PSA: Pandora’s Box

Who opened Pandora’s Box?

There has been so much political chaos in the last week, it literally feels like Pandora’s Box has been unleashed. It is not only hard to keep up with everything (this is my THIRD time to re-write this post just to keep it current), but also hard to figure out what to talk about first.

I’m going to start with what I think is the single most mind-blowing thing: for the first time in American history, a felon has been formally nominated for President of the United States of America. Nominated. By the party who once considered themselves THE Party of the Rule of Law. Sadly, the irony seems to be lost on them. And by them, I mean the hard-core, staunch Maga trumplicans and evangelical “christians” who are hell-bent to see their version of Gilead America come to fruition. Am I shocked this is where the GOP has ended up? No, but it is still mind blowing the number of people–even in my own family–who are okay with this. While also screaming that convicted felons shouldn’t have rights or vote. But apparently can be President. Can someone make this make sense? Because I sure as hell can’t.

Not to be outdone by the GOP, President Biden just announced he is stepping aside in terms of running for re-election and has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his pick for the Democratic nominee. Already the in-fighting has begun. How will this play out in November? Not well if the in-fighting continues. Regardless of who is picked, it needs to be done quickly. Everyone needs to be onboard with that decision and get back to what is important: defeating Trump. Long drawn out debates about who is going can/cannot beat Trump isn’t going to solve anything. The one person who has beaten Trump just bowed out. But that doesn’t mean all is lost. I refuse to believe that.

In 2020, the entire Presidential election was about saving democracy in America. However, in the wake of that election we discovered just how fragile American democracy is. Something I–and I think the majority of Americans–never thought we’d have to question. We had a glimpse into what a Trump-topian world would look like and I ask you: is that something you want for your future? Your daughters? Their daughters?

In November you have a simple choice: do you support democracy and do you think that every woman has the right to choose what happens to her body? If so, there is only one party who can answer yes to both of those questions: the Democrats. It doesn’t matter who is on the top of that ticket. It doesn’t matter if you fundamentally disagree with a lot of the Democrats’s policies. It should. It should absolutely matter who is on the ballot. It should absolutely matter what your beliefs are. But it does not. Not this time–and I’m so angry it does not matter. But fact is that it doesn’t. This election you are voting for two things and two things alone: if American democracy survives and whether women have control over their own bodies. That’s it.

That is the line in the sand.