PROGRESSIVE POLICIES THAT HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE - TOO FEW TO MENTION

 

Sent to Pantsuit Politics in response to their show about childcare and other progressive policies that are not getting any traction:

 

Not sure if this is the right place to send feedback or not, but I'm going to try. It sure beats talking back to my iphone! First, thank you to Beth for your lovely inclusive shout out to your many listeners - I would be one of those retirees who have children your age! I was always a working mom, and procuring childcare was always a pain in the you-know-what. I remember seeing the film "Nine to Five" in 1980, and feeling such hope when the mean boss had to agree to provide on-site childcare at the end of the film. Yay! Progress! Hope! And yet, my working career continued for another 30+ years with no real help in the form of childcare. And now, my children are feeling the same pressure and problems. So when you say that things are moving in the right direction and we need to be patient, I have some problems with that belief. Add that to the likelihood that Roe v. Wade will likely be overturned during the lifetime of my grandkids and I can get downright depressed.

There have been 2 progressive policies that directly affected our lives during my career which the current generation takes for granted: the Family Leave Act and allowing our kids to stay on our insurance until age 26 (it used to be 18 or 21, depending on whether they went to college). Those two progressive policies made a difference in the lives of every American. Am I greedy to want more? And in my lifetime? Thanks for reading!

Inauguration Day 2021 - My hopes for the future

 Yesterday our 46^th president, Joseph R. Biden, Jr., finally became our next president. While I was excited and hopeful, the fact that many of my friends and family are feeling the exact opposite weighs on me. A friend posted a paragraph touting the wonderful things that had occurred in the past administration, mostly focusing on the economy and the stock market. However, nothing was mentioned about the many Americans who felt left out of this MAGA world, the outright lies that led to an insurrection on our Capitol, and 400,000 dead Americans. So here’s what I’m hopeful about happening in our country in the immediate future.

More civility.  The past administration normalized the insult. Members of the press, leaders of blue states (or red states that didn’t vote for him) and former employees all felt his public wrath. I am so encouraged that President Biden is making civility a vital tenet of his administration. As George W. Bush said on Inauguration day, things would be better if we all practiced the golden rule. Amen.

Telling the truth. We all watched the heartbreaking events of January 6 play out in front of our eyes. The people who attacked the police and defaced a national symbol of our democracy did so because they truly believed that the election was a fraud. The former president repeated lies and conspiracy theories so often that many people believed them and thought their actions were patriotic. “Alternate facts” are lies, and I am hopeful this administration will tell the truth.

Using the Federal Govt. to Attack Covid:  As a student of history, I have waited for the federal government to use their full power to save us all, as FDR did with the New Deal in the 1930’s and then later during World War II. Without leadership and vision from the White House in the 1950’s and 60’s, we would probably never have been able to send astronauts into space. Instead, in 2020 we got confusing messages or no information at all. Our president admitted later that he was terrified to let the country know how bad things were going to get, because it would make him look bad and “cause a panic.” Instead, he pushed the problem on to the states, and to add insult to injury, he awarded help to states that he thought were deserving (red), and insulted the leaders of states he didn’t care for (blue). Who ever heard of a president who would punish the citizens of an entire state because he didn’t care for the way they voted? Yes, he does get credit for the “Warp Speed” covid vaccine, but it is still puzzling that it was so difficult to find a covid test for many months. Also, making the simple act of wearing a mask to protect us all a political statement was not helpful.

As a Boomer, I remember what happened when the Soviet Union beat us in the space race. The “Sputnik” campaign focused all of our energy on scientific education, research, and innovation. I look forward to our Sputnik moment, when we all embrace the public will to beat this virus. We are all in this together!