Wondering which famous couple? What mansion is being threatened? Don't they have other homes, so why the fuss? What's the big deal? Well, when we see a lovely, tall lady dressed in a flowing green gown, holding a bag, accompanied by a tall gentleman, stooped in obvious despair, dressed, incongruously, in tails and top hat, also with a bag, well, then worry. Be concerned. That is not only their home; rather it is a nation's home, a nation that is being evicted from its national home, thrown out, discarded as litter.
Lady Liberty, the Lady of the Harbor, the Lady who greeted so many desperate, hopeful people, making them welcome in their new home, and Uncle Sam, he who always wanted "you", have been told in word and deed that they are no longer the privileged residents in their home - the United States of America.
This home of theirs, of ours, has been scheduled for destruction, deemed unsafe and out of date, preferring to be thrown back into the past, discarding all advances and improvements since the days of slavery and disenfranchisement, of all but the wealthy, of voting and citizenship rights. Yes, those of you who stand there cheering as they pass by you, feet dragging, backs bent, leading a parade of other famous people also evicted from their homes - shame on you. George and Abe, Martin and Lillian, Betsy and Thurgood, Dolly and Ike, Felix and Ruth, John and Robert. No time, no color, no differences significant here other than the one item that is. These are the ones who, along with others, fought for the rights of the citizens of this country. They enabled the refugees of the world to join us, enriching our culture. They fought for the rights of all, women, laborers, children forced to work at young ages included. And they are now joined together, refugees in their own land.
Yesterday's decision destroyed the slowly building hope that maybe, maybe, just maybe, a smidgen of maybe, the Supreme Court had enough inner strength to withstand the pressure on them to resist political threats and shouts, and make some honest decisions. Well, that hope is carried in the bags of the refugees, made unwelcome.
Why, you ask? What's the big deal? No one was told they could not vote. Some few small pathways to voting were installed, validated, so what? Come in the side door, the back door, the window, or the front door, one is still in the house, correct? Wrong, so wrong, for no one has paid attention to the fact that the side door is blocked by a massive pile of rubble. The back door has been dismantled and bricked over. The windows have all been nailed shut, and as for the front door, well, one must be wearing a suit and tie, polished lace ups, and can report to vote during the hours of 10-11 AM with proof of being excused from work, and must be dropped off by limo.
So there! Everyone can vote. What's the problem? The problem is that we have subverted democracy, undone the progress of past years, the hard won rights of all to partake of, participate in the governing of this country. Cynically, all paths to voting, to participatory democracy have been held forth yet closed off. So close, yet so far. Like the refugees on the St. Louis felt as they stared at the shores of Florida, sailed to NY, look, but no touch, denied entry, denied life.
Yes, we here in this country who have any difficulty whatsoever about voting, about exercising a basic right and foundation of democracy, have just been deprived of that right! Need to wait till your neighbor is finished with work and can drive you to the voting site, as you ae wheelchair bound, well, tough, site closed then. Need to wait till Sunday, or can better and more easily vote early voting, or need to make use of mail in and absentee ballots - well, tough!
Those pathways to voting are disappearing, with intent and purpose - to limit the votes of perceived 'enemies' of the GOP, the Party which has retained an intense, crazed loyalty to a deeply flawed man, a man with criminal taint, with moral weakness, with dictatorial intent, with the rank odor of traitor to his country - to our country. This GOP has foresworn loyalty to country in a damaged exchange for loyalty to a man. And we watch, as all those refugees are further and further away, down the road to......? We watch, as they fade into the distance, harder and harder to clearly see the top hat and the flowing gown.
The "Five Steps" put forth by Alito supposedly to be used to validate or negate an issue before the Court, well, call it like it is. It clears the pathway to a very limited, exclusive road to the privilege of voting, even as it cuts off all possibilities for others to navigate that same road.
Nor does it end here, for government based on limitations for the majority of the populace needs a constant feed into its destructive, ever hungry maw. It is a dangerous step into a backwards moving world. Think not that you are exempt from the results, the inevitable restrictions, the dismantling of the social safety net, the flow of government funds to the uber wealthy, away from the needy, the growing burden of tax cuts for those who do not need it, while those who do, are instead, burdened with higher taxes. The little family farm goes under, consumed by the subsidized a huge Agro big guys. There is no escaping the consequences.
Hopefully, we will come back to ourselves. Hopefully, one day this decision of Alito and his backwards thinking allies on the Court and Congress will be called on it, deemed as bad a decision as that of Taney and his Dred Scott horrific decision. History will condemn them but here is the question.
Will we survive as a democracy until that point is reached? Will we ever look back down that same road to exile and banishment and see that famous couple, the man in the top hat and tails, the Lady of Liberty, accompanied by all their worthy companions, see them returning in triumph, democracy restored, heinous and damaging philosophies of cult gone from this country and its government? Will it? Will we?
Yesterday I wrote of the paralyzing fear I have re being Jewish in a once again, always again, hostile world. Today, I write of another fear, this time as an American, an American Jew, fearing for all within this country who do not fit into the parameters of a Gaetz or a Gosar or a Hawley or a Trump or a McCarthy. My advice from yesterday still stands.
Be afraid. Be very much afraid. Be aware.
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