Monday Notes: Election 2024
When former President Trump was elected, I was just as sad about the political and social direction of the country as others. But the one positive effect his presidency had on me is that I have become a more informed citizen and voter. From his January 2017th inauguration to the January 6, 2021st Capitol Attack, I have learned more about what US presidents can and cannot do; how state elections can be more integral than the country’s; and how choosing a Supreme Court can affect everyone’s lives and rights.
Consequently, unlike years’ past, for this election year, I know exactly what matters to me.
One thing I have educated myself on is this document: Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise: Project 2025. Though I have not read the entire 1000-page document, I have read the “Education” section, which in the first sentence proclaims, Federal education policy should be limited and, ultimately, the federal Department of Education should be eliminated. The remainder of this section explains, in detail, how conservatives plan to do that. The primary way is through a return to states’ rights.
I’m all for states’ rights. Really, I am. However, I also live in Florida, a state, where the government has passed legislation without a public vote. For example, the Florida government seemed to have assumed that the entire state wishes to be conservative, and as a result, passed HB 241–Parents’ Bill of Rights. Among other things, this “Bill of Rights” has allowed K-12 parents to challenge so-called inappropriate literature, like Amanda Gorman’s book, The Hill We Climb, which was based on the poem she read at President Biden’s inauguration. As of today, it can longer be read or taught in Florida’s public schools due to one parent’s complaint.
As a teacher educator, I have heard the firsthand effects of challenging books. It seems small. It isn’t. It requires teachers to complete a disruptive process of inputting and explaining each book they plan to teach, giving parents a “right” to contest it, and then removing it from the classroom, library, and school if parents disagree. This is no easy feat for teachers or librarians.
I hope this chain of events is clear. I’m suggesting that what’s happened here in Florida is poised to happen nationwide. Not book banning, per se. But rather, a nationwide return to states’ rights, where each state can decide what they think is “right” for their citizens, whether they’ve asked the citizens of that state or not.
The second issue I’ve been thinking deeply about is how the Supreme Court reversed Roe v Wade in 2022. I’ve been following the consequences in my and other states. Similar to the overall goal of Project 2025, the idea seemed to be to return reproductive rights to the states. Again, I’m all for states’ rights; however, in Florida, no one asked me to vote on if women should or should not have reproductive rights. Instead, the government enacted a six-week ban. This matters to me, not because I’ve had abortions in the past and not because, even as 51-year-old married woman, I could have an unwanted pregnancy. It matters because I care deeply about rights that impact all women and girls, who can reproduce, no matter their race or ethnicity. If most of the state wanted this, I would acquiesce, but we don’t know for sure, because we didn’t vote on it.
To be clear, I am concerned that should conservatives have complete control, the direction of the country would be to pretend to “return to states’ rights,” while states enact a nationwide conservative agenda much of the citizenry hasn’t asked for. This is not some crazy conspiracy theory I’ve conjured. If you have time, you should probably read a part of Project 2025 that interests you, whether it’s because you used to work or currently work in that sector. If you agree, then cool. I trust it’s because you believe the United States is on the right path. If not, well, consider how your vote could impact specific social issues.
I like to think about things in threes, so to round this off, I’ll add this: When former President Obama ran in 2007, I wasn’t very politically savvy. He was Black. I’m Black. Wouldn’t it be cool if we had a Black president? was the sentiment. Today, I would never vote for a president based on race, gender, or sexual preference. Today, I’m less interested in being a part of the masses who are excited to shape history in that way. This year, I’ll be voting for someone who understands the pluralistic demographics of our citizenry, whose rhetoric is inclusive of all our rights, and who recognizes an appropriate level of the federal government’s role in our everyday lives.
Monday Notes: Election 2024Inspiring Image #37: ChillinInspiring Image #138: VeniceInspiring Image #147: Ferris WheelInspiring Image #140: FALL
