DOMESTIC TERRORISM
Reflecting on the Mar-a-Lago Club top secret/SCI, top secret, secret, and confidential documents recovery; January 6 Committee hearings; two impeachments; the Mueller Report; Congress; SCOTUS; the Fascist leanings of the GOP; domestic terrorism with a home-grown terrorist leader; a couple of fine reads—The Betrayal (Ira Shapiro) and Fascism: A Warning (Madeleine Albright)—and recent shootings in New York, Texas, and Oklahoma is cause for serious alarm! Coupled with escalating political hyperpolarization caused by the conflicting ideologies of traditionalists, modernists, and post-modernists, a strong message is that American democracy is in danger!! Witness the absence of civil discourse; domestic terrorism and targeted violence by extremist groups orchestrated by a former U.S. President; possession of assault-type weapons and high-capacity magazines by a growing number of citizens; continued fanning of the flames about the lack of election integrity; widespread proliferation of misinformation and conspiracy theories; a Senate in need of new rules and new leadership; and public trust of the press and integrity of the First Amendment has eroded.
Folks, we have a great deal to heal and get done in the battle for the roots of the Nation. Our fellow citizens are not our enemies; and a “Red States” vs “Blue States” civil war, facilitated by a former President and SCOTUS, is not acceptable. Let us be open to the infinite potential, opportunities, and possibilities for our great country, move forward, and evolve. We are all Americans, and we each have a daily choice to transcend and include others. A “draft” worldview of our “mighty task” might look something like this:
WORLDVIEW
Quality, compassion, common good, and virtue in all we are and all we do.
Strategies
- Evolve with solid core virtues, values, and a philosophy of transcend and include others.
- Limited government for citizens. The Supreme Court, the Senate, the House, and the Office of the President have solid leaders and followers who have moral compasses, and are objective, not self-serving, and make decisions that are in the best interests of America.
- Voting system integrity and elections are free and fair.
- Fiscal responsibility; economic stability and equity; and long-term financial security.
- Public safety for all Americans, respect for law and order, no one is above the law, and all citizens are held accountable. Domestic terrorism and targeted violence prevention measures include coordination and cooperation of federal, state, and community authorities.
- Universal background checks, license to carry, red flag law, safe storage law, and weapons of war are kept on the battlefield. It is illegal for a citizen to purchase, own, or possess assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines.
- Federal, state, and local journalism infrastructures are strong and public trust of the press and integrity of the First Amendment is strong.
- Open dialogue and free exchange of ideas is fostered.
- Education processes are the best of the best.
- Pandemic preparedness and top ten healthcare system with integral health, wellness, and wellbeing at the core.
- Programs, processes, and coalitions to dismantle systemic racism.
- Controlled business ethical and moral issues.
- Avoid war with strong military and space forces, global allies and networks, and dialogue.
- Professional State Department and alliances coupled with reasoned foreign policy.
- Helping others and caring about others: churches, individuals, groups, institutions, and the government.
- Justice for all; and judges are objective, uphold the Constitution, and have core virtues, historic values, and guiding principles, and satisfy evolving cultural needs.
- Marriage and children: citizen’s choices and model culture’s evolution.
- Respect for science.
- Environmental awareness, control, and self-restraint.
- Strength in diversity and humane immigration laws and regulations. Borders are sanely managed.
- Respect for democracy and decentralized culture with empowered citizens.
It is time to evolve and move forward from the chaos of hyperpolarization being created by conflicting ideologies of traditionalists, modernists, and post modernists that is being pontificated by politicians and respective tribes. A good cultural worldview for America can facilitate discussion and transcendence. We need good, solid leaders who can turn vision into reality and create strategic objectives and strategies that defend American democracy and quiet domestic, home grown and home led, terrorism.
Excellent article!
Much of what you wrote is exactly on target. I would agree that the Whitehouse, Senate & House are under good leadership—not so much the Supreme Court. A crime-ridden former President & his right wing followers seem hell bent to destroy our democracy with no checks in place to stop this.