Where to Begin

The current state of political affairs in the United States is exhausting to say the least. Every day there is something happening that deserves reaction. It is impossible to escape. The current political culture transcends our lives. It has divided a country that was born entirely without partisanship. The current state of discourse in American Politics could not be worse. Quite frankly, there is so much to write about, I am not sure where to begin.

Let me begin with the rationale behind these posts. It is my personal goal to make it clear to everyone that reads that the current state of politics is not normal. It deserves the attention of every U.S. citizen. It deserves the truth being shared in lieu of misinformation or straight up lies. It deserves backing up your thoughts with well respected sources and not memes. The truth matters. Never before has the truth been under more attack than in the last four years.

I am writing these posts because the current state of affairs in Washington requires it. The impeachment and failed removal of President Trump revealed that American Democracy is on the brink and I can stay silent on the matter no longer. Based on the wealth of evidence the House Impeachment Inquiry revealed, the President is clearly guilty on both counts. It is also clear, members of the Republican Party in both the Senate and the House, were willing to go to desperate lengths to ensure the President get acquitted with no respect to historical or judicial precedent. This is what is most frightening.

There is, quite literally, nothing I believe in more than the Enlightenment ideals that the United States was built on. These ideals are well preserved in the U.S. Constitution in the form of the separation of powers than ensures the Rule of Law. In the coming weeks and months, I will be posting about how these fundamentals of American Government have been abused or ignored since the Trump Administration was elected into the Executive Branch. I plan to write about how we, as Americans, can do better to use our online platforms to productively dismiss misinformation and promote Democratic ideals. I acknowledge that this is a problem that has been going on far longer the last three years. I will discuss the nature of partisanship in the 21st century. I know not everyone will want to hear these truths, nor will they agree with my thoughtful positions. For this reason, I would like to reiterate that you can count on my posts to be guided by facts and democratic principles. I pledge this will be done with truth, civility and respect in mind, as my former history professors and current students would expect in any of my work.

I appreciate your time and consideration for the sake of Democracy.

-John