Political parties traditionally form around philosophies and issues they believe will advance society’s quality of life, economic prosperity and well-being. They often champion dramatically different means of achieving those ends, but there generally is consensus regarding the goals.
But then there is today’s Republican Party, the first political party in a century whose core principles no longer envision a better world. Quite the contrary. They risk the lives of Americans—via their policies that promote guns, disease, and environmental devastation.
In its latest of a recent barrage of actions that consciously put American lives in jeopardy, Senate Republicans forced President Biden to withdraw his nominee for the position of Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Why? After a 25-year career in ATF, nominee David Chipman became an advisor to a number of gun control organizations. Heaven forbid that someone concerned about gun safety should be in charge of the federal agency tasked with gun safety.
The Party of Death supports and actively encourages gun-toters and inevitably, gun violence, through its advocacy of open carrying of guns, including automatic weapons suitable for little other than mass killings. In Texas now, you do not even have to have a permit or any weapons training to strut around with your guns showing.
They are staunch defenders of the right to life…but only up until birth. After that, you take your chances. If you believe that life begins at conception, then Republicans will vigorously defend your right to life for less than 1 percent of your tenure on Earth. The other 99+ percent of your time here, you need to keep a very low profile because the POD is doing everything it can to do you in.
The ink was not yet dry on President Biden’s speech in which he mandated Covid-19 vaccinations for all federal employees and contractor personnel, as well as businesses employing at least 100 people, before the Republican National Committee said it would go to court to challenge Biden’s executive orders. In essence, the POD is arguing on behalf of the Delta variant (the virus has no standing to sue on its own). This is, of course, in line with the many Republican governors who inveigh against vaccinations and masks as some kind of affront to one’s personal freedom to (a) die, and (b) kill others. POD governors are so incensed about Biden’s attempt to save lives that many are vowing to defy federal directives to get vaccinated and wear masks.
South Dakota Governor and super-duper Covid spreader, Kristie Noem, tweeted that her state, which has put out a red carpet for the virus, would “Stand up to defend freedom,” adding, “@Joe Biden see you in court.” Georgia Governor and voter-suppression enthusiast, Brian Kemp, tweeted that he would “pursue every legal option available” to stop "this blatantly unlawful overreach.” Ask them to distinguish between Covid vaccines and other vaccine mandates that they support and they cannot do it.
Despite fires, floods and storms of biblical proportions and unprecedented frequency, there are still prominent Republicans claiming that climate change is a hoax. Eventually, the warming temperatures will kill many more people than even Covid-19. The POD apparently welcomes that.
On top of all this, the POD does not want millions of Americans to have health insurance coverage. Despite the popularity of the 12-year old Affordable Care Act, they still rage against it.
What can explain the POD’s contempt for life? Does it fear losing the support and campaign contributions of the funeral industry? Being pro-death also makes no sense politically. Americans by large majorities support gun safety, abortion rights, Covid vaccinations and mask-wearing. The Trump base, fueled by the Big Liar/Sorest-Ever Loser and the poisonous bad-faith right-wing media, only comprises about one-third of the electorate. You don’t win general elections by promoting mortality.
What makes even less sense is that the POD’s vigorous opposition to life-saving measures aimed at overcoming the pandemic is killing its own voters. The unvaccinated are, by a huge margin, disproportionately Republicans. Go figure. It looks like the POD has a death wish. If you vote Republican, better get your affairs in order.
Dick Hermann
September 17, 2021
But then there is today’s Republican Party, the first political party in a century whose core principles no longer envision a better world. Quite the contrary. They risk the lives of Americans—via their policies that promote guns, disease, and environmental devastation.
In its latest of a recent barrage of actions that consciously put American lives in jeopardy, Senate Republicans forced President Biden to withdraw his nominee for the position of Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Why? After a 25-year career in ATF, nominee David Chipman became an advisor to a number of gun control organizations. Heaven forbid that someone concerned about gun safety should be in charge of the federal agency tasked with gun safety.
The Party of Death supports and actively encourages gun-toters and inevitably, gun violence, through its advocacy of open carrying of guns, including automatic weapons suitable for little other than mass killings. In Texas now, you do not even have to have a permit or any weapons training to strut around with your guns showing.
They are staunch defenders of the right to life…but only up until birth. After that, you take your chances. If you believe that life begins at conception, then Republicans will vigorously defend your right to life for less than 1 percent of your tenure on Earth. The other 99+ percent of your time here, you need to keep a very low profile because the POD is doing everything it can to do you in.
The ink was not yet dry on President Biden’s speech in which he mandated Covid-19 vaccinations for all federal employees and contractor personnel, as well as businesses employing at least 100 people, before the Republican National Committee said it would go to court to challenge Biden’s executive orders. In essence, the POD is arguing on behalf of the Delta variant (the virus has no standing to sue on its own). This is, of course, in line with the many Republican governors who inveigh against vaccinations and masks as some kind of affront to one’s personal freedom to (a) die, and (b) kill others. POD governors are so incensed about Biden’s attempt to save lives that many are vowing to defy federal directives to get vaccinated and wear masks.
South Dakota Governor and super-duper Covid spreader, Kristie Noem, tweeted that her state, which has put out a red carpet for the virus, would “Stand up to defend freedom,” adding, “@Joe Biden see you in court.” Georgia Governor and voter-suppression enthusiast, Brian Kemp, tweeted that he would “pursue every legal option available” to stop "this blatantly unlawful overreach.” Ask them to distinguish between Covid vaccines and other vaccine mandates that they support and they cannot do it.
Despite fires, floods and storms of biblical proportions and unprecedented frequency, there are still prominent Republicans claiming that climate change is a hoax. Eventually, the warming temperatures will kill many more people than even Covid-19. The POD apparently welcomes that.
On top of all this, the POD does not want millions of Americans to have health insurance coverage. Despite the popularity of the 12-year old Affordable Care Act, they still rage against it.
What can explain the POD’s contempt for life? Does it fear losing the support and campaign contributions of the funeral industry? Being pro-death also makes no sense politically. Americans by large majorities support gun safety, abortion rights, Covid vaccinations and mask-wearing. The Trump base, fueled by the Big Liar/Sorest-Ever Loser and the poisonous bad-faith right-wing media, only comprises about one-third of the electorate. You don’t win general elections by promoting mortality.
What makes even less sense is that the POD’s vigorous opposition to life-saving measures aimed at overcoming the pandemic is killing its own voters. The unvaccinated are, by a huge margin, disproportionately Republicans. Go figure. It looks like the POD has a death wish. If you vote Republican, better get your affairs in order.
Dick Hermann
September 17, 2021
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