VOTE “NO’’ ON NORTH CAROLINA CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

By Mildred Robertson

The North Carolina General Assembly is out of control. It has created voting districts meant to silence voters rather than give them a voice. They have determined that one kind of voter is more valuable than another, and they have sought to memorialize divisiveness by rewriting our state constitution to disenfranchise some North Carolina Citizens. While many progressive thinkers strive to increase the number of individuals who participate in elections, it seems that the General Assembly wishes to suppress participation by making it more difficult for some to vote. The restrictions appear to have the greatest impact on minorities and other people of color.

Among the amendments on this November’s ballot is yet another attempt to provide roadblocks to the ballot box for citizens whose right and responsibility it is to vote. The amendment tries to circumvent court opinions that struck down earlier attempts at voter suppression by placing voter ID laws in the state constitution itself. The law requires presentation of documentation that many times is unavailable or difficult to acquire for targeted groups. Therefore, under this law, many eligible citizens would be denied their right to vote.

On the other hand, statistics indicate that the voter ID laws are a solution looking for a problem. The state Board of Elections conducted an extensive, in-depth audit to see how many ineligible votes were cast in North Carolina in the 2016 election. According to an April 24, 2017 News Observer report, of the 4.8 million votes cast in North Carolina in November 2016, only one (1) vote was found that probably would have been avoided with a voter ID law. So clearly, the targeted individuals for voter ID laws are those folks who are entitled to vote, but who are not a desired constituency of those currently in the General Assembly.

The Voter ID law is only one of six Constitutional Amendments that will be on the November ballot. The other five are as equally divisive. Among them is an amendment that would change the elections board, decreasing the board from 9 to 8 which would remove the potentially tie-breaking vote. Further, it would transfer power to pick board members from the governor to the legislature. This is yet another power grab by the legislature and an attack on free and fair access to voting rights.

The main problem with the all six amendments is that the ramifications of their passage has not been well communicated to the public. The amendments are so problematic five former governors have campaigned against several of them. The bottom line is, if you don’t completely understand what impact an amendment will have, it is probably best to vote no. That is my recommendation.

It is imperative that we safeguard citizen’s access to the ballot box and that we vote to maintain the balance of power. Let’s check the General Assembly, and let them know we are paying attention. Vote “No” on, not just on the voter ID amendment…vote “No” on them all.

The Power of the Ballot Box

By Mildred Robertson

We have seen a resurgence of protests and other political action across the United States as we face perhaps the most challenging attack on civil liberties since the 1960’s. Many are alarmed at the attacks on our fundamental constitutional rights, explicit displays of racial hatred and the misogynistic treatment of women and minorities.

As many Americans look back with nostalgia on the “good old days” when they say America was great, many of us see a return to rampant racism and social and political exclusion. Their nostalgia harkens back to a time when women were consider of lesser value than men, and blacks and other people of color were considered less than human. The backlash occurring due to social and political gains by blacks and women has resulted in the emergence of a far right wing conservatism that threatens to destroy the foundational concepts that undergird our constitution. This right wing movement wrested control of the wheel of power in Washington D.C. while the majority of Americans were engaged in inter-party politics, or were not engaged at all.

The result has been a resurgence of political practices that include street marches, sit-ins, and other tactics to bring attention to a swing away from commonly held American political principles and practices. While all these are positive tactics, the most meaningful action a citizen can take is to vote his or her convictions.

This right-wing takeover did not occur because there were not motivated patriots knocking on doors, raising funds, supporting positive candidates or pushing progressive initiatives. It happened because of the people who did nothing. It happened because some people decided to opt out of the political process and not vote; a decision that affected us all. I say this not to blame anyone, but to educate.  Many of us embrace the fact that we have a right to vote, but do not hold that same passion for our obligation to do so.

Much of what is our civic duty is mundane and boring. Mid-term elections are not sexy like presidential elections. In presidential elections we tend to get caught up in the horse-race…the personality of the front runners…the polls...the party intrigue. We choose who we hate and who we love. And then, many of us vote. But far too many do not. And when we move to mid-term elections, only a handful of eligible citizens show up at the polls.

