Finding The Basis of One’s Morality

Volume 11, Issue 29

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Society in a Political Fog

At the writing of this report, former President Donald J. Trump is being arraigned in United States District Court for the District of Columbia on four counts of criminal indictment. They include counts for conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to violate Civil Rights, and related efforts to obstruct the vote certification proceedings.
 
In essence, the former President is charged with failure to recognize and support the general election process of a federal election for President of the United States and therein attempted to obstruct the peaceful transfer of power. If convicted, he will have been found guilty of violation of his Oath of Office to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. 
 
The weight of this indictment on society and history is unprecedented, oppressive, and psychologically suffocating. The public is showing signs of distress resulting from the political dystopia. Citizens are not only perplexed by the events at hand, they are now confused individually and collectively on their own political identity.
 
The public now self-identifies as approximately 30% Democrat, 30% Republican, 35% Independent, and 5% other. Seventy percent of the public do not want President Biden to be reelected. Seventy-five percent of the Democratic Party prefers someone other than President Biden as the Democratic nominee. 
 
Sixty-five percent of the public does not want former President Trump to be reelected President. Forty-five percent of the Republican Party does not want former President Trump to be the Republican nominee. 
 
A recent New York Times/Siena poll finds that 71% of Republicans believe that the indictments brought against Trump are politically motivated and unjustified. However, only 51% of the general public believes that the indictments are justified and have been executed pursuant to due process and rule of law. Most interesting is that in the head-to-head, Presidents Biden and Trump are dead even at 43% to 43%. Two facts can be extrapolated from these findings. There is a crossover between Republicans and Democrats on the question of whether the U.S. Department of Justice has become weaponized as a political operation. And in addition, Independents are now splitting 50-50 in support of Biden and Trump. 
 
The public is emotionally walking around in different directions, unsure of their foundational political imperatives. 
 
A common theme heard in interviews with the person on the street is that they are opposed to both President Biden and former President Trump. Therefore, they declare they are in between the extremes and come to the conclusion that they are moderates. However, when they think through their positions on key issues of concern, they are bewildered to realize they are generally right of center. 
 
On the questions: do you support open borders for anyone seeking U.S. citizenship, do you believe a minor should be able to get tattoos without parental consent, do you believe that the state should have sole authority on what is taught in primary schools without parental involvement, and do you believe the government should have the authority to control all capital and private property, 72% of the American public says resoundingly no. 
 
It is not that liberals say yes to all of the aforementioned questions, but they do not primarily address them. Further, gender confirmation as a constitutional right is not supported by the American public. Progressives in support of transgender rights have become distracted from the mainstream issues. They now find themselves in an untenable political swamp, unable to reconcile ideologically with the general public.
 
Republicans on the other hand do nothing to balance the budget. Both parties are seen as disingenuous.
 
Some pundits argue that America is so divided that civil unrest or civil war is a possibility. There is one ingredient lacking before such a tragedy would occur. Historically, before there is civil war or revolution, 30% of the population galvanizes on the premise that the current state of government and its ruling authority must be overturned. Such was the case in the American colonies’ declaration for independence, the French Revolution, and the American Civil War. In contrast today, 94% of Americans state that they are proud to be American. They measure with confidence the Constitution of the United States as the ruling authority that guarantees the sustenance of that sentient intuition of desire that unites us, freedom. It is elected officials and national institutions with which Americans have issue. A nation founded on the transcendent principle of “we the people, in order to form a more perfect union” have become “we the people,” in order to protect the union, are passively in defiance of elected leaders.
 
There is another level of perception complicating the electorate’s ability to decide who to support in the next presidential cycle. It involves people who do not follow current events and see the national drama as little more than a soap opera. 
The majority of Americans, whether Democratic, Republican or Independent, do not follow politics on a regular basis. They tune in and tune out on days of high drama such as this day, but they do not feel it is important in the governing of their everyday lives. From a distance, scandals, family problems, and personal miscues have almost become standard rhythm in a national drama. Hunter Biden’s criminal investigation, President Biden’s miscues, former President Trump’s indictments, Speaker McCarthy’s equivocation on impeachment hearings, all with sophomoric explanations, are examples that challenge the public’s tolerance. 
 
Thirty percent of Americans relate to current events in analysis as conservatives. Thirty percent of Americans relate to current events in analysis as progressives. In other words, they calculate a position taken on the application of facts of the event as seen through the lens of their political philosophy. Forty percent do not dwell on a political position based on current events. They see the drama almost like a soap opera. Interesting to watch, but no one or a family would actually experience such dysfunction.  
 
A long running soap opera in America has been Days of our Lives. Forty percent of Americans see national government leaders living in a soap opera as Days of our Government. This removal of connection further complicates their ability to relate their own political needs and hopes for their country in the decision-making process of how to vote for a Presidential candidate they don’t like and in support of a party to which they cannot relate. 
 
Citizens from all perspectives are realizing that current events and presidential personalities are critical to the future of democracy. Democracy is critical to what unites 94% of the public. Our national drama resembles a soap opera of the past but is more like reality TV today. It would be entertainment if it weren’t real…but it is.
 
In finding the basis of one’s morality, we as citizens must make our choices based on the moral compass visceral to our ordained judgments…
 
Our uniting desire for freedom depends upon it.
 
My name is Marc Nuttle and this is what I believe.

What do you believe?