I’m sitting on my couch, holding my four-year-old daughter, and thinking about the state of the country. As I think about the multiple families on the verge of being evicted, or wondering where their next meal is going to come from, or both, I realize how lucky and blessed I really truly am. Then I think about how we got in this situation and I get upset.
Our elected officials are put in Washington, D.C. to look out for our best interests. If you are Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, or Independent you can agree on this fact. Another fact is that the Heroes (Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions) Act, H.R. 6800 was introduced and passed in the House and sent to the Senate in May of this year. What that tells me is the House of Representatives (majority Democrat) was being proactive instead of reactive to try to make sure that we as a people are taken care of. What that also tells me is that the Senate (majority Republican) was being reactive and hoping that the pandemic would pass.
Now ask yourself, Why is that? Here is where my opinion comes in, so bear with me. Who has the most to gain at this point? My thoughts are that the White House set these dominos into play to help win the election. I know, it sounds far-fetched, right?
Here is how I came to this conclusion. I feel that Moscow Mitch and the others of the upper echelon of the Republican Party still haven’t sat down with the Democratic leaders to discuss extension of help for their constituents because they were told not to. Instead, the negotiations were taken over by the White House to ensure a deal wouldn’t be made. The plan that the White House came up with contained things that they knew would not pass through the Democrats.
So where does that leave us? We have no economical support from the government and no way to get it. This leaves the protections of people facing eviction literally on the streets. It also eliminates the unemployment help that many families were depending on to help get by.
Now here is where the election comes into play. The president is now set up to swoop in and save the day with an executive order to help out just ahead of the election. The tragedy of it is that the families they are putting on the streets will be considered casualties of war.
Torrey Brown is a loving husband, father, and son, and also an outspoken champion for the black cause and all social injustices.
Any views or opinions expressed in “Tuesdays with Torrey” are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Watershed Voice staff or its board of directors.