It is clear that elections have consequences. We are living the result right now. And that result has caused a swell of protests and political activism.

While it is good to march and protest leadership that has gone astray, it is equally important to let elected officials know that their failure to represent us effectively has consequences. We must let them know that we will not only scold them, but we will hold them responsible at the ballot box.

Our collective outrage at the poor representation of our current leadership is palpable. However, the solution will not be the result of a collective decision. It is an individual one. Each of us must commit to remain politically engaged. We must pledge to understand the social and political issues that affect our lives; and then we must each exercise our right to vote.

 There is power in the ballot box. Become informed. Become motivated. Exercise your power. Vote!

Dying Democracy—Only you can fix it!

By Mildred Robertson

Our nation has fallen into a spiraling downward cycle since Trump and his acolytes ascended to leadership in America. It is not hyperbole to liken our nation’s demise to literary tales like Orwell’s “1984”, Suzanne Collin’s “Hunger Games”, Hulu’s “The Handmaids Tale” or any other dystopian saga that may strike your fancy. Trump and a neutered Congress, misled by the Republican majority, have systematically begun disassembling the “Great Experiment” that is American democracy.

With horror, many of us have stood by as Trump and a small portion of this nation’s electorate stole an election, brutalized immigrants, devalued women, supported police brutality, savaged our educational system, promoted racism, assaulted healthcare, and stripped away environmental protections. Daily they chip away at the foundational principles that have set our nation apart from any other, present or past.

How have we come to this place of ineptitude where we are embarrassed daily on the world stage as Trump tweets us toward the destruction of our international relationships, and inches us closer to social, economic and political default.

The majority of us have taken to wringing our hands and searching for a savior to come fix our problem. We hang on every word broadcast on MSNBC or CNN, looking for…hoping for the final shoe to drop. We wait for some deliverer to appear and summarily usher Trump from the White House, hopefully in handcuffs, but most assuredly in shame. The names “Mueller”, “Manafort”, and “Putin” hang on our lips. We even have turned to a porn star and her lawyer to possibly liberate us from this dangerous, destructive regime.

But that is not how democracy works.

We lay sleeping while a right-wing cult infiltrated and overtook the Republican Party. We sat silent as they gerrymandered voting districts. We were detached while they weaponized racism to further divide the delicate balance of our society. We sat helpless as they engaged full-out war on immigrants, brutalizing refugees and stealing babies from their parents. We watched with incredulity as they denied climate change and attempted to decimate women's rights.

That is not how democracy works.

We are not helpless. We are not hopeless. Each of us is the savior we seek.

It is my hope that Mueller is as apt as many purport him to be in pursuing truth in the Russia probe. I hope he metes out justice. I pray that Congress is somehow stayed from stealing yet another Supreme Court seat appointed by an illegitimate president. It is my desire that gerrymandering will be struck down and that “Roe v. Wade” will stand. But hoping, praying and desiring have little effect on political outcome. The only way my hopes, prayers and desires will be fulfilled is that I DO something.

Democracy is dying; but we should rage against its demise. We cannot stand idly by while our way of life perishes. If you fear for our democracy you must become engaged. You must become informed. And you must act! 

Each of us must become Paul Revere, screaming to our fellow citizens that danger is imminent and that we must take up arms. Today that means we must register. We must knock on doors. We must march in the streets. We must show up on the steps of our senators and representatives and demand that they carry out our desires in the halls of Congress. And if they do not, we must vote them out.

This November you can help resuscitate democracy. You are its life blood. 

Only you can fix it.

VOTE!

Fallacy of "Good Guy With a Gun" Theory

By Mildred Robertson

The wounded cry of aggrieved mother Lori Alhadeff reverberates throughout our nation as she prepares to lay to rest Alyssa, her murdered 14 year-old daughter. Alyssa is one of 17 deceased victims of the February 14, 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Fla.  

We are stunned. We are angry. We are overwhelmed with the senseless slaughter that appears to stalk this country. Yes, our hearts and prayers go out to the victims of this massacre. But that is not enough. Even the Word says “Faith without works is dead.” It is time for action.

