Trump administration of 2017-2021 which ignores actual law and order in its support of racially abusive cops and white supremacist right-wing domestic terrorists, perpetrates destruction of public lands with permits for fracking and drilling, rolls back safety and environmental regulations, denies the science of climate change, and attempts to take health care away from millions of citizens in the middle of a global pandemic. This abysmal record is proof enough that America is broken.

Some of us trace the current sad status back to 2001, when the Patriot Act achievement of fascist-hinting VP Cheney was enacted, and the bogus retaliation against Saddam Hussein of Iran took us into a decades long war that has yet to see a final exit strategy. And not everyone was happy with the Obama administrations immigration policies and other Democratic moves in that era.

But America has always been a work in progress, and never has it truly lived up to its stated ideals.

So when we whine about getting back to normal despite of, in defiance of, or after the pandemic, we better be clear eyed and careful exactly what we are yearning for. I don’t think most of us want a return to life of overt and unconscious racist institutions and policies, police brutality, political encouragement of right wing white supremacist domestic terrorism, cultural support of left wing rioting with business district and civic destructions, unlivable wages, exorbitant cost of health insurance that leaves many people without medical care at all, and other ills of a broken America.

Can we agree on moving closer to an America that:

• listens to why and how people are angry and hurting

• works together for sensible, commonly acceptable solutions

• prioritizes people over profit

• invests in people and in the future

• holds criminals accountable no matter their status or wealth

• keeps government out of personal decisions

• keeps religions out of personal decisions

• keeps religions out of politics

• reforms the immigration system without caging people or separating families

• keeps corporations out of political campaigns and lobbying

• coordinates between states better for truly interstate issues

• celebrates and supports cultural differences

• helps people out of poverty

• provides support for catastrophic illness

• works to regain international respect and leadership

• shuns dictators, fascists, and authoritarians

• shuns liars and other actively working against the constitution

I’m sure there are many other ways America could be fixed for the better. I’m sure anyone reading this might have contributions to make to this list. I’d be happy to talk with those who are willing to listen as much as they express their own thoughts in a civil manner.