On the issues: Rep. Ken Calvert and Will Rollins on Jan. 6, LGBTQ rights and polarization on Jan. 8.
In a press release that was quickly distributed on social media and sent to members of the House of Representatives on the issue of “climate change and the environment, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) called on lawmakers in 2018 to:
“…stand up for a safe and secure Israel and for the security of the American people and democracy itself. Our lawmakers should demand of President Trump that he reverse his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. They should support efforts to repeal the Equality Act and protect LGBTQ Americans from discrimination and bullying in the face of ongoing climate change.”
While I am no pro, anti, or neutral towards any particular party, but this short-sighted effort only reinforces to me the point about the dangers of partisanship. While it is clear that the Democrats want to change Israel and their relationship towards the US, many of the same people who are advocating for the Democrats’ agenda for Israel at the expense of the Jewish state and American Jews are doing the same for the Republicans.
I’ve already written about the importance of bringing the two parties together and I’ve pointed out that Israel and Jewish America are the ones who have the political power, so for them to have a voice in this debate is vital.
I have worked with the Democratic Party on issues of health care and the LGBTQ community, and I have worked with the Republican Party on issues of the environment and the LGBTQ community. While I disagree on some policy points, I believe that both parties can be the voice of the American community without compromising the very foundation of democracy, the right to vote.
The idea of partisanship is nothing new in American politics. In 1812, the Whigs, who were the party of the South, ran against the Democrats because they believed that they were too conservative for their party and that they were too close to Southern slaveowners. In 1896, William
