By Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher
“A Tale of Two Cities” written by Charles Dickens in 1859, opened with the words “ It was the best of times and the worst of times.” Dickens was in London at the time. One hundred and eight years later, in July 1967, the Kerner Commission, established by then President Lyndon Johnson, took a look at race relations in America and declared: “America is moving toward two nations, one Black and one White.” It appears that with Donald Trump as President, we have arrived at two nations, not just based on color, but also on economics and class.
The exit polls from Tuesday’s election show the economy as the number one issue in many of the “Red” or Republican vote exits, followed by the virus. There was concern expressed about the virus, with race as a number three issue. The fact that the economy was put ahead of the virus means that, to many, money is more important than human life. Those people we see at Trump gatherings without masks and cheering when he speaks of socialism instead of healthcare reflects a lack of concern for those who can’t afford insurance coverage. These are the very persons who will need coverage for pre-existing conditions because they didn’t think masks were necessary. They will have what is now becoming the lingering aftermath effects of Covid-19, which is becoming a pre-existing condition. .
The bottom line is that both segments of America must move from thinking “Red” or “Blue”, as Joe Biden said, and think as the “United States of America”. Neither side can afford to sacrifice the interest and needs of the other for their own good. This is why the warning from the Kerner Commission is even more important today than it was in 1968 when it was issued. Rural and Urban America need to talk since those elected by the Rural, like Mitch McConnell who leads the U.S. Senate, refuse to even allow the agenda of the Senate, if it is not their own. McConnell has been re-elected to the Senate, but there are still pathways to change. Let’s pay more attention to both cities and rural America.
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