Every once and while, I peruse the op-ed section of publications I believe hold very little, if any, merit in journalism these days, like the New York Times.
I am trying to understand how this country can be so far apart on critical issues and what I see as timeless truths. Truths like a man is a male adult and a woman is a female adult with the corresponding gendered pronouns he and she.
They is a word used to describe a plurality. It refers to more than one person. Considering the craziness in today’s culture, even that may need more clarification. They refers to more than one physical body – a collection of humans or any other sentient being.
I truly desire to try to understand what “the other side” is thinking; what is important to them and what they are reading. I’m curious how they see the world.
It’s becoming obvious to me that some of them aren’t seeing clearly at all. In fact, I’m convinced some of them are blind.
I came across some letters to the editor under the headline A Performance Review for President Biden. As hard as I try, I cannot even begin to comprehend the lens through which they are viewing this country.
The opening letter left me truly befuddled, mouth agape.
“Sure, the president is old, but, boy, has the country improved,” commented the reader.
Huh?
He continued:
“Morality and tolerance for others has returned at the highest levels of government.”
Let’s look at morality. He can’t be referring to Sam Britton, the deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Nuclear Energy that dressed as a woman and went to jail for stealing women’s luggage, could he?
Or maybe he’s talking about cocaine in the White House?
How about tolerance? I wouldn’t exactly call Biden’s rhetoric against conservative Americans tolerant. Or his insistence on elevating one minority social group over the larger swath of women. That’s not tolerance. That’s pandering.
“Respect for America in the world has returned,” the reader stated.
I’m not even sure what to say about this except I bet Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin would strongly disagree.
According to a Pew Research report last summer, around two-thirds of U.S. adults (68%) hold the view that the U.S. is less respected now than in the past. Not surprisingly, more Republicans than Democrats believe this, but even Democrats are concerned about Biden’s posture on the world stage.
The reader continued in his praise:
“Foundations for the country’s future have been established (Inflation Reduction Act, Chips Act, etc.). And the basic economic approach has flipped from ineffective Reaganomics to very effective Bidenomics.”
I’m not sure where this guy gets his groceries or buys his gas, but my eyes and wallet tell me Bidenomics is anything but a smashing success. Many others agree. Less than 40% of Americans approve of Biden’s handling of the economy.
Finally, the gentlemen ended with a real banger.
“C’mon, forget an occasional stumble, or less than polished speech — it’s action and leadership that should be noted, and applauded.”
Occasional stumble? Less than polished speech? How about major gaffes at crucial moments, such as while speaking to residents of Hawaii after devastating fires ravished their homes?
Half of Biden’s speeches are incoherent.
I was left so bewildered, I had to look the guy up who wrote this. I shouldn’t have been shocked considering he was from Amherst, MA, but I truly wondered what country he was living in.
And therein lies the crux of America’s issues. Half are living in a world of delusion but prefer it that way. The other half seem to be living in reality and trying to find the best ways to deal with it with limited government interference.
I’ve lived in both worlds, and I know which I prefer.
Jennifer Galardi is the politics and culture editor and opinion writer for 19FortyFive.com. She has a Master’s in Public Policy from Pepperdine University and produces and hosts the podcast Connection with conversations that address health, culture, politics, and policy. In a previous life, she wrote for publications in the health, fitness, and nutrition space. In addition, her pieces have been published in the Epoch Times and Pepperdine Policy Review. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