It is time that the weak, pitiful leaders elected to serve and protect us be challenged. It is time that our communities stand up to the gun lobbies and match them dollar-for-dollar in a campaign to shed light on the true nature of the gun issue in our country. It is time for politicians to put the good of the citizens they serve above that of money and power. It is time that conservative politicians, like Rachel in the bible, say “If I perish, let me perish” by speaking truth to power.

It is unthinkable that one would trade the safety and security of American citizens going about their daily tasks of praying at a church, reveling at a concert or studying in a school, above the Wild West concept that every American should have a gun on his or her hip.

Recently I watched the “Magnificent Seven.”  It was a sprawling epic that glorified the fight of good over evil. It struck me that the only difference between the “good” guys and the evil ones was their cause. In the end, bodies of both the innocent and the guilty were scattered across the town square. The show glorified violence as an answer to injustice and seemed to infer that the carnage was worth it.

While this story is rooted in our history as a nation, is that what we want for our future?  Do we want to barricade the town square and have a shooting match with the bad guys? Is it okay to see our streets littered with the remains of the good and the bad as we seek vigilante justice? Or do we want to figure out a way to thoughtfully examine our 2^nd Amendment rights in the context of their creation by the Founders? 

The British are no longer standing at our gates with regimens prepared to overrun us. The Native Americans, who were enemies of our own making, are no longer a threat. We do not have to call up militias when our sovereignty is threatened…we have the most well equipped military on the face of this planet.  Our cities and towns are protected by well-armed police forces, and the National Guard stands ready to assist when called upon.

This nation’s love affair with guns runs far too deep to imagine that there would ever be a time when guns are outlawed, but it is insanity to allow the proliferation of military-style weapons to continue in America. It is time that we dispel the glorified myth of the “Magnificent Seven” and embrace a common-sense, civilized approach to gun ownership in this country.

I challenge politicians to have the strength of courage to refuse the money and tell the truth. I challenge the public to seek out their legislators and let them know that you will be at the polls in November and that you will remember their answer to the question, “What ACTION did you take to end gun violence in America.”

I echo the words of Lori Alhadeff. We can tolerate no more mass shootings. The time for action is NOW!

Trump"s America-A Cautionary Tale

By Mildred Robertson

As I swipe through my Facebook feed, I am taken aback by the similarities between the German horror that ended with the murder of millions, and the systematic erosion of democratic principles in our society. It as if Trump has taken Hitler's playbook, and is using it to push America over some totalitarian ledge. I understand better now how many Germans did not fully understand the horror, until it was too late to avert it.

Under our current administration we have seen attacks launched at all levels of our society. He attacked the first African American President; called Latino immigrants thugs, rapists and murders; disrespected women, denigrated Muslims, slurred all nations ruled by those of African descent as "shitholes," slandered the FBI and specific individuals who have dedicated their lives to its service; attacked peaceful protestors,  declared Nazi terrorists as "good people," and  waged all-out war on the media and the judicial system.

Trump has presided over the inhuman destruction of family units under the auspices of homeland security, He has engaged in race-baiting on numerous occasions during his tenure. His administration has been riddled with scandal, and he himself stands on the verge of being charged with improprieties at the least and criminal misdeeds at worse in the Russia scandal.

While all of this turmoil churns around and within the Whitehouse, those elected to protect and serve our democracy stand complicit as this administration destroys the very foundation of our nation; attacks every aspect of our civil liberties and systematically eliminates obstacles standing between it and total authoritarian rule.

Our senses have become dulled to the accusations of misdeeds, scandal and criminality attributed to this administration. We turn off the news. We tune out the protests. We seek peace by pursing other activities. All the while, this administration is ruthlessly and systematically chipping away at the institutions meant to protect us and maintain our freedom. 

I am a partisan. A liberal. A "snowflake." I do not embrace this administration. But my position is not anchored in my progressive leaning. It is based upon this administration's ruthless and systematic attempts to destroy institutions such as the judiciary, the FBI and the media. No matter how much folks like me push the brakes, there is very little we can do to stop this push toward totalitarianism. Unless the Grand Ole Party decides that our nation is more treasured than Supreme Court justices and gerrymandered voting districts, we are doomed to suffer the loss of democracy as we know it. Republicans must decide that their oath to their country outweighs their oath to a partisan agenda. They must determine that the end does not outweigh the means. The power lies in their hands to avert this disaster.

