This is apropos two back-to-back letters to the Editor titled “Failure of Democrats and victory of Trump” from this writer carried by the newspaper on Saturday and yesterday. There was another Black woman who burst into tears when engaged in conversation.

She explained that she and her husband are retired, receiving only $900 per month in pension. Out of this, they pay $650 in rent, leaving them with just $350 to cover all their household needs.

After the economy and jobs, the next most pressing issue for ordinary people was rising inflation. One man in his early 30s, White, had just arrived home from work and, appearing to be slightly intoxicated, became emotional. He shared that he had to sell his truck, his only source of income, because he couldn’t afford the repair and replacement costs due to skyrocketing prices for parts and labour.

He had exhausted his savings and now relied on low-wage temporary jobs, which weren’t even enough to meet basic household needs. When I spoke to some wealthy White families, they had different concerns altogether. Interestingly, I found many of these families to be highly conservative and strongly opposed to abortion rights.

This sentiment was even more pronounced in rural areas, where a deep adherence to conservative and religious values prevailed. A White man, around 60 years old, stated that there was no issue more pressing for American society than abortion rights.

He argued that many of the hardships Americans face stem from their failure to adhere to religious teachings, which strictly forbid the termination of life once conceived in a womb. He believed the country would only begin to grow and thrive if Americans stopped what he described as the illegal and criminal act of terminating pregnancies after conception.

Qamar Bashir

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024