{"id":13599,"date":"2021-09-18T10:17:10","date_gmt":"2021-09-18T16:17:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/barbadamslive.com\/?p=13599"},"modified":"2021-09-18T10:27:23","modified_gmt":"2021-09-18T16:27:23","slug":"september-18-2021-barb-adams-and-john-j-higgins-americas-uncivil-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barbadamslive.com\/?p=13599","title":{"rendered":"September 18, 2021 – Barb Adams and John J. Higgins, America’s Uncivil War | Leo Bottary, What Anyone Can Do"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hour 1 – Barb Adams and John J. Higgins, America’s Uncivil War<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

At the time of this posting, all eyes are on Capitol Hill, where the \u201cJustice for J6\u201d right-wing rally will take place in a matter of hours. With both chambers of Congress on recess, Democrats have been advised to leave town as Republican members of Congress quietly distance themselves. Even Trump is skipping the rally, as he sees it as a \u201cset-up\u201d by the media to use against him \u201cregardless of the outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

From the violent \u201cUnite the Right Rally\u201d in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 to the January 6 insurrection, right-wing extremism and radicalization have become serious problems in the U.S.\u00a0 Our nation seems to be filled with a lot of people who want to believe in something or someone and it doesn\u2019t matter what or who it is as long as they feel empowered. And with the pandemic, economic inequality, and divided political, cultural, and media outlets all contributing to our increasingly dysfunctional society, many of these people, particularly on the right, are vulnerable to radicalization.<\/p>\n

These extremists and vulnerable Americans are being egged on and being used by Trump\u2019s GOP and right-wing media in an attempt to help the GOP win in 2022.\u00a0 They\u2019ve been brainwashed into believing the Big Lie that Joe Biden is not the legitimate president, that Democrats are evil and out to destroy them, and that illegal immigrants get health insurance. They\u2019ve been radicalized to believe they<\/em> are American heroes and patriots and that science and government are not to be trusted. Their \u201ccause\u201d isn\u2019t one of unity or democracy or the American experiment. Their \u201ccause\u201d has become a rallying cry for revolution.<\/p>\n

We are living in an America divided into two separate worlds. While much of the country blames Trump, white supremacist groups, and right-wing conservative media and their misinformation for prior violence and the January 6 attack on the Capitol, Republicans for the most part blame Antifa and left-wing activists.\u00a0 And it\u2019s those same Republicans who continue to believe and perpetuate Trump\u2019s Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen, with none of this boding well for democracy.<\/p>\n

With today\u2019s rally, Trump supporters are trying to rewrite the history of what happened on January 6. Those being prosecuted for their roles in the attack are not<\/em> political prisoners as these rally goers try to portray them. They are antidemocratic insurrectionists. But with Trump\u2019s, the GOP\u2019s, and a majority of the Republican base\u2019s support that January 6 was justified, they march forward, and we must look in the mirror and see the Uncivil War in front of us.<\/p>\n

Sadly, that \u201cwar\u201d is pervasive throughout our culture. Take the pandemic, for example. This week we learned 1 in 500 Americans have died from Covid. The U.S. morphed from a world leader in vaccinations just five months ago to a tale of mediocrity, now sitting in 57th<\/sup> place in the world in the percentage of its population vaccinated. Why? Like so much of America\u2019s response to the pandemic, vaccines and masks have become polarized along political lines. As a result, we\u2019re seeing the number of new cases and the death toll surge, with unvaccinated Covid cases overwhelming hospital systems across the country, forcing elective and necessary surgeries and cancer care to be delayed or cancelled.<\/p>\n

The vaccines and vaccinations are the way out of this pandemic, and if ever there was a time to push the boundaries of federal authority, this is probably it! Vaccine requirements and mandates are not<\/em> un-American as Republicans claim, but the GOP has weaponized the pandemic, and here we are.<\/p>\n

Because of Republican Governors like Ron DeSantis and others who rail against vaccine and mask requirements, states like Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Texas have surging deaths-per-capita rates, putting all Americans at risk in a real and urgent crisis. The GOP uses the guise of wanting to protect individual Americans\u2019 freedoms, but their rallying cry in itself is a cover for those advancing crazy conspiracy theories in their attempts to hold onto or reclaim GOP power. Perhaps the craziest part of it all, though, is that they are literally killing their own voter base (anyone for Ivermectin, Iodine, or Clorox?)!<\/p>\n

In sharp contrast, President Biden has shown strength and courage in trying to lead us all<\/em>, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, out of this pandemic. A majority of Americans are in favor of public health measures to end the pandemic. It\u2019s time to end the suffering and unite in our fight against the real common enemy of Americans\u2014Covid!<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, unification seems highly unlikely. Eight months after January 6, Trump remains in full control of the GOP. \u00a0As he and the GOP continue to spread lies about our elections and do whatever they can to get people who tried to overturn the 2020 election chosen to be in charge of the 2024 election, Trump and the GOP\u2019s uncivil war on America continues unabashed.<\/p>\n

We are witnessing what happens when worlds collide. One world represents hope and a way to build a better future for all Americans; the other offers a democracy-ending plan that would rather tear down this American experiment. As a result, our nation is being torn asunder.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s time for all Americans to look within and choose which world they want to create and live in. The future is in our collective hands, and the time to choose is now!<\/p>\n

JOIN Barb and John as they discuss America’s Uncivil War.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hour 2 (Rebroadcast) – Leo Bottary, What Anyone Can Do<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Joining the show during the second hour is popular author, educator, keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, and seminal thought leader, Leo Bottary<\/strong>.\u00a0 Leo will be discussing\u00a0What Anyone Can Do: How Surrounding Yourself with the Right People Will Drive Change, Opportunity, and Personal Growth.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

A person\u2019s success isn\u2019t the result of superhuman feats. It\u2019s the outcome of doing the things anyone can do \u2014 though most of us just don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

The most effective way to achieve what we set out to accomplish is to identify \"\"specific goals and find people who can support us along the way. Even the most disciplined among us can benefit from involving our friends, family members or colleagues in helping us get to the finish line.<\/p>\n

Bottary makes the case that we learn better when we learn together. During the interview, Leo will discuss such topics as<\/div>\n