Sometimes one has to seriously wonder whether the present Republican Party is stuck on political stupid.
In English grammar, we call the back-to-back use of different words having the same meaning oxymoronic, as they most often cancel each other out. Many Republicans seem to be happily engaged in a political version of that called Skunk Politics—Publicly promising what one then makes sure one cannot deliver.
This current school of elected Republicans (not all, but far too many) seem to be hell bent on serious voter suppression in the country that is supposed to be the constant lode star of viable democracy in the world. Simultaneously, at least 28 states with Republican state governments have mounted a loud, shrill campaign against citizens taking either one of the currently effective and free vaccines against Covid-19. Currently, the relatively new delta variant is running rampant in red states, hospitalizing many and giving much more new work to the undertakers. (Where is this microcolonal therapy we‘ve heard so much about? Trump supporters were promised it by Trump, but apparently, that was another grift.)
So first, you make it harder for everybody to vote, including your own constituents, then you advocate a distinctly unscientific approach to ending the pandemic by helping to kill off—or at least substantially reducing—your own constituents, so whatever illicit advantage you’ve gained is simply lost. Talk about shooting oneself in the foot to spite one’s own face !!!
Saying they still support the police, the Congressional Republicans voted down every recent attempt to establish a bi-partisan commission to study the origins, organization and aftermath of the January 6, 2021 Capitol Insurrection. To show that they had not made an error, those same folk also voted down a bi-partisan bill to recognize the courageousness of the Capitol Hill and D.C. police who helped to protect congressional members and their staff from violence and mayhem at the hands of those who invaded the U.S. capitol building. This new brand of Republicans are serious skunk politicians.
Many of them still publicly promote the “Big Lie” that Trump had the 2020 election stolen from him and Republican lawmakers—at the federal and state levels—have a continuing duty to remind the public daily that Trump is still the POTUS and people must get ready for Trump’s return.
The Grand Old Party (GOP) really does have excellent bonafides, however. It was the Republican Party that got the end of slavery passed, that made the former slaves citizens, and that gave Black folk the legal right to vote (13th 14th and 15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution). Back then, it was the Democratic Party continually trying to gum up the works and prevent Black citizenship rights and public advancement. Since the late 1930’s however, there has been a role reversal and former friends have become the persistent enemies, and former foes the new collegial supporters.
But this new generation of Repubs is in a class of its own. Slap your own face and cut your throat-type politics just don’t make much logical sense to most of us. But we all have associates who won’t listen to reason and get stubbornly committed to crashing through the fence, sliding down the steep hill and into the gulch in order to get to the bottom of wherever they’re trying to go, and nothing we try to say can deter them. They’re hellbent Skunkers and won’t listen or even contemplate reason.
Well, roar on, Skunk folk !! Roar on!! Your demise seems truly near and the 2022 midterms won’t help you.
And we will not miss you !!
Professor David L. Horne is founder and executive director of PAPPEI, the Pan African Public Policy and Ethical Institute, which is a new 501(c)(3) pending community-based organization or non-governmental organization (NGO). It is the stepparent organization for the California Black Think Tank which still operates and which meets every fourth Friday.
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