Strong: Compassion or chaos? You choose

“(Democratic presidential candidate Kamala) Harris argued that the election was a choice for voters between ‘a country of freedom, compassion, and rule of law, or a country of chaos, fear and hate.’” 

— Reno Gazette Journal, July 30

The 2024 presidential election has been characterized as many things — a fight to preserve democracy, a fight against fascism, a fight to protect our rights. These are all true. Many right-wing groups are working to shrink our rights, diminish our democracy, and introduce an authoritarian form of government to our country. Hate and fear are their tools.

But with Vice President Kamala Harris’s entrance into the race, and her choice of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, a new tone has been introduced. The feeling spread during her rallies and campaign events is widely described as joy.

Their speeches praise ideals such as compassion, freedom, and the wonder that is America. They take seriously the goal of helping each other instead of tearing other people down. They spread hope and optimism; the enthusiasm emanating from their crowds is contagious.

In the meantime, former President Donald Trump continues his rage-filled rants. He claims our economy is failing. It’s the strongest in the world.

He claims crime is destroying our cities. Violent crime and homicide rates are lower than during his administration.

He claims inflation is rising. It has dropped to 2.9 percent.

On Aug. 12, Washington Post columnist Matt Bai said, “Trump’s motto might be: ‘Don’t worry, be angry.’”

In that context, on Aug. 6, Trump told his followers that if Walz becomes vice president, “He’ll unleash HELL ON EARTH.” Walz served Minnesota for 12 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has been governor of Minnesota for six years. Has Minnesota become “Hell on Earth?”

On July 28, during an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Walz joked that he was truly a “monster.” Here is how he described his policies in Minnesota.

“Kids are eating and having full bellies so they can go learn, and women are making their own health care decisions, and we’re a top five business state, and we also rank in the top three of happiness … The fact of the matter is,” where Democratic policies are implemented, “quality of life is higher, the economies are better … educational attainment is better. So yeah, my kids are going to eat here, and you’re going to have a chance to go to college, and you’re going to have an opportunity to live where we're working on reducing carbon emissions. Oh, and by the way, you’re going to have personal incomes that are higher, and you’re going to have health insurance. So if that’s where they want to label me, I’m more than happy to take the label.”

Clearly, Minnesota is Hell on Earth.

To counter Walz’s accomplishments, Trump’s campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt released a statement that the Harris-Walz agenda was “dangerously liberal.” Leavitt objected to Walz’s policy of allowing convicted felons to vote. From that, I’m assuming Leavitt believes Trump, convicted of 34 felonies, should be forbidden to vote. Or is she secretly “dangerously liberal” herself? (Reno Gazette Journal, Aug. 7)

History has proven that when people are well-fed, healthy and educated, society is stronger and more prosperous. These are policies Democrats are working to advance.

In contrast, Republicans want to shrink food assistance, health care access and educational opportunities, believing spending on these priorities is “wasteful.” Instead, they want to support the already rich, hoping benefits will then trickle down to the rest of us. If cruelty and chaos are the result, so be it.

On Aug. 6, Harris and Walz held their first joint political rally in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who had been on Harris’s list of possible running mates, showed his full support for the ticket in his speech to the crowd. He summed up our job for the next few months.

“Each of us has a responsibility to get off the sidelines, to get in the game, and to do our part. Are you ready to do your part? Are you ready to form a more perfect union? Are you ready to build an America where no matter what you look like, where you come from, who you love, or who you pray to, that this will be a place for you? And are you ready to look the next president of the United States in the eye and say, ‘Hello, Madam President?’ I am too, so let’s get to work!”

Jeanette Strong, whose column appears every other week, is a Nevada Press Foundation award-winning columnist. She may be reached at news@lahontanvalleynews.com.