There’s an old adage about a doctor and the family of his patient that goes, “The operation was a success, but the patient died”. That seems to be the plan those on the right have to “save” democracy.
They want to preserve freedom of speech by limiting what can be said. They want to promote religious freedom by restricting what religions can be practiced. They want to be considered the land of the free by keeping others out, restricting the rights of others and allowing unlimited access to firearms. They want to promote free and fair elections, just so long as they win.
In short, they want to kill everything that makes America a democracy. It’s truly murder by death.
The Rick Scott Plan
If anything encapsulates the Conservative agenda, it’s Sen. Rick Scott’s (R-FL) 11 Point Plan to Rescue America. Filled with inaccuracies and conspiracy theories, this plan, with the image of the Constitution in flames, outlines what Scott envisions as “What Americans Must Do to Save This County”.
Of course this means eliminating “wokeness” and the “radical left agenda. It means demonizing immigrants, people of color and Muslims. It means ignoring public health protocols while stripping others of their access to healthcare.
Point by point, the Rick Scott Plan is a plan to turn America into a facist theocracy.
Point One
Force children to recite the Pledge of Allegiance (they do) and limit what teachers can use for instruction to the “three R’s” (Never mind that it’s actually one R, one A and one W). Ensure that students aren’t exposed to any history that would make them uncomfortable or to “hate America” and instead indoctrinate them with a wholesome America First philosophy that makes them love Big Brother and promotes school prayer, no matter if you follow Christianity or not.
Point Two
Eliminate identification on government forms that ask about race, ethnicity or color. So, yeah. Let’s get rid of Affirmative Action because it doesn't adhere to the White supremacist agenda.
Point Three
End the “soft on crime” approach of Progressive prosecutors. Instead, let the police do their jobs by cracking some skulls. Never mind these “peaceful protesters. Bring back the dogs and fire hoses from the pre-Civil Rights era.
Point Four
This is the “Kiss Ass” point because Scott proposes building a border wall and naming it after Donald Trump. Let’s ignore that we are a nation of immigrants and put up an ‘Unwelcome Mat”.
Point Five
Stop the Socialist agenda. Starve the Federal government by eliminating programs that only encourage hand-outs over hard work. Forget that Red States are the ones that benefit the most from these.
Point Six
Let the states decide what they want. After all, they know what’s best for their citizens. Who needs an interstate highway system? Instead, let’s have people possess travel papers if they want to go to another state. And Texas had every right to disconnect itself from the National Power Grid. So what that people died while others flew off to warmer climes. It’s their right.
Let’s ignore the fact the Founding Fathers chose to replace the decentralized Federal government approach when they abandoned the Articles of Confederation in favor of the Constitution.
Additionally, all Federal laws should be allowed to “sunset” in five years, meaning Congress will have to reconsider whether or not a law that was previously agreed upon would still be passed. This would effectively grind Congress to a halt as they would be required to debate past legislation, making new legislation impossible to consider. This means a Conservative administration could refuse to reauthorize Obamacare, Civil Rights laws, environmental protections or any other law that doesn’t adhere to their reactionary agenda. Including Social Security and Medicare.
Point Seven
Stop voter fraud (unless it’s on our side). Install election officials who can overturn results we don’t like.
Point Eight
Protect the “traditional family”. One man/one woman. That’s it!
Point Nine
Let’s stop with this transgender, homosexual BS. Men are men and women need to know their place. So, let’s make up some “facts” that science says fetuses are people too, which makes abortion murder.
Point Ten
America is a Christian nation. That’s what our Founding Fathers intended (Except they didn’t and explicitly said so).
Point Eleven
America First! We don’t need other countries. (Except when we need to sell goods abroad for a vital economy, and those areas that depend on tourism need foreign visitors).
Yes, the Scott plan is as outrageous as it sounds. So much so that Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said he would never consider it if he were to become Majority Leader again. But that’s not a certainty. MAGA Republicans could award the powerful position to one of their own, which leaves all options open.
