Many Christians in America see this country as the Promised Land, reserved for them and them only. They want a theocracy. Almost every decision is made to exert more control over citizens of every faith. Their punitive, coercive policies have caused mass suffering which they blame on the people they've crushed.

Religious conservatives have failed America.

Political conservatism has been transformed into religious dogma and dogma into public policy. And any politician-or friend or family member-who expresses the tiniest dissent from increasingly harsh theocratic ideals is instantly demonized and shunned into compliance.

What the rest of us must do is focus on human-centered solutions. We need universal healthcare, tuition-free college and vocational training, subsidized childcare, fare-free public transit, a living wage, universal basic income, and an immediate ban on all new fossil fuel projects.

Because the far right and corporate collaborators on the left have already brought so much destruction, our options are now limited to taxing corporations and the wealthy to pay their fair share or accepting we'll live in an increasingly dystopian society.

Equity and justice aren't free, and in these essays, author Johnny Townsend (Recommended Daily Humanity, Am I My Planet's Keeper?) shows us that no matter the cost, they're still cheaper than the alternative.