Civic Register
| 8.24.17

Your Turn, Your Voice: Partisanship

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Earlier this month, we asked you to tell us the most important issue facing the nation today. Your response was incredible, generating over 1000 comments on the Countable site and social media, and covering a diverse array of topics and perspectives.

While we’re still parsing the wealth of submissions you provided, we’d like to highlight a few of the issues you mentioned most frequently and the comments you made about them.

First up: Partisanship.

Partisanship

Our Constitution and democracy [are] being eroded piece by piece. Partisan politics are obscuring the Bill of Rights, the fundamentals of democracy[,] and the principles of Separation of Church and State. We are devolving into the very government we ran from to give birth to America. The bonds that unite us are so very necessary to remain the one and only USA.

-- Pamela Jean Hamilton Miles [Respond]

The single biggest issue facing our nation today is that partisan politics have completely eclipsed actual governing. [...] I followed with extreme frustration the healthcare saga that unfolded in Congress over the past few months. It made me incredibly angry every time I heard about how Republicans felt they had to repeal the ACA because they had been promising to do so for seven years. Not once did I hear them say that they needed to do this because it was what the American people needed or what their constituents wanted. [...] I don't think for a moment that the Democrats are any better. This is not how our country should be run. We need to enforce a 3/5 majority for every vote in both chambers. Our country is too diverse to be passing legislation that represents the views and needs of barely half the country.

-- Ken Budris [Respond]

I believe that the biggest issue our nation faces is the lack of unification! Our own people are turning on each other, and people are abandoning people based on who they voted for in an election!! People have always disagreed and argued over elections, but it’s scary growing up and seeing people in your own family fighting and arguing because of who they support! Our country needs to become unified! Until our nation is unified, we will never be able to accomplish anything! The people of America will never be unified until the members of Congress can stop arguing like children, and learn to agree to disagree!!! Democrats and Republicans alike antagonize each other, and as a result are causing The People to antagonize each other! It’s time our country unite so we can look towards the future!!!

-- KotaJessie [Respond]

Our lack of being able to politely refute and debate on policies has turned Capitol Hill into a children's playground. As a former debater, we argued and pushed our rhetoric respectfully, took note of what the opponent said, and tried to call them out there. This is what the gov't should be like, not a bunch of rich guys acting like children with the inability to accept some change.

-- JakeS [Respond]

Political division. Obama had some great ideas but, [R[epublicans wouldn't agree with them because Obama is a [D]emocrat. Now, Trump has some great ideas but, [D[emocrats won't agree because he's a [R]epublican. When I was a child, if someone insulted me I would say "I know you are but what am I?" Or "I am rubber and you are glue. What you say bounces off me and sticks to you." I'm so sick of these babies in office. [...] Nobody is all wrong or all right. Trump is the President so stop spending so much time and our money attacking him and his family and get back to your job. UNITED WE STAND. DIVIDED WE FALL.

-- Linda Lawson Bruton [Respond]

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with us! More posts to come as we continue to showcase the opinions and insights of the Countable community.

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