What changed

The 80s, the 90s, and What Changed

Growing up in the 80s and 90s, you could see how the system was set up for minorities. Systematic racism wasn’t a theory to debate — it was school funding, it was who got pulled over, it was who got hired. I lived it.

And I’ve watched how the system changes depending on who’s in office. We have had Republican presidents before and when we do we always have issues with race relations and funding for blue states. It’s a pattern. Money gets tight for programs we depend on. The conversation around race gets hostile. It’s not imagination. It’s the budget cuts and the news cycle.

I don’t necessarily agree with Donald Trump. His style isn’t mine. But I also watched what happened under Biden and Harris. We had a flood of people coming to America. The border was wide open and every city felt it. Oregon felt it. Housing, services, shelters — all stretched thin. You can care about people and still admit the system broke.

Now we are seeing what is happening in Spain. Their borders are out of control. Kinda like what happened to the United States. There is a correct way and a legal way of becoming a citizen. I’m all for border control and ICE in our communities. Rules. If I have to, everybody does.

However, I think we need a balance of Republican and Democrat policies. One side can’t fix it all. The new Democrats are for socialism when the Democrat party was more for social programs. There’s a difference. Social programs help people get back up — housing help, job training, healthcare. Socialism tries to run everything. We don’t need the government in every corner of our lives. We need a safety net, not a cage.

What we’re missing is balance and encouragement of trades. The 80s and 90s pushed college on everybody. But college isn’t the only way out. We need plumbers, electricians, welders, CDL drivers. Good union jobs that don’t care about your GPA or your last name. Democrats used to champion workers. Republicans used to champion business. We need both. We need programs that train minorities for trades, not just talk about college debt.

Border control: yes. Legal immigration: yes. Social programs: yes. Socialism: no. Trades: absolutely. Funding for blue states: yes. Accountability for how it’s spent: also yes.

I grew up seeing systematic racism. I grew up seeing bad policy from both sides. The answer isn’t picking a team and hating the other half of the country. The answer is balance.

That’s what the 80s and 90s taught me. And that’s what 2026 demands.

Cathryn M. Murray

_Salem, Oregon — August 1, 2026