Out of Control

by Ruth A. Sheets

A few years ago, author Malcolm Gladwell wrote a book that I believe is relevant to our current insanity.  The book, THE TIPPING POINT describes situations when actions started by a few individuals or small groups increase to a point where, for awhile at least, they are unstoppable, OUT OF CONTROL.  This point of no return is the tipping point.  I think we have reached it in relation to individual rights in our culture.

After “Roe v. Wade, and the Women’s Liberation Movement, most Americans began to see women in a more positive light, having a lot to contribute to the world outside the home.  Women began to slowly increase their level of education as well as the age at which they chose to have children, if they had any at all. 

Under Ronald Reagan, some of those advances began to reverse.  Public figures who were looking for a “cause” to champion chose anti-abortion because it had emotional appeal to the most conservative among us.  All sorts of righteous language could be flung into the minds of the portion of the population who are certain that God is on their side and that they have a direct line of communication to God. (admittedly it is generally through a series of writings that is more than 2,000 years old, but despite its contradictory nature, the Bible for many is the will of God.) 

This would not be such a problem if these Bible fanatics only wanted to hold their beliefs and practices for themselves.  Unfortunately, their mission is to make everyone else follow their beliefs.  They are fired up to pass laws and even alter the Constitutions of the United States and the various states to insure we all comply.

The Tipping Point came with the 2010 election.  Democrats in particular, forgot how important voting is in the years that end in “0” because of the redistricting due to population shifts.  The Hypocricans took over the House of Representatives in Washington and many state legislatures.  This gave them the go-ahead to step up their crusade.  And, boy did they get going.

Lately, when one state manages to get some restrictive law passed, others follow immediately like a set of dominoes falling. 

It happened with Gay Rights, voting restrictions, increasing the influence of business, limiting support for the poorest among us, and driving undocumented immigrants “back where they came from.” Before a lot of people took notice, many people were on their way to losing their rights.

Our members of Congress are unable to get anything done because they have tipped over into a place where they can’t see that what they are doing or allowing to be done is destructive to the American way of life, our democracy.  Our infrastructure is failing, our planet is suffering from severe climate change, our jobs are either paying obscenely high salaries or impossibly low wages, our banks risk money as if they have an unlimited supply, our Supreme  Court hands down the most outrageous decisions, our government can’t seem to control its appetite for spying on its own citizens and allies, our system of farm subsidies are long out of date.  Our military industrial complex cannot control its appetite.  The gap between the 1% and the 99% is widening every year.   

All of these challenges face us and what are Congress and state legislatures doing to address these real problems?  Not much, especially in the legislative bodies under the control of the Hypocricans with governors who are fully in step with them. 

Instead, they are trying to repeal Obamacare for the 40^th time.  They are writing and sneaking in provisions to limit women’s right to choose.  They are trying to limit or even eliminate food stamps.  They are trying to privatize public services so they won’t have to meet their obligation to pay reasonable salaries or pensions.  They are cutting funding to schools.  They are allowing interest for student loans to double.  They are trying to find ways to lure the richest among us into their jurisdictions with a tax pass while the community pays.  They are encouraging drilling and fracking for fossil fuels on public lands.

The only way to stop this runaway train is to start or join a movement that can ultimately tip thinking and actions in a different direction.  It has started.  The Defense of Marriage Act is dead on the Federal level.  California same sex couples can now marry.  Wendy Davis got national notice in Texas for her filibuster.  Even though none of these events brought about the desired change for everyone, it is a start and has drawn attention.  It’s up to all of us, those who care about human rights, to keep pushing the boulder of inclusion, acceptance, and the belief in the ability to make good decisions that will benefit all, up the hill of ignorance until it tips over into a better place.