I am sure that many Germans never expected what started out as foolish taunting and hyperbole to end up in gas chambers with the ashes of millions drifting down upon them like fallen snow. At what point do you say stop?  When they beat your sons and daughters in the street?  When they murder your friends and neighbors without retribution? When detention centers are full to overflowing? When mothers and fathers are ripped from the arms of their children and shipped off to a place they never knew?

Trump is attempting to create a society where only he and people of his choosing will thrive. That is his one and only vision. He has no policy and no principles other than total acquiescence to his will. If he succeeds he will have destroyed what our forefathers fought and died to build. America will no longer be that "Shining light upon the hill," referenced by President Reagan.

Our light is already dimmed. I beseech those Republicans who still believe in democracy to resist the darkness. Do not be like the Germans who finally smelled the stench of death, but found themselves powerless to stop it.  Forsake party for country before we experience our own holocaust and are buried under the ashes of democracy.

Donald Trump-Hateful, Vile and Racist

By Mildred Robertson

The revelation of Trump's vile profanities toward people of color in this world is not an “ah-ha” moment for those of us who have been paying attention. It comes as no surprise to black and brown people that the President of the United States participates in hateful, vile and racist speech.  But his speech is the least of our problems. Trump has rolled back protections for children, single parents, veterans, the elderly, and people of color; and continues to chip away at the very fabric of our society.

While we are raptly watching for his next text and respond to the various idiotic statements he makes on an almost daily basis, his compatriots in Congress are deftly dismantling the social safety net that has stood as a beacon for the rest of the world regarding how government should service its constituents. The attack has been precise, targeting those safeguards which have protected our democracy from its founding. Trump and his gaggle of anti-democratic lawmakers first targeted the media, then the courts, then peaceful protestors, labeling them un-American, biased or both. While they join in his attack on these American institutions, they remain silent in the face of his vile remarks, his un-presidential tweets and his confused and confusing political agenda.

His attacks have left his adversaries weary as they face a full assault on all sides, not allowing the resolution of one conflict before another equally or more dangerous assault is launched. While I agree that the president is a fool, there is, it seems, some clever strategy to his madness. He has kept his opponents off balance; both Republican and Democrat.

Democrats do not know whether to work with him to push through a DACA strategy or shut the government down because they know he is not negotiating in good faith. Does he really want a wall, or will the appearance of fulfilling that campaign promise work? And if it will, would it best serve the Democratic constituency, or would it look like caving?  Does he understand the peril of playing with politics in the Middle East, or the imminent danger of nuclear war with Korea? Would he really launch a nuclear attack on a whim? Or is he even engaged in any of these real-life threats other than to respond to Fox News reports about them?

It is really too much to consider. There is too much at stake. There is no underlying policy to attack or support. It is governance atop shifting sand.

While democrats and progressives are trying to find firm footing, Republicans are standing in the midst of this upheaval, systematically deconstructing our nation’s underpinning. They either remain silent, or tacitly support his foolishness while systematically carrying out the desires of that small minority of Trump supporters who want to destroy our current system of government. They call it “draining the swamp.”  

What it actually represents, however, is the institution of authoritarian government policies that will benefit the few while decimating the masses. They are snatching away the safety net represented by programs such as CHIP, attacking social programs like Medicare and Medicaid. They are targeting immigrants who provide an invaluable service to this nation, and without whom our economic system would falter. They are giving life-long appointments to young, un-qualified conservative judges who can negatively impact our nation’s social and political trajectory for years to come. Their attack on the judicial system targets the only system that has to date safeguarded us against Trump’s madness. 

It is imperative that we take a breath…focus…and take a long-range view of the options to save our nation from sure destruction if we fail to wrest power from Trump and his followers. We cannot afford infighting among the opposition. Dominance among factions cannot be our goal.  If there has ever been a time when we must learn to compromise among ourselves, that time is now.

