Colors
Congressman Marjorie Taylor Greene wants a divorce. No, not from her husband, Perry. That happened last year. Now with her new-found powers in the narrowly controlled House of Representatives, Marjorie proposes a whole new form of separation. She wants the Red States to “divorce” the Blue States. If only they were the Gray States of Civil War days, we would understand her better. But for the moment – let’s look at what she’s proposing.
Greene’s theory is that the Red States can no longer tolerate the “woke” policies of Democrats. She asserts that Red States can’t stand things like education in diversity, equity and inclusion. Her claim is that Red States need a “primacy” of Christianity, regardless of the First Amendment. They can’t tolerate equal rights for those who are LGBTQIA, or those who are people of color.
In fact, color is a huge thing to Congressman Greene, painting each state with the “broad brush” of ideology. She should know better: her own home state of Georgia is as purple as it comes: with Republicans controlling the state government, but two Democratic Senators, and a win for the Democratic President in 2020.
But Greene has a solution for that as well. If a state is Red, then its Blue voters ought to go somewhere else. And if a Blue voter moves to a Red state, they shouldn’t be allowed to vote for at least, say, five years. That will give the good Red people a chance to either indoctrinate them (wait, isn’t that what Blue people do?) or send them, “…back to where they came from” (yes, that is a Hamilton the Musical quote).
Branch and Root
Besides suggesting secession along terms of the Civil War, there is another huge problem with Congressman Greene’s idea. America is not painted solid Red or Blue. Here in Ohio is the perfect example.
Ohio is a Red State. Almost every statewide office, from Governor to the State Supreme Court is held by Republicans. The only exceptions: US Senator Sherrod Brown, and three of the seven Supreme Court justices. But Ohio government is so dominated by Republicans, that the two factions in the state legislature are Republicans versus Republicans with some help by Democrats. The Democrats alone can only impact as a faction of one side of the majority Republican argument.
But Democrats have a huge advantage in percentage of registered voters. Hard to believe 46% of Ohioans registered to a Party are Democrats, versus 27% Republican. But the really important number is that 78% of Ohio voters aren’t registered to a Party at all (and therefore can’t vote in Party primaries – Ohio Secretary of State). So when it all comes down in the general election, Ohio votes about 44% Democrat and 56% Republican.
According to Congressman Greene, if Ohio can’t silence that 44%, then they should ship them out to some Blue State next door (Pennsylvania or Michigan). In return, Michigan can send their “crazies” from the Upper Peninsula, or Pennsylvania that “middle Red” section between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. But here in Ohio, Blues infiltrate all over the state, including right here in bright Red Pataskala. To get all the Blues out, “root and branch”, would require something akin to the Indian Removal of the 1830’s (Trail of Tears) or the great religious migration between India and Pakistan at the separation in 1947 (perhaps a million dead). We see how those turned out.
Compromise
Of course the United States isn’t going to “divorce” Blue and Red. We are so entwined there are no “root and branch” removals that won’t destroy the nation as a whole. But what Greene is really saying, is that she can accept no compromise between the two. And that’s unacceptable.
Our Madisonian Democracy is based on compromise. The very foundation of our government, the Constitution of the United States of America, is in itself a compromise. Two houses of the legislature chosen by different means, the division of power among the three branches, the concept of a sovereign nation made up of sovereign states and of course, the infamous three-fifths compromise: we are founded in compromise, saturated in compromise. So when any politician from either side says “…there can be no compromise” (sound like a Florida Governor?) there are antithetical to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers.
Barriers
Setting up color barriers, Red and Blue, would be laughable. But one political Party (Red) has sold their soul for power, and that gives Marjorie Taylor Greene a “bully pulpit” to preach her anti-Americanism.
My mother was an Englishwoman of Irish descent. Her explanation of the Irish Flag (green, white and orange sections) was:
“Green for the Catholics, Orange for the Protestants, and White for the peace that shall never come between”.
That’s exactly what the “Radical Republicans” like Greene, DeSantis and others are calling for – except it’s Red, White and Blue.
