A new year and new predictions

Shannon Bohrer

(1/2022) Last year I said that some events in 2020 had been unexpected. How we experienced the pandemic through a political lens was unpredictable. I predicted that 2021 would be even more bewildering and not in a subtle way, at least from my perspective. Well, get ready for 2022 and the continuing series, "Do we keep our democracy?"

Since the attempted insurrection at the capitol in 2021, the political discourse and divisiveness have grown and exposed differences, some that were unexpected and frankly incomprehensible. Differences existed before the pandemic and before the January 6th attempted insurrection. However, dealing with Covid and what has happened after January 6th has exposed differences that could question the future of our democracy.

While the pandemic was not a political creation, it became politicized because of the responses from one side of our political spectrum, not just ignoring science but creating alternative realities that included fake science. Some would say these alternative ideas were created to differentiate themselves from their perceived opponents. When the scientific community recommends personal masking to reduce the spread of a virus, and the one side prohibits individual masking, you wonder -why? Is the response for the sole purpose of opposing the other party? The disinformation is literally killing people, and it continues.

Moving forward with the disinformation, we had the January 6th attempted insurrection, which seemed like a continuum of the politics of 2019 and 2020. Prior to the election, we were forewarned that if Biden won, the election would be labeled as being rigged. Of course, if Biden lost, it would have been deemed a fair election. When the leader of one side tells everyone if he wins, it is fair, and if he loses, it is fixed; that should have been a clue, a significant clue. The primary reason for the attempted insurrection was the big lie and the disinformation that continues.

The reality is that the pandemic response and the attempted capital insurrection are interrelated with our politics and our divisiveness. While these events are serious, what has occurred post-Covid (although Covid is not over), and post-January 6th is the real threat we face. If we just stayed with the big lie prior to the election or the lie(s) following the election, our democracy might not be in danger. However, the lies and misinformation following what occurred on January 6th are not just disturbing; it is outright antithetical to a democracy, which questions the foundation of our future as a democracy.

After January 6th, one side dismissed the event and said the insurrectionists were only normal tourists. One Senator said he was not worried about the protest; however, if the protesters had been Black Live Matter or ANTIFA, then he would have been concerned. When over 140 police officers are injured and people die, that is not a tourist visit. Comparing January 6th to a regular tourist visit and or a first amendment right to protest is tortuous and perverted thinking. Everyone saw the videos, we saw the officers being assaulted with chemicals, we saw officers beaten with American flagpoles, one officer was beaten with a Blue Lives Matter flagpole. How can anyone believe the lies, comparing them to what they saw on the hundreds of videos, many of them recorded by the insurrectionists? It seems incredulous for any rational being to justify the actions on January 6th, in essence saying, "Do not believe your lying eyes." Unless - one is advocating the overthrow of a government.

After the January 6th event, there were numerous persons in the Senate and in the House that renounced the perpetrators and held the President responsible, at least for one day, some for only a few hours. Most of them changed their position after some deep meditation. They seem to suffer from rare amnesia, called Party Over Country or (POC). To hold onto their beliefs, they do not see anything – they do not want to see. To not see something that can affect and challenge our democracy - is the threat we face.

Those who do not see a threat are so entrenched in their refusal to admit the truth that they hope to win back the House in 2022. If they win, they can eliminate the House Committee investigating the January 6th insurrection. After eliminating the committee, they think the investigation would go away. The reality is that to make everything that has been documented disappear; they would need a Harry Potter spell to erase everyone's memory. I wonder if they also plan to ban the books and videos that exist. Of course, the videos and books that exist basically describe a failed coup attempt. Many books have been written describing the players and giving the details that incriminate those involved. They could try to ban the books, but since they are not in school libraries, it could be difficult. There are a few problems with their strategy, the first being – what happens if they do not win the House? Not to worry, they have a plan for that.

The strategy for the party out of power is to win the next election cycle is through voter and election reforms. They have passed enough laws, that if not challenged, give them a high probability of success. Some of these laws allow state representatives to change outcomes and even appoint different electors for presidential elections. These laws, along with the gerrymandering of election districts, should ensure their success in 2022. It is like stealing your votes while you watch, knowing that if accomplished, there is nothing you can do. They call this, Stealing the Democracy, or (STDs).

The only way to prevent the loss of our democracy is through voter reforms that include access to the polls, control of gerrymandering, and trust in government. I do not give these reforms a high probability of success, in my personal opinion. I think the POC's (Party over Country) has a high likelihood of success with the STDs (Stealing the Democracy.)

I predict that our divisiveness in politics and our democracy will be the predominant topics in 2022. Secondary topics will include equity, racism, women's rights, and our public education system. These secondary issues are directly related to the Party Over Country belief and how they are addressed. Of course, with the survival of our democracy on top of the list, global warming might solve all of our problems, but not in a safe way.

Happy New Year