While Scott’s plan is a blueprint as to how to destroy democracy, many states aren’t waiting for the next election to make it happen. They are passing laws that are undermining the basic rights that made us the greatest democracy in the world. And they really don’t care.
Personal Freedom and The Right to Privacy
In his draft of a decision that could potentially overturn Roe v Wade, which guarantees a woman’s right to an abortion, Justice Samuel Alito uses the most twisted forms of logic to defend his reasoning. He argues that the Constitution doesn’t mention abortion, therefore it cannot be a protected right. He further states that the concept of the Right to Privacy, which is the primary reason Roe became law, is also not cited, and therefore the rationale behind this decision is ““egregiously wrong” and therefore must be overturned.
Overturning Roe could potentially open the door to restricting other freedoms protected by the right to privacy provision. LGBTQ+ protections, same sex marriages and even interracial marriages could be under attack using the same logic Conservative justices are relying upon to striking down a woman’s right to choose. Texas, Florida and other red states are already testing the limits of these protections by passing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Tom Cotton (AK) is demanding that those protesting outside the homes of these Conservative justices be arrested for violating a 1950 law that makes it illegal to picket or parade near a building or residence of a judge in an attempt to influence their decisions. Even his fellow Republicans are pushing back, calling it an exercise of their First Amendment rights.
It’s indeed ironic that Cotton wants these protesters arrested, but he refuses to call out those who attacked the Capitol and he went along with the statement that called the riot “legitimate political discourse”.
Equally ironic is the claim made by Justice Clarence Thomas that the court won’t be “bullied” into a decision on Roe. Considering his wife supported the ultimate bully’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, the hypocrisy cannot be ignored.
If Roe is allowed to be overturned, the Supreme Court will cease to be a fair and impartial arbiter of the Constitution. Instead, it will be just another tool of the Religious Right, and a dangerous step towards destroying democracy and replacing it with a Christian theocracy.
Voter Fraud or Voter Suppression
In an effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump began using the Big Lie about widespread voter fraud and a rigged election system to explain his loss. It’s now become a litmus test for anyone who wants his support as the former Republican Party has been transformed into the MAGA cult.
In response to these baseless accusations, several Republican-led legislatures have enacted numerous laws aimed at limiting the once Constitutionally protected right to vote. With these laws and highly partisan gerrymandering, their goal is a complete takeover of government, and elimination of the Democratic Party, as they seek to totally dominate the political landscape.
Despite their claims to having access to tons of evidence of widespread voter fraud, they have not produced a single shred of this evidence. That hasn’t stopped them from pushing more and more restrictive laws to make it more difficult to cast a ballot. And yes, these laws are inherently racist in their intent.
Additionally, those on the right are pushing the White supremacist Replacement Theory to force even more restrictive policies. They claim that immigrants are being allowed to flood the Southern border so they can vote for Democrats.
This is flawed in so many ways. First, those who enter the country illegally cannot register to vote. Second, it’s merely a scare tactic to claim there is some sort of invasion of “brown people” in order to enforce stricter immigration policies while accusing Democrats of wanting “open borders”.
Donald Trump even politicized the pandemic when he forced those trying to immigrate to America to remain in Mexico as a health precaution through his enacting Title 42 of the immigration laws. At the same time, Trump claimed the pandemic was a hoax.
As Title 42 is set to expire, Republicans are pointing to the potential flood of immigrants awaiting entry through the very rules they established. Yet, they are pointing their hypocritical fingers at President Biden for allowing this.
Murder By Death
Each of these actions are supported by claims of preserving democracy. Instead, they are slowly killing off the very freedoms that once made us the envy of the free world. With no access to safe abortion services, a government that has been bought by special interests, and conspiracy theory driven policies, American democracy is dying right before our eyes.
We have the power to prevent it, if we choose.
Vote Blue!