Nothing is broken. Bent, maybe. Certainly fixable.
The “Broken” wording we are hearing these days is an actual program: some folks seem intent on making us accept certain things as true. Remember “weapons of mass destruction”? The ubiquity of that phrase in 2002 got under my skin — and ended up inoculating me from messaging overall, and it diminished my respect for most mainstream media. The latest manipulative term that has me talking back to the screen is “broken.” It seems to be applied it to everything—childcare, healthcare, the internet, education, the economy, the Fed, the Supreme Court, Congress. One wrapped it all up: “America is broken.” The worst effect of this is to keep us passive.
Another problem with “broken” is that we live in a throwaway economy. Many things we buy aren’t meant to be repaired; when our toaster, microwave, washer, or dryer, coffee table stops working or looking nice, we are forced to discard it and buy a new one—another item designed to break again in a few years. So the use of “broken” suggests we should throw out the old model and start with something completely new. Burn it all down, they say.
How we talk shapes how we think, so let’s think differently. Our American systems were built to endure and designed to evolve. Our government has solved so many problems. We have addressed blatant injustice and amended the Constitutional to make those fixes permanent. We have reduced—if not eliminated—discrimination, and built better systems that respect and protect individual freedom, safety, and access. We improved air quality and reversed ozone destruction. Our water is cleaner than ever, our food safer. We recognize that any “ism” holding us back—racism, sexism, ageism, nationalism, nativism—must be confronted.
I won’t deny we’ve taken a hit in the last twenty years. We are not problem free, and the issues to solve now are as serious as they have ever been. “Broken” makes us think of all the things we can’t do to fix things. But We can solve problems if we listen to each other, if we are open to new ideas and ways of thinking, if we respect each other, and come to an understanding that respects what we all want and need. I think we are ready for solutions — we are ready to start solving these fixable problems.
One of the ways I distinguish myself as a candidate—and will as a Representative—is by refusing to adopt anyone’s talking points. I won’t ask you to listen to canned wording or sign on to party messaging. There’s more to say about that, but for now I’ll say this: Stop calling us broken. America has been through worse — with many troubles of our own making — and we have emerged better and stronger, every time.
We just need to get realistic, talk most to the people who have to deal with the systems, in the systems. I will work doggedly to get American systems back on track, guided by the perspectives, values, and experiences of real people—not donors, PACs, or special interests.
I’m convinced we can return to a country that enjoys amazing goods and services of all kinds. The fixing needs doing from the household to the federal government. I have a mind for solutions, and I’m convinced we can solve our problems. Let’s get to work.