Not really. I’ve not seen anything that would lead me to believe that the GOP is going to challenge many social issues. They are focusing on the financial aspects of running the country for the most part. Now we can argue those often bleed over to social issues with respect to entitlement reform and the like but I don’t think the current crop of GOP house and Senate are eager to broach that.
I think the optics of how far left we went socially makes it seem like we’re gonna pivot right, but socially, it just seems to me like we planted an anchor when you actually look into it. That’s my perspective, if you’ve got some examples, let’s talk it out. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
I think there have been incidents that scare me from a social perspective. I will never understand the need to dehumanize the people coming to the border. The terms animals, rapists, infesting..... all used by Trump reflects the language common in our not so distant past to describe African Americans. I don't believe that we need open borders or unrestricted immigration but I also don't fear immigration or central Americans either. We already have ICE stopping citizens to see their IDs "just because" we want to round up the vermin.
The supreme court ruling on the wedding cake bothered me. Not so much from the fact that the baker refused the business but more from the fact that now we can use religion as a basis for discrimination. I know the decision was narrowly interpreted but I can assure you this will happen more now. Now what if I don't want to allow Muslims into my store? Women? That ruling will be used as a basis now for permitting discrimination. By the way I supported the Hobby Lobby ruling in that case.
I don't like the Neil Gorsuch-like types for SC justices. While I was critical of the left leaning court's propensity to establish law, I fear a severe right alignment of the court will destroy the social inroads we have made with a strict interpretation of the constitution by the SC. I clearly remember as a kid in Weirton watching adults jeer a black family that wanted to move into my neighborhood in the early 70's. No matter that he was the HS baskeball coach at the the Catholic school in town. My neighbors didn't want them. Strict interpretations could roll back protections for protected classes including older folks like me. Gorsuch has made some odd rulings in the past and if you combine him with new, similar minded justices, the SC could become problematic when it comes to enforcing existing statutes.
To a lesser degree I worry about roll-backs of environmental protections. I am not a tree hugger. I realize the balance between economic growth and protecting the environment. But I see no need to open up national lands and our shoreline for drilling now when we frankly don't need to do that. Just a single example but I don't want to relive my days in a highly polluted Northern Panhandle.
opcorn:
