Hello and happy February! Whether you were celebrating Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day, Palentine’s Day, or simply embracing love in whatever form you deserve, I hope you’re surrounded by it and felt it deeply in your heart!
Now, moving on to the fun parts, what you really came to read … or for my more conservative readers, what you came to criticize and vehemently disagree with. But maybe this time … you won’t? (He hopes with bated breath.)
Like many of us, I am absolutely fed up with our government and the functionality (or lack of) of it all.
Republicans control every level of government, and we’ve seen clearly they cannot govern, let alone agree on anything among themselves.
Democrats tried taking the moral high ground, and that didn’t work. Now we can’t even seem to negotiate at times. So what else can the minority party do?
Here’s a radical thought: They could go around the country listening to people. Actually, they all could, BOTH parties, really.
They could return to their original intent and actually represent the people. Back when we started this grand experiment of a nation, it was supposed to be people like you and me up there. The farmer, the parent, the average everyday American, deciding what works best for us and voicing our beliefs. Not a bunch of people who are either already rich, getting rich off their positions, or so completely out of touch they can’t even relate to us anymore.
While some did once relate to us, it appears that power and greed corrupt, or at least make genuine connection a distant memory. The person who was once looked up to becomes the person who will hold you down to ensure they continue to rise. It’s a tale as old as politics itself, yet we keep falling for it. I hope we do better. I hope we demand better. I hope we remember that these positions exist to serve us, not the other way around.
Now, let’s talk about the Epstein files. WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?!
I’m sure we all happen to agree that these files must be released, and the delay by the Department of Justice is absolutely reprehensible. Before anyone starts with, “But Andrew, what about previous presidents who didn’t release them?” — save it. We are here, we are in the now, and Pam Bondi is the one in control of this. While it’s clear this entire issue goes back decades, spanning multiple administrations, it is time the victims get the justice they deserve.
I imagine nobody genuinely cares whether the perpetrators were Republicans, Democrats, independents, socialists, or whatever other label they hide behind. Justice shouldn’t have a partisan affiliation. My only concern is why does it seem like every other country on the globe is doing something about their predators while we protect ours?
For goodness’ sake, I’ve even heard people attempt to argue about whether it’s “really a problem” if the victims were … let’s not even finish that sentence. The fact that anyone would try to minimize or justify what happened to these children is beyond comprehension.
Now more than ever, the people who have screamed “protect the children” at school board meetings over a book should certainly be screaming about this and demanding justice. Where are the Moms for Liberty now? Where are the politicians who built entire campaigns on “saving the children”? Why aren’t they demanding transparency and accountability with the same rage they brought to banning books?
The deafening silence from those who claim to care most about child safety reveals what many of us have suspected all along: It was never really about protecting children. It was about controlling narratives, policing culture and wielding power over others. When actual child abuse by the wealthy and powerful comes to light, suddenly those passionate advocates go quiet.
As the truth slowly comes out, and it is coming out, despite efforts to suppress it, I truly hope the victims get the justice they so deserve. These survivors have carried unimaginable trauma for years while their abusers lived in luxury and influence. They deserve to see accountability. They deserve to witness justice being served. They deserve to know that their country values their safety and dignity more than protecting powerful predators.
Our nation must hold up the ideology of justice for all, not justice for some, protection for the powerful, and silence for the rest. This isn’t a partisan issue. This is a human issue. This is about whether we actually mean what we say when we claim to care about children and vulnerable populations.
The Epstein files represent a test of our national character. Will we prioritize truth and justice, or will we continue protecting the powerful at the expense of their victims? The answer will tell us everything we need to know about who we really are as a society.
Until next month, readers. May we continue to work for a nation that fights for us all, not just the few, the connected, or the politically convenient, but truly all of us.
Andrew Taban is a former legislative staffer. “Democratic Voices” appears Tuesdays and rotates among several local Democrats.
