“. . .  the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”

When Harriet asked me to consider writing something for this newsletter, I thought immediately of a quote from Michelle Obama in her speech to the 2016 Democratic National Convention: “when they go low, we go high.”  I was inspired by those words eight years ago and liked to think that Ms. Obama identified a central difference between the two major parties.

The level of political dialogue since then led me to question the degree to which “when they go low, we go high” still applied.  Levels of “going low” increased during the last eight years, and while Democrats have certainly not reached the levels of Donald Trump or other Republicans, I am troubled by the deterioration in civility in both parties.

Another quote by a Democrat applies to the situation we find ourselves in today, this one by Franklin Delano Roosevelt during his first inaugural speech on March 4, 1933: “let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”

While FDR warned that fear can “paralyze,” we have tragically witnessed the use of fear to advance an agenda that only creates more fear and hostility.  Bob Woodward (of Watergate fame) wrote three books about the Trump administration, and titled the second book with one word: “Fear.”  Woodward chose this title based on a quote from Trump during the 2016 election: “Real power is — I don’t even want to use the word — fear.”

Trump’s use of fear is on full display with many of his speeches, translating fear into hate with attacks on immigrants, “woke” educators, “Communists, Marxists, fascist radical thugs,” and (fill in the blank).  This is deeply troubling, particularly when such terms suggest justification for political violence, as Trump has expressed to justify the violence of the January 6 insurrection.

There is nothing I am aware of among Democrats that comes close to this level of unadulterated hatred for “the other side,” but for us as Democrats to remain consistent with Michelle Obama’s aspiration that “when we go low, they go high,” we must embrace a higher standard.  Most recently a rather innocent example of name calling was expressed by Governor Tim Waltz of Minnesota, referring to Mr. Trump and his accolades as “just plain weird,” a term that has gone viral.  While this seems innocent in comparison to Mr. Trump’s demonization of anyone who disagrees with him, it still does nothing to inform voters of policy issues and solutions, and violates Michelle Obama’s plea to “take the high road.”

For me, a more serious violation of Ms Obama’s hope concerns suggestions that Mr. Trump will bring fascism to the United States.  If there is anyone who is as troubled by the prospect of fascism as I am, please contact me so we can work together to prevent such a future, but please be more specific than “fascism” about what this entails, evidence of Trump’s support for these, and his ability to enact such policy.  I appreciate that there are reasoned responses to these specifics that are alarming, but I prefer to begin with that reasoned discussion rather than charges of “fascism” that generate fear rather than reasoned discussion.

For example, a prominent Republican recently celebrated the fact that a Trump presidency would take the United States back to 1960, which (on the surface) seemed to be consistent with hopes of Mr. Trump.  Some (myself included) were deeply troubled by that prospect, but then I asked myself: what was the chance that a Trump presidency could bring us back to this understanding of the “good old days” of 1960?  In a Trump presidency, would voting rights of Blacks (Enacted by the 24th Amendment in 1964 and codified with the Voting Rights Act of 1965) be eliminated?  No.  Would bans on interracial marriage (declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in Loving v Virginia in 1967) be resurrected?  Ditto, no way.  Would women in all 50 states lose their right to choose an abortion?  Keep in mind that abortion was not legal in any state in 1960.  The first state to legalize abortion was California (in 1966) and four others (Alaska, Hawaii, New York and Washington) legalized abortion between 1967 and the 1973 Roe v Wade decision.  I am a strong advocate of a woman’s right to choose, but I request that you not try to strike fear into me and others by suggesting that Trump’s election would bring us back to 1960 on the issue of abortion.  How about gay marriage, illegal in all states in 1960, and legal in every state today, following the 2015 Obergefell v Hodges decision?  Is there anything in the 2024 RNC platform about “take us back to 1960" on gay marriage?  Nary a word.  Fear that a Trump second term would take us back to 1960 regarding these issues is not simply supported by the evidence.   We should avoid such appeals to fear and remember FDR’s plea: “the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself,” and Michelle Obama’s plea: “When they go low, we go high.”

We could similarly apply Michelle Obama’s admonition to responses to the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025.  While reports of it are certainly troubling, before we go into “fear”mode, it is worth contemplating four questions: (1) are reports of its contents accurate?  (2) to what extent does Donald Trump embrace or reject those contents?  (3) to what extent would he have the power to implement these plans? And (4) what can I do individually as a member of the Crawford County Democrats to thwart those plans?

