By Donald Krouse

The mid term elections brought mixed results, but it certainly isn’t the result of Morongo Basin citizens sitting back and doing nothing. Some of us are startled at the willingness of so many to participate in the electoral process. I’ve always been told that Morongo Basin voters won’t do anything. That is now proven wrong. Thank you everyone who voted and volunteered either publicly or in your own way.

Granted we lost two elections that local Democrats had worked so hard to get elected. Pat Meagher and Carl Wood both lost and that is certainly a disappointment for the liberal community. In the near future we may have a different configuration for the Congressional and Assembly districts. There is hope we will elect a good representative in the future, especially if we are separated from the Redlands conservative voting block.

One of the most startling election results occurred in Iowa. It should give everyone reason to be concerned. The other side is working very hard to deny and even reverse policies that strengthen LGBT rights. The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) targeted the three judges on the Iowa Supreme Court who were on the ballot for voter confirmation. Unanimously, the Iowa Supreme Court had decided that same sex marriage was a constitutional right. NOM succeeded in getting all three justices removed from the court at the ballot box. What does that tell us about the consequences of action and inaction?

I invite all of you to join the newly re-chartered Morongo Basin Democratic Club. It is a diverse group interested in electing liberal candidates. If you are Republican then I encourage you to join the Log Cabin Club. In any event, keep your eyes open to the forces that are working successfully to take away our rights.

Donald Krouse is a retired financial planner living in Morongo Valley. Write to Don at CallToActionMB@aol.com.