As it has become more clear the Republicans have no real goal to govern and that they really want to use power in government to steal money, it is more crucial than ever that the Democrats should fight the political fight to regain power and focus a bit less on the governance. This is a sad turn of events, but it appears inevitable and necessary.
The Southern Strategy and the War on Drugs
Since the release of Nixon tapes which reveal the Southern strategy and the War on Drugs were devised only to suppress the African-American voters (who have tended to vote for Democrats) in America it is impossible to not see them as political prisoners and to release them. I would not advise releasing those who have been violent and dangerous, the drug traffickers, nor those who have dealt in addictive substances. I would however suggest that we must end the criminality of using marijuana for adults. This is a rather large percentage of our prison populations, so it is essentially a "small government" idea (the jails would empty by about a third and the number of jails and jailers would decrease). A key element related to this is that persons who have committed a felony may lose their right to vote. That must be eliminated. Once someone is released from prison or jail they should always return to society as whole as possible, including their right to vote.
Guns
Further, we should endeavor to allow cities to ban possession of guns of all kinds in public spaces if the citizens vote for that. Citizens would maintain their right to own and keep guns in private places. The senseless slaughter of people due to handguns is clearly a part of the Southern strategy which must end.
Money in Politics
On the more traditional political front we need to ensure all political contributions to campaigns or parties are made public. It isn't sound policy to allow secrecy when we now have foreign entities wishing to influence our elections. Similarly, we need to end the labeling of corporations as persons (with rights) and end their ability to give money to campaigns or parties. They should be limited to their economic and social activities.
Voter Suppression
We must end the other voter suppression techniques the Republicans have used to prevent people (of any kind) from voting. For our Democracy to work properly the people who are of age must be able to vote. This means ensuring there are sufficient polling places and voting machines and other resources for elections to be properly held.
This is the beginning of a list which might grow.
I write this not as a Liberal, but hopefully as a patriot who wants our Democracy to function properly.The Southern Strategy and the War on Drugs
Since the release of Nixon tapes which reveal the Southern strategy and the War on Drugs were devised only to suppress the African-American voters (who have tended to vote for Democrats) in America it is impossible to not see them as political prisoners and to release them. I would not advise releasing those who have been violent and dangerous, the drug traffickers, nor those who have dealt in addictive substances. I would however suggest that we must end the criminality of using marijuana for adults. This is a rather large percentage of our prison populations, so it is essentially a "small government" idea (the jails would empty by about a third and the number of jails and jailers would decrease). A key element related to this is that persons who have committed a felony may lose their right to vote. That must be eliminated. Once someone is released from prison or jail they should always return to society as whole as possible, including their right to vote.
Guns
Further, we should endeavor to allow cities to ban possession of guns of all kinds in public spaces if the citizens vote for that. Citizens would maintain their right to own and keep guns in private places. The senseless slaughter of people due to handguns is clearly a part of the Southern strategy which must end.
Money in Politics
On the more traditional political front we need to ensure all political contributions to campaigns or parties are made public. It isn't sound policy to allow secrecy when we now have foreign entities wishing to influence our elections. Similarly, we need to end the labeling of corporations as persons (with rights) and end their ability to give money to campaigns or parties. They should be limited to their economic and social activities.
Voter Suppression
We must end the other voter suppression techniques the Republicans have used to prevent people (of any kind) from voting. For our Democracy to work properly the people who are of age must be able to vote. This means ensuring there are sufficient polling places and voting machines and other resources for elections to be properly held.
This is the beginning of a list which might grow.
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