I understand why a lot of low-income and working class people voted for Donald Trump in Wood County, rural America, the rust belt, and the countless number of other communities on which our broken economic system has wreaked havoc. The failure of both the Democratic and Republican parties to, in any reasonable way, address the gross level of poverty and economic inequality in our country would inevitably lead to social unrest, creating the possibility for a threatening mass movement such as MAGA. Although I think the MAGA movement, if it wins in the end, will create even more poverty, a Christian Fascist state, and the dehumanization of anyone seen as the “other,” you still won’t catch me criticizing a low-income or working class Trump supporter, as long as they don’t discriminate against other groups of people. I know how the Democratic Party, dating back to Bill Clinton, has harmed them. I know how the previous version of the Republican Party, dating back to Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, has harmed them.
On the other hand, I am comfortable criticizing our local elected officials, who should be responsible for serving the most vulnerable among us. The recent budget passed by the House of Representatives, which Bob Latta voted for, and President Trump endorsed, advances yet another round of obscene tax cuts for the wealthiest among us, but still has the gall to ask for billions of dollars in budget cuts to the few social policies that attempt to hold our society together. Most important among the proposed cuts is that millions of Americans could lose access to Medicaid. This would eliminate essential healthcare services for the poorest and most vulnerable among us and result in more sickness, death, debt, and bankruptcy.
Over 70 million Americans rely on Medicaid for their health insurance, and contrary to the views of many, a sizeable number of Trump supporters are on it. Whether you believe, like me, that America should join the rest of the world’s democracies in having a national health insurance system, or you simply don’t want vulnerable people to have their lives upended, I urge you to stand up against these cuts to Medicaid. This is a matter of life and death for so many people, who regardless of their political affiliation, should have healthcare. Countless numbers of babies, children, pregnant and new mothers, the working poor, seniors, disabled people, foster children, the list goes on, all depend on Medicaid. I can’t help but wonder what it says about us as a society if we cut them off. We just can’t do that. Please call someone with power or scream into your algorithm so it doesn’t happen.
Jordan Wilfong
Bowling Green
