America’s ebbs and flows

BY LOUIE OVERSTREET

Throughout America’s history, there have been observable ebbs and flows between bad and good, wrong, and right, fear and courage. These ebbs and flows have ushered in periods of repression and progress. 

The November election will determine whether an ebb or flow will carry bad or good people into legislative, administrative, and judiciary branches/offices of our system of governance. 

Persons from Europe, who (ironically, it turns out) were escaping persecution in one form or another, arrived on the continent of North America — and once established, started persecuting Native Americans to near-extinction, but also issued a Declaration of Independence in 1776 for their own good. 

The U.S. Constitution adopted in 1789 was wrong for non-white males and women, but right for landowning white males. 

Fear kept the institution of slavery in place from 1619 until it took the courage of northern whites to engage in a civil war in response to an act of insurrection (the attack on Fort Sumter) by southern whites. 

Since 1865, patterns of ebbs and flows have been constants in the history of America with net results slightly in favor of progress. 

However, it is fair to say, the November election could result in a reversal of the fortunes of America. Not since the 1968 election, when George Wallace was a candidate and Nixon beat Humphrey, could America be set on a course where our democracy faces a clear and present danger to its very survival. 

If it were not for what America experienced from 1/20/2017 to 1/20/2021, there would be no way to fathom what is in store for America if Comrade Chaotic Criminal is re-elected to the presidency. 

Such an occurrence will result in the ebbing of progress and the flowing of efforts to erode women’s healthcare choices, humane immigration policies, and oppressive legislation suppressing ballot access. 

If the 2024 election goes south — pun intended — expect the flow to be strong enough to drown our democracy.