Fitz File

I don’t believe that our country is teetering upon the brink of chaos, but I do believe we have taken the first step towards it. The 2016 election had exposed elements of our society that many believed were ideals long since vanquished and has brought about the death of modern civility. There was an agreement about what was acceptable and a collectively understood line that would not be crossed. But recently, it seems like the cultural norms surrounding the interaction between citizens supported by nothing more than an unspoken understanding has been eroded almost entirely. In a time of hyper partisanship the laws the only thing that is the great equalizer. In a way, this partisanship is being rewarded with clicks or screen time or a presidency. It is in this climate that the importance of the law of the land is highlighted to an extreme degree. That if civility and cooperation is not enough of a motivation to keep the society together, then it needs to be strengthened by the rules ...

It doesn’t take long for political TV to turn from a discussion about ideas into name calling. And while this is not really new, what has changed over the years is the definition of certain words in the eyes of the pundits and public alike. What these words mean really matters when media consumption is composed of soundbites rather than expository news. Fox News is easily able to write off arguments and reasoning as ‘liberal’, which then trickles down into the political psyche of the nation. Words changing their meaning is a normal part of life but when this starts to affect how people act, that is when the public needs to be reeducated on the meaning of these words. Liberal does not mean bad, just like Clinton does not mean corrupt, and Trump does not mean evil. This is a post to discuss the beliefs that make up Democratic ideals, what they are, and how they apply in the real world. The first tenant the idea of equality, an equal treatment of all people under the law. Thi...