The past four years have burdened Americans with financial hardship due to economic turmoil. Now more than ever, it is crucial for political officials to address these issues head-on and create lasting change for citizens. Despite this, political drama seems increasingly detached from reality. Social issues remain at the forefront of news cycles and online dialogue, with economic proposals remaining firmly on the back burner.
Both parties lock these issues in a cycle. For every party flip that progresses social policy, the next one takes it backward. The American political scene is fueled with hatred and anger toward whatever group is easiest to point fingers at.
Politicians are no strangers to capitalizing on this, never failing to fuel this frustration to garner votes. Frequently, a fabricated villain is used — an enemy that successfully distracts voters from ever taking the time to consider who their true opponents are.
Wasting time conversing and repeating smaller scale issues limits their ability to benefit the population as a whole. The American public and the politicians who represent them must move past this era of reactionary politics.
Social Issues Can’t Feed Families
Both parties find themselves in a push-and-pull game when it comes to progressing social policy. Unsurprisingly, both use this to their advantage to ignore their voters.
In Utah last year, one of the Legislature’s most notable movements struck down diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the state. For some conservative voters, this was a huge win, while for select Democrats, a huge loss, but for most, it barely earned a second thought.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. Anti-trans legislation remains a hot topic in the 2025 legislative session beginning this month. This comes after bills regarding bathroom usage plagued the 2024 session. This year, those looking for assistance in providing for their family can look forward to bills regarding transgender athletes in sports.
This issue spreads beyond the state level and is used nationally to strike fear into the hearts of voters. One of the Trump campaign’s most successful ads during this election season highlighted the Democratic party’s allegiance to protecting trans rights. As Americans continue to struggle financially, the national government has made banning Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender Congress member, from using the women’s bathroom a top priority.
For those keeping score, in 2022 report from the Williams Institute at UCLA, out of the 350 million US citizens, less than 2% of them identified as transgender. Utah boasted a whopping 15,000 transgender individuals. Regarding the infestation of women’s sports, transgender athletes struggle to comprise even 100 individuals nationwide. American voters have no concept of these numbers, with the majority overestimating their prominence. This is purposeful on behalf of politicians. It is to their benefit to unite voters around a common enemy.
Banning trans women from sports will not put food on the table. Removing tampons from the boy’s bathroom will not make housing more affordable. Prohibiting gender-affirming care will not make healthcare more accessible. Individual beliefs are welcome, but that doesn’t ensure that they are beneficial to the broader population.
No One Is Innocent
It is easy to blame the current political climate on conservatives, as leftists often do. While it is true that conservatives create narratives and enemies for voters to unite around, Democrats enable them to do so.
Conservatives and Donald Trump spent this election targeting trans people and immigrants. Rather than fight Trump on these issues, they play to his game.
Democrats make no effort to dispel the fearmongering surrounding illegal immigration or the dangerous impact mass deportations would have. Instead, they too label illegal immigrants as a larger-than-life threat.
When the Democrats do attempt to create enemies, they fail miserably. Spending the majority of the election cycle comparing Trump to Adolf Hitler was a losing strategy. It’s not a coincidence that this was used in an election defined by Democrats parading around as knockoff Republicans.
Where’d All The Democrats Go?
Democrats will always struggle to compete with fear-driven narratives. This is not because it is particularly effective, but because the Democrats themselves don’t have anything better to offer. While progressive Democrats scored wins in their states, Kamala Harris’ refusal to break from Republican ideologies may have cost her the election.
It stands to reason that voters who see no positive upside to either party are going to go towards the one that aligns closer with their stance on social issues. This resolve is weak, especially when specific issues are so far down on the list of priorities.
If nothing is done to break this resolve, it’s absurd to assume the hearts of voters will shift.
Remain Focused
The biggest issues plaguing communities are not the transgender community or diversity initiatives, nor is it any major social policy.
There are real problems that must be addressed, especially in the state of Utah. Issues like the rapid decline of the Great Salt Lake, homelessness and the housing crisis, just to name a few.
Utahns and American citizens alike must unite around these issues. Drawing lines in the sand that divide this country for issues that have minimal impact is misguided and unproductive. It is on politicians to offer these solutions and on voters to decide what is truly important to them and their families.
There is no time to waste fighting for issues where there are no personal stakes. We must demand leaders to focus on what’s important. Struggles are the fault of politicians, not neighbors. The people deserve solutions, not distractions.
Americans are all in the same boat. Throwing groups overboard is unreasonable when there is room to push forward together.
