By Norma Adams-Wade
By the time you read this writing — and barring any insane political bloopers, voters will have selected the team that will lead our nation for the next four years.
Politics is one way among many in which Americans enjoy the valuable freedom of choice and expressing diverse opinions.
Since I am writing in advance, here’s praying that cool heads prevailed, and the that victors will put the American people above personal agendas.
During the final days of early voting, two signs for op- posing political candidates caught eyes of passersby. The signs were in yards of two neighbors whose homes face each other on corner lots in Oak Cliff.
The signs are a clear indication of this precious American freedom of choice not avail- able in all countries. The cur- rent diversity of choices was evidence that we are free to choose, without fear of reprisal, imprisonment, or physical harm. Here’s praying that that privilege remains unchecked.
Current political turmoil and chaos raises concerns that this Constitutional protection could be in jeopardy at the hands of individuals bent on claiming permanent power that leads to unending power, control and financial gain. The two yard signs also speak mutely about America’s Democratic form of government that untold other countries envy and silently wish they could emulate.
One neighbor’s yard sign (in foreground of the photo) urges voters to support the Trump-Vance ticket for Re- publican Presidential candidates Donald Trump and vice-presidential candidate J. C. Vance, as well as incumbent Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas seeking a third term in office.
The sign on the other facing corner across the street (in the background of the photo) urges voters to support the Harris-Walz Democratic ticket for Presidential candidates Kamala Harris and vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz. Its accompanying sign urges support for all Democratic judges on the Tuesday Nov. 5 election ballot. That Democratic yard missed the opportunity to promote Democratic State representative Colin Allred who was challenging Cruz for his Senate seat. One of Allred’s slogans was: “Ted Cruz, I’m coming for your job!” I was just thinking…it is starkly true that we citizens usually take our freedoms for granted — not giving a second thought to what it must be like in foreign countries with dictators , tyrants and fascists at the helm of government.
That taking for granted was then. But the current chaos is now. The stalemate makes us take inventory of our freedoms and realize that those freedoms could evaporate be- fore our eyes.
Politics can be and too often is vicious, cruel, unfair, unjust and sadly dishonest while pushing blatant lies.
With our one person, one vote privilege, we can push against that intolerable standoff.
Trump framed his campaign with the slogan “Make America great again.” African-Americans in particular recoiled at that thought, taking the meaning that “great again” meant returning to White privilege and Black subjugation and second-class citizenship.
Harris framed her campaign as “a choice between freedom and chaos.” On campaign stops, she boldly declared, with accompanying chants for the crowds, that “We’re not going back!” She obvious means that African-Americas were not going back to what could be seen as a modern day form of slavery, inequality, and servitude.
Latinx, Hispanics and Latinos made their choices concerning which candidates were best to settle the angry disputes over the Southern border wall between Texas and Mexico. Again, the choice was with each individual voter.
The symbolic Statue of Liberty declaring “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yielding to be free” has all but been wiped out in the current heat of border disputes and anti-immigrant attitudes.
Perhaps our disputes — with opposing political yard signs and nastier and nastier political television advertisements — should consider the memorable words of the late Los Angeles police beating victim Rodney King, “Can’t we all just get along?”
And perhaps we all should take more seriously the words on the Great Seal of the United States: “E Pluribus Unum” translated from Latin to English to mean “Out of many, one.”
Isn’t that what diversity and “a nation of immigrants” is supposed to mean?
Norma Adams-Wade, is a proud Dallas native, University of Texas at Austin journalism graduate and retired Dallas Morning News senior staff writer. She is a founder of the National Association of Black Journalists and was its first southwest regional director. She became The News’ first Black full-time reporter in 1974. norma_adams_wade@yahoo.com.