Whether you are just slightly left of center, or you are hanging on the edges of the progressive left…you must know that we MUST do better than we did in 2016. We have to realize that we have to make the BEST choice, even if we don’t like any of the choices. We have to know that a failure to vote is a vote for the person you would least like to win. 

If we do not show up in 2018, I am not sure where this leadership will take us. It is surely a place that I do not want to go. And if they accomplish their goals of deconstructing our nation’s underlying principles, I do know when we would be able to reclaim them, or if we ever will.

Is the 45^th President of the United States hateful, vile and racist? Absolutely. But that is the least of our worries.

Reaction to Texas Massacre Colored by Divisive Environment

By Mildred Robertson

Yesterday when I returned home from church, I was appalled to find that a church in Texas had been attacked and that an untold number of people had been killed and/or injured. The first thought that raced to my head was, “God, don’t let it be a black church.”  Then when I discovered it was not a black church, I prayed, “God, don’t let it be a black or brown shooter.” My prayers were answered…but what a horrible prayer.

It does not matter what color the victims or the perpetrator were. It is a heinous act. It should be abhorred by all Americans…all people.

This brought me to a sobering realization.

I have allowed today’s divisive racial politics to affect my thoughts and infect my humanity. This realization caused me to see that, while this horrific shooting is not directly born of any particular political viewpoint, my reaction to it is.  My reaction is based upon the ethnic violence engendered by the hatred and distrust that permeates our country; feelings emboldened and normalized by the President of the United States.

Trump should not have even crossed my mind in this situation. My focus should solely have been on the victims of this tragedy. But this age of Trumpism has effectively subdivided us from our humanity, causing many of us to look at everything through the prism of race. Unfortunately, it seems, I too have succumbed to the unforgiving onslaught of divisive media reports of the misdeeds of a hateful minority which have led to racial distrust and outrage.

Don’t get me wrong. There is plenty to distrust, and much over which to be outraged. But we cannot let Trump and his band of deplorables drag us down to their level. We cannot lose, or misplace our humanity to the extent that we paint everyone in a category other than our own with the same brush. We must not care less for the pain and suffering of those who differ from us than the pain and suffering of those with whom we identify.

America has always had its problems. That is not an accusation. It is a fact. Our history speaks for itself. But we have been better than this. In the face of Bull Connor, the water hoses and the dogs, America stood up and said “no…enough!”  When our youth were sent to be slaughtered in Vietnam, the masses rose up against it. Even when Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot down on the hotel balcony in Memphis, we had leaders like Bobby Kennedy who felt our pain and called on America’s better angels to calm our hurt and anger.

But today there is no such leadership. Today we are sent to our respective corners to prepare ourselves to come out fighting. While many hope and pray for the America that we know and love to come forth, to stand against the onslaught of cultural hatred, injustice, racism, violence and fear-mongering, we are simply tired of the fight. Tired of waiting for American values to once again take the fore-front…for American politicians to be patriots…for the American justice system to be just.

In the famous words of civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hammer, “I am just sick and tired of being sick and tired.” But if we give in to the fatigue, we lose. America loses. We must not become like them. We must not embrace the politics of division.

I do not know what answer will make America realize its glorious potential. I don’t know what it will take for us to return to our nationhood and pursue the common good. There is not a solution on the horizon that I can see. All of our politicians have failed us…Democrat and Republican; black and white; conservative, liberal and progressive. There are no acceptable answers found among any of the current players on the field of politics. But an answer must be found if we are to survive.

I cannot change the world, but I can change myself. I refuse to let Donald Trump and his ideologues dictate my perception of the world and those around me. We cannot afford to ignore the caustic comportment that permeates our current politics. But each of us must search for a way to lock out the clutter and dig down to the hard facts. We must identify the many corrupt, unscrupulous acts that taint our current political climate and demand just punishment for the perpetrators. That is the only way to maintain our common humanity.

My heart goes out to the souls who were lost, wounded and aggrieved in that little Texas town. They are my brothers and my sisters. They are Americans. And they deserve better.