The situation here - my personal situation - has held steady. My SSDI hasn't been interrupted, thank all the gods ever. My food stamps and Medicare/Medicaid haven't changed, but I worry more the longer this goes on. My area is rife with food pantries. But not so much Prozac and Metformin pantries. So I worry more about the meds.
It's becoming more and more difficult to remain nonpartisan. MAGA has weaponized the party division even worse than the 2016 election meddling did. I always hoped, believed, that the Elected would eschew partisanship to fight a blatant abuse of power. A few of them have and I applaud them. But far too many of the Republicans are sitting on their hands.
Most man-on-the-street Republicans are not okay with things as they are. Nobody I know (or at least nobody I respect) voted for Trump because they hate immigrants. I suspect gas and grocery prices had a lot to do with it. Many people blamed Biden for the post-pandemic inflation that the whole world is dealing with. People vote what they think is best for "me-and-mine". They expect our checks and balances to, ya know, check and balance.
The government is in shutdown as I write this. Both parties are more focused on their own agendas than on what needs to be done. (Nothing new there, but I digress.) Federal employees, including but not limited to the military, are either going without pay or facing that possibility. On what planet is this preferable to giving a medical care to non-citizens?
Today people all over the world are holding No Kings rallies. Protests about the overreach and abuse of power by the current POTUS. I have chosen not to participate, mostly due to my crowd phobia and the distance I'd have to drive to find one, but my heart is with them. And I honestly think we'd be surprised how many of those protestors voted for Donald Trump.
People who voted for him are now suffering from his policies. Those who opposed him from the start are gloating! This is not cool. No one deserves to be screwed out of their livelihood by a person they trusted. They put their trust in the wrong man (or men, considering the failure of the legislative wing to stop this), and now they need compassion. Now they need to be shown forgiveness for their error.
We The People can get through this. But not by continuing this partisan bickering. Certainly not by assuming that, because I'm from a certain demographic, that you know how I voted. Some of those farmers losing their homes voted Harris or third parties or maybe didn't vote at all. Just give each other a break, benefit of the doubt, and be kind. Stand together with your fellow Americans. Hell, with your fellow earthlings.
