Posted as a comment yesterday by our own Whomotie Tojo.
[Association of Mature American Citizens] The US Constitution protects Americans against government suppression of free speech, especially "matters of public concern." In a self-governing republic, election integrity, processes, outcomes, and public corruption must be discussed — trust depends on it. Four scary facts define where America is right now. Here they are.
First, the 2020 presidential election sits uneasily with Americans. Those who voted Biden-Harris do not feel the outcome is honored; those who voted Trump-Pence question 2020 novelties and anomalies, including overdependence on mail-in ballots. If done, they worry about the future.
Easy to see where hard feelings come from. Ideological stakes were — and are — high. One side pushes more centralized control over states, small businesses, and individual liberties (e.g., limits on speech, worship, assembly, travel, self-defense, and privacy), rolled back border security, police, and military, high spending on COVID, redistribution of wealth (e.g., higher taxes), race relations, fossil fuels, abortion (including late term), and reconnection with Iran and China.
The other side is a mirror image — less government, more deference to states, small businesses, individual liberties, border protection, police funding, military readiness, concern over federal debt, spending, and higher taxes, reopening the economy, getting kids back to school, turning off riots, opposing abortion, and holding international bad actors accountable via sanctions.
Clear is the ideological rift. In 2020, it created a hyper-partisan contest, "all or nothing." Rather than a national conversation, America fractured along ideological lines. The depth of this fissure, a chasm on ideas, is dangerous. Free speech — if allowed — helps us get beyond it.
Second, preoccupation with personality. Danger two is how one personality — Donald Trump — dominated the cycle. From Washington and Lincoln to FDR and Reagan, Americans view politics through their leader; we hear a message but see a candidate. Donald Trump is an outsized personality, whether you like or hate him. That, by itself, is fine.
The problem is that this cycle — going back four years — was all about him. Those who thrill to less government, reduced regulation and taxes, strong borders, police, military, moral compass, and patriotism saw in Trump a moral leader. His style was different, voice authentic. Those who oppose such things made him the moral villain. Therein lies the problem. When we demonize — or lionize — we start to slip. Our Republic rests on laws, objectivity, reason, history, rights, and national security — not emotions, devotion to personalities, or preoccupation with venality. |