Tear down this wall
Trump may never get his wall with Mexico, but he’s built a hell of a wall between Americans. It has bitterly divided Democrats and Republicans in Washington, it has shut down government, and it divides the American people.
And it’s not even a real issue. It’s an imaginary solution to an imaginary problem. Even if we were being invaded by hordes of rapists, murderers and terrorists, the wall wouldn’t be built in time to stop them. Even if the wall got built, it wouldn’t solve the real immigration issues. Like what is a sane, humane and productive policy toward Dreamers and the millions of people who aren’t here legally but are working, paying taxes and powering our economy? And who will harvest our crops and raise our livestock, cook our meals in restaurants, build and maintain our buildings, take care of us in our hospitals and nursing homes, do our landscaping and (this is personal) pay for our Medicare and Social Security?
The wall is a symbolic issue Trump made up to stir up people. It’s a simple-sounding answer to deep-seated fears and concerns about economic, social and cultural changes. But just because it isn’t a real answer doesn’t mean there aren’t real fears and concerns.
Democrats can respond two different ways. One is to dismiss and demean as deplorables all Americans who buy Trump’s answer. The other way is to distinguish the racists and the haters from the good and decent people who just want to be heard. In other words, do the opposite of Trump: Speak to our hopes, not our fears. Talk sense, not slogans. Hear us, don’t just talk at us.
Let’s look for a nominee in 2020 who can meet that test.
Let’s not bog down over whether presidential hopefuls are “likable” or ideologically correct or fit a predetermined mold (“progressive,” “centrist,” “Sunbelt,” “Rustbelt,” “experienced,” “new face,” “older,” “younger,” “woman,” “white guy,” “not a white guy”). Let all the candidates have a chance to reach across the wall Trump built between us, speak to Americans in both red counties and blue counties, and bring us together in common purpose.
With all the energy and ferment we’re seeing in the Democratic Party, with all the new people who got involved in 2018, and with all the promising candidates we have out there, we just might find the one who can dump Trump and tear down the wall.
That’s a New Year’s resolution worth keeping.
Tear down this wall
Trump may never get his wall with Mexico, but he’s built a hell of a wall between Americans. It has bitterly divided Democrats and Republicans in Washington, it has shut down government, and it divides the American people.
And it’s not even a real issue. It’s an imaginary solution to an imaginary problem. Even if we were being invaded by hordes of rapists, murderers and terrorists, the wall wouldn’t be built in time to stop them. Even if the wall got built, it wouldn’t solve the real immigration issues. Like what is a sane, humane and productive policy toward Dreamers and the millions of people who aren’t here legally but are working, paying taxes and powering our economy? And who will harvest our crops and raise our livestock, cook our meals in restaurants, build and maintain our buildings, take care of us in our hospitals and nursing homes, do our landscaping and (this is personal) pay for our Medicare and Social Security?
The wall is a symbolic issue Trump made up to stir up people. It’s a simple-sounding answer to deep-seated fears and concerns about economic, social and cultural changes. But just because it isn’t a real answer doesn’t mean there aren’t real fears and concerns.
Democrats can respond two different ways. One is to dismiss and demean as deplorables all Americans who buy Trump’s answer. The other way is to distinguish the racists and the haters from the good and decent people who just want to be heard. In other words, do the opposite of Trump: Speak to our hopes, not our fears. Talk sense, not slogans. Hear us, don’t just talk at us.
Let’s look for a nominee in 2020 who can meet that test.
Let’s not bog down over whether presidential hopefuls are “likable” or ideologically correct or fit a predetermined mold (“progressive,” “centrist,” “Sunbelt,” “Rustbelt,” “experienced,” “new face,” “older,” “younger,” “woman,” “white guy,” “not a white guy”). Let all the candidates have a chance to reach across the wall Trump built between us, speak to Americans in both red counties and blue counties, and bring us together in common purpose.
With all the energy and ferment we’re seeing in the Democratic Party, with all the new people who got involved in 2018, and with all the promising candidates we have out there, we just might find the one who can dump Trump and tear down the wall.
That’s a New Year’s resolution worth keeping.