By MARIE JEREMIC
Los Alamos

I write this as a former Democrat turned Republican. Barely a year and a half ago I would laugh at this statement not believing this would ever happen to me but here we are.

Part of me feels politically homeless as I don’t fit into either party perfectly. Nor does anyone else, I think.

My family and I are transplants to Los Alamos, and we were so excited to move here in the beginning as I had heard nothing but good. And at the time we moved here, we should have fit in politically, and now we don’t.

We moved here early 2020 right as things were shutting down. We didn’t get to meet our neighbors for months and everyone was just scared. The decision to change parties was slow and we didn’t realize until we looked around and saw things through a different lens.

My biggest reason for leaving is it seems no one on the left is willing to listen anymore. I feel villainized for having a different opinion and just because I voted for someone different. Trying to have a conversation with someone on the other side of politics than me, only to be called an -ist or a -phobe simply because I do not agree is disheartening and wrong.

I got tired of the hypocrisy and lying. Blue states have been having a worse time with COVID compared to red states. Politicians have, surprisingly, politicized COVID where it has obviously become “Rules for thee, but not for me”. Seeing them have their big parties and breaking their own rules but no one blinks an eye. I ask, “Why do you defend them, when they aren’t taking this as seriously as they claim you should?” “Why do you still believe them?”

Another example of the hypocrisy dates back to last summer with the “mostly peaceful protests”. Black lives matter and Antifa set fire to many small businesses throughout the country, yet no one condemns these. People on the right try to protest to open their business again and get called a mouthful of nasty names.

The Democrats claim to be the party of love, but I feel anything but; I feel hatred and hypocrisy coming from the left. Why does no one see the damage that, not just democrats, but career politicians are doing to this country. We need to remember to be a United State against those who try to control us. Not ostracize our fellow working men and turn them into the enemy just because they hold a different opinion than yours.

Democrats: Do better, be the people you claim to be.