When Hostility Becomes a Congressional Hobby: The Wisdom in Atonement

There’s something almost magical—an opaque, self-defeating spell—about how some Republicans and their most devoted voters defy not just logic and empathy, but even basic self-preservation and common sense.

You’d think the surest way to win votes would be to help people live longer, healthier, and safer lives. But no. These voters seem most inspired by lawmakers who couldn’t care less if they can afford Panadol or keep the heat on in winter.

It brings to mind an old African proverb: A boy throws a stick into a crowded market and ends up hitting his own Mama. In this case, the boy's name is “Congressman,” and Mama just lost her Medicaid.

The more viciously some Republican lawmakers attack popular programs such as food assistance, healthcare, and anything with the word public in it, the more beloved they become. It’s as if voters are auditioning for roles in their own downfall.

Who else would reject “Obamacare” on camera without knowing what it even includes? A Republican voter, who simply couldn't reconcile the words "Obama" and "care."

Look at GOP primaries: hostility isn’t just tolerated, it’s rewarded. Compassion is out; cruelty polls better. A politician who dares to suggest that poor people deserve dignity is quickly branded a socialist and a threat to the free market. And in today’s conservative landscape, nothing is more unforgivable than empathy. Remember "Obamacare."

Take Medicaid expansion for example; it’s been rejected in multiple red states, even though it would cover hundreds of thousands of uninsured constituents. In other words, who needs healthcare when you have slogans?

Ironically, the Affordable Care Act—vilified as socialist—was first piloted by a Republican governor in Massachusetts. Yet Republicans in Congress have tried to repeal it dozens of times, as if stripping millions of people of coverage were a patriotic sport or a badge of honour. And somehow, this is the party of family values.

The crueller the policy, the louder the applause. It’s political Stockholm Syndrome:
“Yes, take away my healthcare! Crush that student loan forgiveness proposal! Dismantle the Department of Education! Burn the expired grains! Let the unharvested crops and fruits rot in the fields, we’re just fine with shortages and inflation!”

Then, out of nowhere, comes Senator Josh Hawley, calling for “atonement” and espousing “deliverance,” proposing a rollback of some of the very Medicaid cuts his party once championed, as reported by The New York Times. It’s... shocking. A plot twist no one saw coming.

To borrow from biblical language: he seems to have seen the light—not the God of the Christian evangelical right, but the God of the "Talakawas" (the working poor). Maybe in the form of polling numbers. Or perhaps in the rumble of the turbulent storms and the roar of floods —nature’s unfiltered commentary on unchecked policy negligence.

Whatever the reason, may his atonement be contagious, shining all the way to the House Freedom Caucus. And may someone gently inform voters that compassion is not socialism or a communist manifesto, but simply a policy approach that doesn’t actively hurt you.

As we pray for his deliverance to deliver the vote, let us also hope this rare flash of moral clarity doesn’t dissipate under the weight of party orthodoxy, peer pressure, or Fox News.
AMEN.

July 16, 2025