Not Since 1860!!

By Donald A. Collins | 25 June 2021
Church and State

(Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash)

The continuing failure of our Federal Government to govern is due mainly if not entirely to GOP intransigence!

Then in 1860 President, newly elected, Abraham Lincoln and many in both north and south had no intention of going to war, just as many non Jewish Germans in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s missed the growth of the racist anti-Semitic cancer that became Nazism!

Most Americans are not paying enough attention to the growing threat of Trump’s GOP success in restricting the state driven attempts on restricting the voting of minorities.

The 6/22/21 vote against a compromise voting act failed which placed the functioning of our democracy at great risk if an acceptable alternative bill can’t be passed.

Watching the other urgent governance issues such as an infrastructure funding to replace those serious conditions which now exist just adds to this story.

But the utter unwillingness of the GOP to discuss any compromise has led to a breakdown of a working system!

“Can’t be!” You say, but what if Trump types are able to take back Congress in 2022 or elect Trump or one he selects?

America would not then “be back” especially if we continue to ignore climate change, growing violence as the result of racism, failure to believe our voting system is fair and honest, or a variant of COVID 19 surges here or the unsolved immigration crisis worsens and gun violence continues unabated.

The fragility of democracy was again demonstrated by the demise of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy newspaper.

You can read about that Wall Street Journal story here.

Having traveled there many times since the British relinquished its control to mainland China in 1997, this vibrant free market economy has been decimated over time, but now has lost its way completely under main land China’s repression.

Wikipedia gives a few details here but much has already been tragically stated!

The transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong, commonly known as the handover of Hong Kong (shortened to the Handover and the Return in mainland China), was the formal passing of responsibility for the territory of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People’s Republic of China at midnight on 1 July 1997. This event ended 156 years of British rule in the former colony. Hong Kong was reestablished as a special administrative region of China, and largely continues to maintain its existing economic and governing systems distinct from those of mainland China.

With a population of about 6.5 million people in 1997, Hong Kong constituted 97 per cent of the total population of all British Dependent Territories at the time and was one of the UK’s last significant colonial territories. The transfer is often considered to mark the definitive end of the British Empire.

So, America, take down our voting rights and we are on the road to disaster.

Former US Navy officer, banker and venture capitalist, Donald A. Collins, a free lance writer living in Washington, DC., has spent over 40 years working for women’s reproductive health as a board member and/or officer of numerous family planning organizations including Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Guttmacher Institute, Family Health International and Ipas. Yale under graduate, NYU MBA. He is the author of From the Dissident Left: A Collection of Essays 2004-2013.

From the Dissident Left: A Collection of Essays 2004-2013

By Donald A. Collins
Publisher: Church and State Press (July 30, 2014)
ASIN: B00MA40TVE
Kindle Store

Republicans block Democrats’ sweeping voting rights bill

GOP Voter Suppression Tactics Explained

‘Pay Attention To This’: GOP Voter Suppression Effort Unprecedented Since Jim Crow | Rachel Maddow

1968 commission reveals why racism in America hasn’t gone away

Be sure to ‘like’ us on Facebook

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here