The Politics of the Day

The politics of today:  taxes, abortion, the media, the death penalty, and inclusiveness.  What a list!  Yet, these things dominate the headlines and so also dominate my thoughts this Thursday morning.

Taxes.  Nobody wants to pay a lot in taxes.  Yet, bridges must be built, utilities must be delivered, water and air must be kept clean, etc., etc.  There are tons of important projects that require/deserve public funding.  Yet, people resist and mostly want their taxes to be reduced and they react negatively when an increase is proposed.  It is true that the rich should bear the bulk of the burden.  I take the view of the Democratic Party here.

Abortion.  This should not be labeled as an “issue” for voters.  It is a matter of life and death, not an “issue” to be decided by politicians or judges.  To support the brutal slaying of a preborn human life at any stage of development is beneath our dignity.  It is simply unfathomable to me that anyone would want to do this.  What is so magical about birth?  Okay, this is when we see this human being for the first time.  But this life existed before that in the mother’s womb!  And this life is the ultimate in innocence.  A serious error was made in 1973 when the Supreme Court judges made abortion legal.  I take the view of the Republican Party here but, without strong leadership, it is going to be very difficult to reverse now, forty-five years later.

The Media.  There are many things that President Trump does that he should not be doing in my humble opinion. Vicious early morning tweets attacking his “enemies” is one.  Calling the press the “enemy” of the people is another.  Being a president is serious business.  Making presidential decisions is serious business.  A president should be respectful and, well, presidential.  But, by the same token, the media should also be respectful.  I would like to see unbiased reporting of facts, and not the injection of personal opinions and biases that disparage our leaders, regardless of their behavior.  I take a mixed view here.

The Death Penalty.  Man should respect the dignity of human life as a matter of routine in all areas of life.  To impose the death penalty on another human being is simply cruel and barbaric.  Yes, the criminal was also cruel and barbaric by committing the act for which he/she is accused.  But in killing him/her, we are doing the same thing of which he is accused!  Correct me if I am wrong, but this is called hypocrisy.  Killing another person is wrong, but is it right if we do it as a punishment?  Lynching someone is what they do in western movies, not in a civilized society.  I take the Democratic Party’s view here.

Inclusiveness.  A newfangled term!  It refers to having respect for those in our society who are different from us, be it due to their race, their religion, their sexuality, or whatever.  Of course, we should have this respect!  A white man should have respect for a black man (and vice-versa).  A person of one faith tradition should have respect for a person of a different faith tradition.  Any man should have respect for any woman (and vice-versa).  Whether you are heterosexual, homosexual, or transgender, one person should have respect for another.  I see problems entering into the discussion when someone wants to flaunt their sexuality publicly, such as in immodest dress and trangenderism.

For me, the Republican Party seems the best fit.  But, I wouldn’t mind if there were a new party created that would satisfy all my Thursday Thoughts.  Amen!