This has been an erratic election cycle. At times insane. Other times nonsensical. The campaign rhetoric was ratchet. The platform ominous.
Yet here we are. The nation, saturated by four years of disinformation, has chosen a new direction. It is our hope that campaign rhetoric does not become the new administration’s policies.
The rhetoric was not only ratchet, but vicious, disrespectful, and non-Christian principled. But it captured the emotions of the people.
Although inflation was down, and job creation up, wages were stagnant, and we believed the hype that the nation is headed in the wrong direction. The price of eggs was central to the people’s choice.
A sustained campaign of misinformation, fear and disinformation led to “self-interest” voting. It polarized the nation into camps of “what is good for me.”
The promise of a great America gripped our emotions and harnessed our hope. It was fueled by iterations of failed policies, socioeconomic principles, and hardhanded treatment of immigrants.
But emotions don’t allow for critical thinking. Emotions reign in the moment. Emotions reign at the gas pump and the checkout counter at the grocery store.
Critical thinking allows one to process data that looks at the layered influence of international policies, and decisions of past and present administrations.
The state of the economy at any given time is a continuum of policies from past administrations. Fiscal policies, trade policies and regulatory/deregulatory policies have cumulative impact.
Messaging void of this recognition leads the electorate to assign credit or blame for conditions on the current administration. They are not solely culpable.
One promise of President-elect Trump is to implement mass deportation of illegal immigrants. Hispanics and the recently disparaged Haitians will be subject to dislocation and the trauma of abrupt family separation.
The Hispanic electorate, now 20% of total population, cast their ballots in support of harsher immigration policies.
American history curricula fall short. An authentic presentation of the contributions of its diverse complexion, and the injustice many suffered are excluded. It’s detrimental to building a vibrant social climate.
The lack of authentic history education has far-reaching consequences. It perpetuates social divisions, limits civic engagement, and discounts the need to address ongoing injustices.
In the 1930s Great Depression era, hundreds of thousands Hispanic Americans were deported. Estimates range that, between 1929 and 1939, nearly two million Mexican Americans, and Mexican nationals were rounded up and deported. The Mexican Repatriation is an overlooked chapter in American history.
The scarcity of jobs, and the fear that Mexicans were taking jobs from American citizens led to the deportation of documented and undocumented Mexicans. The government and media promoted the division. Fear drives the act of self-preservation.
Emotion driven, self-interest voting has set the tone and direction for the country. In God we trust.
Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this commentary piece do not necessarily the express the opinions of The Cincinnati Herald.