Time to decide what type of country we want
Published June 10, 2016
Editorial by Greenville Daily Reflector, June 9, 2016.
In the words of U.S House 1st District Rep. G.K. Butterfield during his stump speech last week at East Carolina University, “America is at a crossroads right now; we must decide what type of country we want to have.” This year’s sobering and, in some cases, frightening political confrontations indicate that Americans and North Carolinians have some work still to do in that regard.
If the look back on this political year is any indication of how the nation arrived at this crossroads, the journey ahead does not look inviting regardless of the direction one looks from the intersection.
Butterfield’s remarks resonate during this campaign season that has neighbors deeply and bitterly divided. He naturally proclaims that voters must choose the policies and ideals of his party or risk national doom, and Republicans swear the same. That is typical election year talk, but it seems unusually convincing this year to folks on both sides.
Tuesday’s primaries cemented the candidate list for the November elections. The party differences appear wider and more clearly defined than at any time in recent memory. On the one hand, it makes choices easier, an advantage for politicians and special interests. But how is it working out for average Americans? How many people are more content with the state of their lives as a result of this mixed martial arts style of government and politics?
Again, Butterfield struck a vibrant chord when he said, “Starting today we must... reorder our priorities. If you want us congressmen and senators to do it voluntarily, you are mistaken. You must become knowledgeable of issues... You must be a participant in this democracy.”
That is equally true for liberals, conservatives and everyone between. Actual democracy requires more from an American than a gut response to political appeals. It requires learning the issues, personally questioning representatives and actively participating in the resolution process.
A successful democratic republic of 350 million people also requires a willingness to consider issues from more than one perspective. As Atticus Finch, the benevolent father and lawyer in Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird said, “You don’t really get to know a man until you climb in his skin and walk around some.” After all, it’s hard to get the speck out of someone’s eye when he is so far away.
The American people chose to be, and are, the example of democracy to which the world turns. Proceeding to November, rather than ask this year’s candidates how strongly they will cling to their party policies, it might accomplish more to ask them how willing they are to loosen their grips to shake an opponent’s hand. The test of an achievement’s worth is how hard it is to do. Hating seems so easy nowadays.
http://www.reflector.com/Editorials/2016/06/09/Time-to-decide-what-type-of-country-we-want.html
June 10, 2016 at 10:13 am
Norm Kelly says:
Butterfield: 'You must be a participant in this democracy.'
Except we are a REPUBLIC! Which does require not just participation in the form of voting, but in the form of educating oneself. This is the responsibility of INDIVIDUALS not parties, spokespeople, pundits, TV personalities with the job of reading from a teleprompter. But each person is responsible for their own education.
Reaching across the aisle GOES BOTH WAYS. Except libs don't believe this. Media types don't believe this. Demon pols refuse to reach across the aisle to compromise. When a Republican stands on principal, and facts, that person is usually roasted quite well by demons and their allies in the media. When a demon pol stands on principal, which they usually do not have, media types celebrate like it's the best thing to ever happen since the formation of the planet! Demon principals is an oxymoron. Like most things demon, simply moron-ic!
What's the basic difference between Conservatives and Liberals? Liberals refuse to recognize facts in front of their faces. Conservatives believe in the US Constitution. Liberals have no core beliefs; other than how best to buy more votes. Liberals believe government is the solution to every problem/challenge. Conservatives read the US Constitution and know that it says central planners are restricted and ALL power belongs to the states. Liberals believe 'the state' means them & their central planner schemes. Libs do not recognize that socialism has been tried for centuries, across the globe, and has FAILED miserably every time. Conservatives look at the history of our nation and realize that it's freedom of the individual, and power at the local level, that has allowed us to thrive so marvelously.
Socialism is doomed to failure. Libs believe that the right people have not been in control of central planning and with the right people in place, socialism is the best government possible. Libs believe THEY are the best leaders; smarter than anyone else, more capable than anyone else, and qualified to run everybody's life. Except a close look at the average lib reveals that they can't manage their own lives well, so can't be trusted to run any other life. Witness Billary. One half of that person is a womanizer, rapist, liar. The other half of that personality is a liar, a womanizer, a woman-hater, an enabler, a rape excuser, a liar, responsible for multiple deaths, a liar, and a womanizer who needs to put a woman on her ticket in order to qualify for the female vote.
For every lib that whines about conservatives or the candidates we nominate, all we have to do is remind them of the quality & caliber of scum they nominate & support. All we have to do is remind them of their schemes and how MONUMENTALLY they fail every time they try to force their schemes down our throats.
Am I willing to compromise with a lib? No. Cuz there's nothing about lib-dom worth compromising on. Their schemes fail as well as take freedom away from people. Our nation was founded on freedom. Our nation thrived on freedom. Give up freedom, also give up security. The current socialist occupier has proven well how our freedoms are stolen from us when we voluntarily give up our security.
Nothing about liberalism/socialism is worth compromising with.
June 14, 2016 at 12:05 am
Pat Kelley says:
There is a lot of truth in this Greenville editorial, and Norm Kelly seems to resemble its last line of "hating seems so easy nowadays." Mr. Kelly ought to just sign his frequent diatribes as the angry American because he always seems to be. He must be delightful to live with.