Like many Crawford County Democrats, I am deeply troubled by actions Trump could promote in a second term, such as politicizing the Justice Department (as proposed in Project 2025), gutting environmental protections, inhumane border/immigration policy, tax cuts for those who do not need them, compromising health care and on and on, but I believe deeply in my heart that the antidote to those well-founded fears is not more fear.  The antidote is compassion.  Compassion for “the least among us,” and then the commitment to act to promote the interests of one and all.  To those ends I would suggest that we appreciate as our guiding lights expressed both by FDR and Michelle Obama: “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” and “when they go low, we go high.”  Or, as written by Heather Cox Richardson on July 28, “It is up to us to decide whether we want a country based on fear or on facts, on reaction or on reality, on hatred or on hope.

Sincerely,
Mark Peterson

The next Crawford County Democratic Party meeting will be on Sunday, August 25 at 1 pm at Democratic Party Headquarters, 217A N. Broadway in Pittsburg.

We’ll get together, hear about Chicago from our delegates, discuss our strategies, hear from candidates and elected officials and plan upcoming events. We want you, your families and friends to join us for the launch our fall campaign.

Please let Emily know if you have any items you'd like to see added to the agenda at emily@crawfordcountyksdems.org

We are hoping to see everyone there!

By Harriet Bachner

Congress passed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) 14 years ago; 10 years ago, Medicaid expansion was offered through the ACA; during those 10 years 40 states expanded Medicaid, and for the past seven years the Kansas legislature has not been able to expand Medicaid for the thousands of Kansans who desperately need health care. Many Kansans have massive debt due to uninsured medical expenses, often leading to inability to cover basic needs. In 2017, the Kansas legislature voted in favor of expansion, but Governor Brownback vetoed the legislation.

What is the “coverage gap”?

“The ACA expanded Medicaid to nonelderly adults with income up to 138 percent federal poverty level ($20,782 annually for an individual in 2024) with enhanced federal matching funds (now at 90 percent)” (Drake, Tolbert, Rudowitz, & Damico, 2024). Thus, the coverage gap includes those who have incomes between $12,800 and 138 percent above the federal poverty rate making them ineligible for subsidies in the ACA Marketplaces.

What happened during the 2024 Kansas legislative session?

Despite that 70 percent to 80 percent of Kansans (as shown in a survey from Fort Hays State University) want Medicaid expanded, the possibility of a vote on the legislation was defeated late this spring with 18 senators voting in favor and 17 voting against the bill proceeding to the Senate floor for open debate and an eventual vote. Our district senator, Tim Shallenberger, was absent from that vote.

Since the 2017 Brownback veto, the Kansas legislature has changed, and Governor Laura Kelly very much wants to expand Medicaid. In fact, during the 2024 legislative session, she travelled to cities and towns throughout Kansas, including Pittsburg, speaking to community groups, advocating for expansion. She explained the benefits of expansion for the local and state economy, the survival of rural hospitals, the retention of health care professionals, the criminal justice system, and most important, for those hard-working Kansans who fall in the “coverage gap.”

The Healthy Kansas Alliance (AHK)

The AHK has been working for years to educate the public about the need for expansion and to influence legislators to sponsor and vote in favor of expansion. This past spring they conducted informative sessions throughout Kansas, including Pittsburg, about the needs and benefits of expansion and discussed strategies to motivate legislators to support expansion. AHK held a rally in March at the capitol in Topeka with the attendees hearing from physicians, hospital administrators and citizens sharing their stories regarding the impact of not having access to healthcare because they are in the “coverage gap.” These stories were shared with legislators as well, either in personal meetings with their respective legislator or with representatives or senators in session. The AHK website (www.expandkancare.com) includes these personal stories and information about the issues related to Medicaid expansion and provides a perspective on the reasons this seemingly obvious need has met legislative, economic, and political hurdles. The August personal story features a Pittsburg resident who is a personal care attendant and is in the “coverage gap.”

What is happening now and what are the next steps in securing expansion?

The AHK has sponsored several events over the summer and projects for the fall preparing for the 2025 legislative session. They encourage continuing pressure on legislators through postcard, letter writing and letters to the editors of our community papers about the need for expansion. There are a variety of materials and talking points for letters and information about upcoming AHK sponsored events available on the AHK website. An example of an event is the Summer Bingo Community conversations. In fact, there will be one in Pittsburg in September (the date will be announced in August). AHK also has open community zoom meetings that “provide an opportunity to learn about Kancare expansion and focus on peer-to-peer advocacy and engagement” (AHK, 2024). The dates for the zoom meetings are listed on the website where folks can sign up to receive the link to attend. This summer the zoom meetings have presented ways to correct disinformation regarding Medicaid expansion in Kansas. These discussions have also been very helpful for talking to folks who present misinformation and disinformation heard from a variety of sources about current social and political issues. A few of the recommendations for dealing with disinformation include these.

