By John Johnson II
Republicans, led by the former president Trump, have masterfully learned to use their control of legislatures at the federal and state levels to govern America as though it’s their Southern Plantation. Of the fifty states in America, twenty-six are Republican controlled and twenty-four Democratically control.
Consequently, it’s obvious the Republicans’ House of Representative is conspiring with the Red states to again cultivate a plantation system of governance in America. However, to avoid losing a second Civil War, their adopted plantation platform includes the following:
1. Passing stringent voter suppression and attacking corporations that support gay/transgender people;
2. Banning books deemed objectionable by conservative right wing white supremacists;
3. Rejecting efforts to pass common sense gun regulations, and passing open carry regulation;
4. Targeting and dehumanizing the LGBTQ community;
5. Using gerrymandering to establish and maintain Republican control in Red states;
6. Dismantling women’s reproductive rights;
7. Using all forms of social media to feed and cultivate a base of white supremacists imbued with Critically Authentic Ignorance.
Now that you’ve been provided with the specific details of the Republican plantation platform, it’s important to note how it mimics the old plantation systems utilized by former slave owners. White plantation owners had control over life and death of their slaves. White men considered women as chattel. To this very day, women earn 77 cents for every dollar paid to white men. Republicans, again, want complete control over women’s reproductive rights as well as voters’ rights.
Under Governor DeSantis’ dominance, Florida has become a model for the Republican plantation platform. The six weeks draconian abortion ban signed by Governor DeSantis negates women’s reproductive rights. Victims of rape or incest must now provide a police report or proof to get an abortion. Texas Governor Abbott’s abortion bill is just as strict. Sadly, it’s easier for a mare horse to get an abortion that’s impregnated by a rogue stallion.
Let’s examine how DeSantis has mislabeled Florida as “The Free State. Instead, he’s turned it into a “Plantation State.” His passage of the “Don’t Say Gay Bill, could cause teachers who unknowingly commit violations to lose their licenses. His thoughtless open and permitless carry legislation could cause Florida’s tourists industry to suffer financially. In fact, mass murderers won’t even have to conceal their AR-15 rifles. Not long ago, Floridians wore T-shirts saying, “Don’t shoot: I’m not a tourist.”
Further, can you imagine, this governor, who wants to become president, is more determined to discredit African American History because he thinks it doesn’t have value and it might make white children cry. Florida’s empowered parents need to ask the Governor to defend this nonsensical legislation. Shouldn’t he be more concerned about children dying rather than crying?
Does DeSantis not know or just doesn’t care about children’s safety? Books don’t murder our defenseless students. It’s mass murderers with permitless carry AR-15 assault rifles. Regrettably, mass murderers, with easy access to assault weapons, receive support from the NRA and Republican legislators who idolize the 2nd Amendment. Again, aren’t our children of greater value than assault weapons?
Another essential component of the Republican plantation platform is the idolization and re-election of a demagogue, such as Trump. He’s capable of not only appealing to their anti-democracy beliefs, but capable of using lies and alternative facts to motivate them to behave as domestic terrorists/insurrectionists.
Trump, having received an indictment, is now being aided by Representative Jim Jordan, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Jordan is attempting to disrupt the criminal proceedings underway against Trump. There appears to be no limits on Republicans’ willingness to shield Trump from facing accountability. Their desire to gain leverage for their plantation system of governance operates at warp speed.
Trump’s packing of the Supreme Court with three staunch conservative Justices gave the Court an unyielding super majority against progressivism. Also, this less than stellar achievement has become a pivotal element to Republicans’ goal of installing a plantation style of governance.
Actions of the Supreme Court reveal its importance to Republicans’ anti-democracy plan. Chief Justice Roberts’ gutting of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Alito’s bias use of judicial overreach to overturn Roe v. Wade, and their wives profiting from their martial relationship only add to their culpability and tainted legacy. But when you think that the Supreme Court couldn’t sink any deeper, Justice Clarence Thomas is revealed as having too cozy of a relationship with wealthy conservative donors.
Regrettably, America for Black people once existed as a huge abdominal plantation for more two and a half Centuries. And now Republicans and their base of white right-wing conservative nationals are attempting to establish a plantation style of governance in America.
Republicans, for the sake of democracy and their party, must dismantle their plan of establishing a plantation system of governance. History revealed that the Founding Fathers’ greatest fear for democracy was whether men would have the “Integrity” to defend it.
Republicans should also heed the words of former President Lincoln, “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth, Nov. 19, 1863.
There’s no way a radicalized band of Republicans, led by a narcissistic demagogue, such as Trump, with millions of misguided followers, can subvert our democracy and replace it with a plantation system of governance.
YOU BE THE JUDGE!
