The mid-terms are less than 15 months away. What choice does our electorate have in terms of voting to keep the USS United States from further listing, and possibly capsizing? Well, based on my personal experience with engaging the general public in critical conversation, I’d say our ship is very seriously in trouble.
My source of cynicism was on display as recent as today’s Oak Park Farmers Market. How so? Well, as a dues-paying member of the best-known third party — the Green Party — I was offering cards and brochures that evoke the Peace, Planet, People platform of the local and national Green agenda. Some took my offering without wanting to be engaged in discussion. Others were not willing to even take the literature. I expected as much. But a few were interested and wanted to know more. My initial pitch was that the Blue and Red parties produced this current national nightmare. That is, the duopoly is responsible.
I was competing for interaction with the marketgoers by several clipboard-carrying signature-seekers. Signatures for Illinois Democrats. They were getting plenty of signatories. I guess they believe the Democrat Party can right the ship. That is very doubtful.
Of course, our current wannabe King is no better. But that is exactly my point! Insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. We need more choices and more voices that can be seen and heard. The duopoly cares only about itself. Spare me any retort! Just look around. What opposition party?
And please dispense with being chained to the “lesser of two evils.” It is quite literally an “evil of two lessers.”
The Greens are non-corporate. As should be any third party wanting not to be owned by its donors.
We can and must think outside the decades-enduring political box that has many trapped in its confined space. Millions of potential voters didn’t show up in 2024. Lazy? Or maybe wanting better than what was offered.
We will, as always, get the government we deserve. Demand better. We deserve to get just that.
Joseph Harrington
Oak Park