The U.S. Capitol is shown on Oct. 9, 2024. (Jane Norman | States Newsroom)
Over the past two years, as my husband works from New York City and our permanent residence remains located in Appalachia, a great deal has been learned on both sides of the aisle, so to speak.
I’ve been most enlightened from talking with folks who welcome those who are not only hungry for a good meal in a neighborhood restaurant, but famished for ways to make sense of the often times senseless, even in the vastly red state of West Virginia (which, incidentally, not so long ago, was true blue). And then, every few weeks, I return to the overwhelmingly blue state of New York, specifically New York City, where that certain color remains true to the core principles of American democracy
In West Virginia, folks that frequent the family-owned restaurant, Harding’s, know one another and they each know the staff and the owner — well. So well, in fact, that the nourishment provided by menu selections becomes secondary to attempts to unravel the very twisted threads of a democracy that seem to have become too thin to grasp. In fact, it is the very certainty that when walking through the doors to Harding’s the conversation will begin with the hostess, the cashier, or another customer who is equally-eager to unearth a morsel of truth that will allow them some clarity that will matter. Still, it is difficult to recognize that moment when the person at the table across from you is wearing a ball cap that reads: “TRUMP: THE SEQUEL” in full view of everyone. That is a moment though when we remind ourselves that while burying our heads in the sand might very well be a comforting notion, it is imperative that we do just the opposite, knowing full well that the journey will be fraught with an unprecedented peril.
A few months before the presidential election, a seasoned server at Harding’s overheard a conversation that was gathering momentum among myself and a few other customers nearby. The conversation centered on President Barack Obama’s seeming insistence to dismantle the coal industry. After some time passed, this server asked to be included in the conversation. We welcomed her, not knowing that her views would change the way we thought we knew the situation. She informed us that President Obama was not trying to dismantle the coal industry, but was instead attempting to hold coal owners/operators to even higher standards of regulations in order to protect coal miners to an even higher level. And with the resultant and destructive opioid epidemic that ensued throughout that community, we hung our heads in shame. That moment of clarity was just one of many examples of not knowing what you think you know. It’s a moment of gratitude and a reminder that all may not be as it seems.
And when the coin is flipped and lands me in New York City, I, surprisingly, find myself, like Dorothy, at home, politically. It’s a bit like a pinball ricocheting off the machine’s bumpers, simply trying to avoid the certain pitfalls. This time, the restaurant of those with whom I find comfort is located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan; again, a small neighborhood eatery called Island. I find its name comforting — a sea of displaced humanity searching for an island to call its own.
The political conversation is as energized as found at Harding’s, but what is most noticeable in a city that focuses on the acquisition of money (there really is no way to cushion that certainty) is the lack of focus on the marginalized. Unless you are wearing blinders, the marginalized in New York City will not let you forget them, regardless of your efforts to do so. And with a number of private schools located within a few miles radius of our apartment, recess looks very different for the marginalized than it does for those whose paths are certain, which brings me to the current atrocity of the possibility that the president-elect is seeking recess appointments for those he has tapped for his cabinet and other high-ranking administrative positions. It’s not a difficult concept, but it is a dangerous one.
A recess appointment doesn’t require a Senate vote. Let me say that again: a recess appointment doesn’t require a Senate vote. They take place when a president appoints a federal official while the U. S. Senate is in recess. The absurdity of this possibility is obvious to anyone who wants to see it, even with only one eye open. In essence, in this case, the president is able to bypass the process of approval by the Senate, thereby eliminating questions and background qualifications, as an example. Fortunately, for all of us, the recess appointments clause in the U.S. Constitution, while allowing the president to make such appointments, includes the word “temporary.” The downside? It is possible, even with that caveat, for a recess appointment to last for about two years.
It goes without saying that the potential for disaster is very much alive within that period of time. One might ask the question, “Why the rush?” The answer of course is undeniably crystal clear — for most of us. And it has nothing to do with Republicans asserting that they are supporting this measure in order to prevent the Democrats from blocking the will of the American people. That’s a bit like suggesting that recess is the same for the marginalized on the streets of Manhattan as they are for the privileged on the private school playgrounds.
Let’s not lose track of what truly represents American democracy. Let’s not bury our heads in the sand for the next four years — or ever. Let’s not think that conversations that take place around the dinner table have much of anything to do with the menu. And always, let’s remember that America is a country united, not divided, whether you walk its rural paths or its city streets. To suggest otherwise is part of the problem. Let’s keep our heads above the sand and move forward with conviction.
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