Important Social Issues

It usually takes me a week or so to get around to reading the Indy Star Sunday paper. So, today, I grabbed the Sunday paper from earlier this week and was intrigued by the front page headline '10 Indiana Issues Affected by the Election'. I know what I think are the most important issues, and was anxious to see what the Star considers the most important issues to be and how they were affected by the election.

I unfolded the paper to find the top issues listed: Gay Marriage, Education Reform, Abortion, Immigration, Unemployment Insurance, Local Government Reform, Texting while Driving, Gambling, Smoking Ban, and Sunday Liquor Sales. Initially, I agreed with at least the first 6 as being in the Top 10 most important issues and thought that the Star was right on track. As I looked more closely I saw that each was determined to be 'losing traction' or 'gaining traction' per the change of balance in the Indiana government, from split to dominantly Republican. I quickly realized that the Star was on track, but going in the opposite direction than I was.

Gay Marriage, Education Reform, Abortion, and Immigration were all listed as 'gaining traction'. What!?! From my perspective it is the exact opposite. These issues have been halted in their tracks, and are more likely 'losing traction' than gaining it. There is no one, with any power, in the Indiana government who is working to further the causes of same-sex marriage, public education, abortion rights, or the rights of immigrants.

If the Star was honest with themselves and their readers, they would have more accurately named the issues: ANTI-Gay Marriage, PRIVATIZATION of Education, ANTI-Abortion, and ANTI-Immigration. It would be true then, that these issues are 'gaining traction'. Republicans are working to create a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between a man and a woman. They also want to follow Gov. Daniels' lead in cutting education funding and creating more charter schools. Women's abortion rights are being used to scare Hoosiers into opposing health care reform, and immigration issues do not account for the individual immigrants and their families, rather they are worried about how kicking out immigrants will affect the profits of businesses.

The idea that our new politicians are doing more to further the rights of the people these issues most closely affect, is a line that Republicans couldn't be happier with. They do a great job, with the help of conservative media, to perpetuate the idea that they are working toward making our state better, when, truthfully, they are marginalizing those in our society who need to be included, and dare I say supported, rather than pushed to the side by the majority.