In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Social Security into law. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson, signed Medicare and Medicaid into law. In 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law. Despite the fact that these laws have improved the quality of life for all Americans, they have been continually opposed.
In the past year we have watched as multiple rights have been taken from us by ultra-conservative politicians and replaced with restrictions. They have passed laws that determine what books children are allowed to read and not allowed to read in school. This usurps parental rights of determination.
They have passed laws that determine what books the library can carry. This usurps parental rights and individual rights.
They have passed local laws prohibiting LGBTQ children from questioning their identity in school or discussing this with their teachers from kindergarten to third grade. This usurps parental rights to make this decision and the child's right to question.
They are trying to take away medical coverage for gender dysphoria suffered by trans students. This takes away the right to control our personal rights and the rights of parents to guide their children.
They have taken away women's right to make personal health decisions with regards to reproduction rights, even in the case of rape and if the mother's life is in danger. They have taken away women's personal rights and parental rights to make decisions for her children.
They have increased voting restrictions in an effort to convince people that it is to our benefit because they want you to believe that the 2020 election was stolen.
They have continuously attempted to overturn the Affordable Care Act despite the fact that it has improved the health of Americans and improved access to care.
This intensification of replacing rights with restrictive laws is an exercise by ultra-conservative politicians to acclimate us to the next level of theft of our rights, a trial balloon to determine our level of compliance. This ultra-conservative element in government has had a long-range plan to eliminate Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the ACA in the next few years. If they are voted in, we will begin to see the elimination of these rights.
They will eliminate society’s protective social safety nets.
Nancy Tomaselli
Hernando