1.      Lead with our message to build resistance to disinformation and stop there.

2.      Be selective and choose when and where to respond to disinformation.

3.      Prepare for when disinformation may happen.

4.      Educate about the positive or proactive to help folks know when to disregard disinformation.

5.      Use logical correction as an inoculation to disinformation and help folks to think critically.

6.      Keep in mind that folks remember what is heard first best, and do not lead with the opposition’s talking points.

Hope and VOTE

Amidst the social and political strife, there are reasons for hope. With the upcoming November election, we have an opportunity to vote for Kansas house representatives and Kansas senators who are amenable to expanding Medicaid. Much has been accomplished this past year in drawing attention to the need and desire for expansion and elected officials cannot ignore it. The stress on health care professionals, rural hospitals, and hard-working, low-income Kansans’ need for health care is profound. Their stories are being heard and recorded and thus cannot be trivialized by legislators who refer to them as not be willing to work. So, our vote is crucial in changing health care access in Kansas!

—

Drake,P., Tolbert,J.,  Rudowitz, R. & Damico. A. (2024, Feb. 26). How many uninsured are in the coverage gap and how many could be eligible if all states adopted the Medicaid expansion? KFF News. Retrieved from www.KFF.org    

Alliance for a Healthy Kansas (2024).  Retrieved from www.expandkancare.com

During August and September, with the opening of the school year, there are community parades and events. Crawford County Democrats (CCD) can have a presence in each of these, so plan to participate in the fun and support other Democrats.

Here is a list of the upcoming parades.

Arma                                   Aug. 10           line up at 10am

Walnut                                 Aug. 31           line up at 10am at the west side of town on Hwy 46

Cherokee                           September        date and time to be announced soon

Arcadia                               September        date and time to be announced soon

Here is our list of community special events.

Community Fair Aug. 20 at Pittsburg State University. CCD will have a table with candidate information and buttons.

Voter registration Aug. 20; WAVE (a nonpartisan group) will have voter registration at the PSU Community Fair.

Little Balkans Day - Labor Day Weekend. CCD will have a table with candidate information and Democratic Headquarters information.

Please note:  We are also sponsoring a school supply drive which will benefit all the elementary schools in USD 250. Lists are available at Headquarters or on the Facebook page. Please drop off items at Headquarters beginning Monday, Aug. 5 until Monday, Aug.11. Items will be sorted and delivered to each school Aug. 12-13.

For more information and to volunteer at any of the events contact any of the committee members: Jackson Bertoncino, Lynn Grant, Janice Arthur, Ruth Miller, and Harriet Bachner

August

Back to School Supplies Drive for Crawford County Schools

Arma Homecoming Aug. 10 Parade and Festival

SCHOOL STARTS:   USD 250 all students on Aug. 19

PSU Community Fair Aug. 20

Little Balkans Days Aug. 26-Sept. 1, Lincoln Park.  Many activities during the week prior to Labor Day

Paint the Town Red for PSU first home football game Aug. 31

Walnut parade, Aug. 31

September

Cherokee parade TBA

Arcadia parade TBA

Frontenac Italiano Festival, Sept. 22

October

PSU Homecoming Parade Oct. 19, 9 a.m.

Halloween, Oct. 31

2024 Primary Election

Monday, Aug. 5 – In-person advance voting ends at 12:00pm (noon).

Tuesday, Aug. 6 - Statewide Primary Election

All advance ballots for primary by mail must be postmarked by election day and received by Friday, Aug. 9.

2024 General Election

Tuesday, Oct. 15 – Deadline to register to vote or update your voter registration information to vote in the 2024 general election.

Wednesday, Oct. 16 – First day of advance voting. Advance ballots by mail are transmitted. Check with county election officer for times and locations www.crawfordcountykansas.org/election-division.html   

Tuesday, Oct. 29 – Last day to apply for an advance voting mail ballot. Due to mail being delayed sometimes, we recommend that you mail your ballot at least a week before November 5.

Monday, Nov. 4 – In person advance voting ends at 12:00pm.         

Tuesday, Nov. 5 – Polls open at 7am and close at 7pm.

All advance ballots by mail must be postmarked by election day and received by Friday, Nov. 8

Information about the upcoming elections and voter registration can be found here: https://sos.ks.gov/elections/important-election-dates.html

Article submissions are needed from Crawford County Democrats and friends about issues and topics we should all be thinking about. We want to publish your thoughts in this Revue, for distribution to county Democrats and others across the state.

Please email your thoughts or those of your caucuses and interest groups for publication in the county party’s newsletter to news@crawfordcountyksdems.org. Accompanying photographs or other ideas for illustrating your articles are also welcome. Feel free to ask questions by text or phone of newsletter crew Harriet at 620-704-8566 or Phil at 708-466-0659. Also please include your phone number with your message in case we have questions for you.

We look forward to hearing from you!