BY SHARON MARTIN
Here’s the bad news: A handful of billionaires are trying to hijack our democracy. They buy politicians and write the laws.
Here’s the good news: the majority of American people are miles ahead of their so-called representatives.
On the economic front, a Gallup poll shows that 76% of Americans favor raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. Two other polls show two-thirds of Americans in support of the raise.
The town council of SeaTac, WA, didn’t wait for Congress to act. They raised the minimum wage in their community to $15 an hour. Other cities and states are following SeaTac’s lead to pay workers a living wage.
On the civil rights front, marriage equality is becoming a reality one county and one state at a time.
Two friends of mine, Dorothy Alexander and Devey Napier, were married in October in Santa Fe. Thanks to a county official who stood for civil rights, they now have a right that most of us never had to question.
Santa Fe isn’t alone. In 17 states and the District of Columbia, marriage equality is the law, and according to a Washington Post/ABC poll, 59% of Americans favor the right of gay and lesbian couples to marry. Among those aged 18 to 29, 81% support marriage equality.
The same poll found that 61% percent of Americans support the rights of same-sex couples to adopt a child.
On the insurance front, a person can no longer be turned down for coverage because he or she needs it. The Affordable Care Act is the first step in securing universal coverage for Americans.
We have come this far despite the best efforts of the greedy and immoral who believe that health care should be rationed to corporate employees and the rich.
It is up to the American people to create the country in which we want to live. We have the vote. We have the right to assemble and make our wishes known. We have the right to turn off hate radio and corporate news and to make our own decisions.
Don’t give up hope. We are making progress. And progress is progress, however slow.
– Sharon Martin lives in Oilton, OK and is a regular contributor to The Oklahoma Observer
