One Ahead, Two Back

by | April 2, 2021

By James Haught

James Haught is editor of West Virginia’s largest newspaper, The Charleston Gazette, and a senior editor of Free Inquiry. He is 87-years-old and would like to help secular causes more. This series is a way of giving back.

(July 13, 2020 – Daylight Atheism)

Just when a glimmer of hope emerges from Republican-dominated Washington, it’s followed by dismal setbacks.

On June 15, the Supreme Court decreed that gays can’t be fired from jobs simply because they have a different sexual orientation. It was another breakthrough for human rights, and a blow against gay-hating white evangelicals, the heart of the Republican Party. Progressives cheered – and hoped that decent values finally may have a chance in the capital.

But two weeks later, on June 30, conservatives on the high court trampled the First Amendment and the separation of church and state. Right-wing justices ruled that tax money may be funneled into church schools via tax writeoffs. Although Montana’s constitution flatly forbids tax funding of religion, the justices killed that ban and opened public floodgates everywhere.

And a week later, on July 8, conservative justices gave hidebound employers more freedom to halt free birth control for female employees. Bosses were granted “religious freedom” to block birth control – but women workers have no such freedom to choose contraception. The Washington Post calculated that up to 126,000 women may lose coverage as a result.

Both of the latter rulings serve the “religious right” and the GOP. For liberals, the monthly scorecard was one step ahead and two back. This shows the crucial need for progressive Americans to win more elections and reduce conservative control in Washington.

Personally, I have a blind hope – almost a religious faith – that the “moral arc of the universe” will continue bending toward justice. Ever since the Enlightenment, progressives have won victory after victory to advance personal liberties and decency. In many long battles, they defeated conservatives, time after time. Here’s a record I sometimes cite:

Conservatives tried to retain slavery, but they lost.

They tried to block voting by women, but lost.

They tried to prevent couples from using birth control, but lost.

They tried to obstruct Social Security pensions for oldsters, but lost.

They tried to outlaw labor unions, but lost.

They tried to prevent unemployment compensation for the jobless, but lost.

They tried to keep stores closed on the Sabbath, but lost.

They banned alcohol during Prohibition, but eventually lost.

They tried to sustain racial segregation, but lost.

They supported government-mandated prayer in school, but lost.

They tried to continue throwing gays in prison, but lost.

They tried to defeat Medicare and Medicaid, but lost.

They opposed food stamps for the poor, but lost.

They banned mixed-race marriage, but lost.

They forbade teaching of evolution in schools, but lost.

They fought against equal human rights laws, but lost.

They tried to censor sexy magazines, books and movies, but lost.

They sought to jail girls and doctors who end pregnancies, but lost.

They tried to block liquor clubs and lotteries, but lost.

They fought to block sex education in schools, but lost.

They tried to prevent more health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, but lost.

They tried to halt same-sex marriage, but lost.

And now they’ve lost their effort to fire gays from jobs.

However, the two recent Supreme Court victories by the Religious Right show that the tide of western civilization doesn’t always flow left. Progressives cannot relax. They must keep struggling forever for human betterment.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen is the Founder of In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal and In-Sight Publishing. He authored/co-authored some e-booksfree or low-cost. If you want to contact Scott: Scott.D.Jacobsen@Gmail.com.

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Image Credit: James Haught.

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About Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Scott Douglas Jacobsen is the Founder of In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal and In-Sight Publishing. Jacobsen works for science and human rights, especially women’s and children’s rights. He considers the modern scientific and technological world the foundation for the provision of the basics of human life throughout the world and advancement of human rights as the universal movement among peoples everywhere. You can contact Scott via email, his website, or Twitter.

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