Everything Is Political, Even When Things Shouldn’t Be

This may sound a little strange coming from someone who enjoys political campaigns so much but things have become too political in 2020.

It seems everything today has turned political but common sense says some things should not be.

Take the COVID-19 health crisis, for example. This legitimate health scare has become political, way too much so.

Have we become so divided in our country that we have to take sides on something of this nature? It seems so.

Some blame the current health crisis on President Trump. Certainly, Trump is powerful and very rich but let’s be real here, the president did not create this virus. I suppose an argument could be made that he did not handle the situation correctly, especially in the beginning, but there is absolutely no reason this president (or any president for that matter) would not want a health crisis of this nature solved and solved as quickly as possible.

A pretty nasty riff has developed between those citizens who think we should wear masks at all times and those who say under no circumstance will they wear one.

When all of this started, I wrote that if a mask makes you feel safer then by all means wear one. One of my places of employment requires a mask be work while on company time. I follow that rule and know there is no legitimate reason to complain about it.

In reality, I don’t have to wear a mask but I also don’t have to be employed by this company. It’s similar to wearing a work uniform. If I don’t like that requirement then I am free to walk out the door.

I cannot say I am a proponent of a government body (city council, county commission, etc.) declaring citizens must wear a mask in public. This seems to go against what the governor of our state has required (or not required). I am not a legal scholar but some lawyers I do know have said mandates of this nature cannot be enforced.

It will be interesting to see what happens when local law enforcement agencies start issuing fines if one is caught not wearing a mask when in their jurisdiction. Some lawyers across our state are already making it known they will help citizens fight any fines or penalties received for not wearing a mask.

In another area, it has also been amusing to see how voting by absentee ballot has become a hot topic for some.

There were certainly some glitches in Georgia with the number of absentee ballots that were mailed out for the recent primary. I personally know people (in multiple counties) who said they mailed in their request but never received an absentee ballot. One person I know (and I have no reason to believe they are making this up) said their ballot was delivered to their mailbox the day after the primary.

That’s typically the way my luck goes but I can attest to receiving my ballot in plenty of time to fill it out and mail it back in. Had I not received it by election day I would have simply voted in person.

Some Republicans are trying to make voting by absentee ballot an issue saying it can be linked to voter fraud. No evidence supports this and none has been presented by those making the accusations. Some contend they are doing so simply because it is believed more voters who lean toward voting Democratic are more likely to vote absentee.

Of course, the outright blind loyalty to one of the two major political parties continue to grow and continues to become even more laughable. For many if a politician who belongs to their party of choice says something then it is as good as gold. Likewise, if a politician belonging to the political party that John Q. Citizen opposes then even saying the sky is blue and the grass is green is not to be believed.

Finally, a recent court ruling was issued which helps third party and independent candidates in Georgia. A federal judge’s ruling has reduced the number of signatures third-party candidates need to collect before their names can appear on Georgia ballots in November, citing the difficulties candidates face during the coronavirus pandemic.

U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross ordered the Georgia Secretary of State’s office to accept 30 percent fewer signatures from Libertarian Party, Green Party and other third-party candidates. The ruling provides an accommodation to candidates who couldn’t go door-to-door collecting signatures because of social distancing requirements, especially during the period when Gov. Brian Kemp ordered Georgians to shelter in place.

Georgia’s Secretary of State said he did not oppose lowering the signature requirement but did not have the authority to change it.

Georgia has some of the most restrictive laws in the nation for third-party candidates. Those running for the U.S. House and other non-statewide offices must submit a petition with signatures from five percent of the number of registered voters in the district. No third-party candidate for the U.S. House has ever satisfied the five percent requirement since it was adopted in Georgia in 1943.

The legal challenge was brought by the Georgia Libertarian and Green parties. The ruling could help 30 to 40 candidates gather enough signatures before an August 14 deadline, reports indicated. Let’s hope so because more choice is always the best choice.

Monticello native Chris Bridges has been a community newspaper journalist for three decades. He welcomes feedback from readers of The Monticello News at pchrisbridges@gmail.com.