Imagine being with a group of very vocal and politically charged American citizens of the extreme left, the extreme right and those with views that fit between the extremes. Then imagine that suddenly America sees itself under military attack in much the same way that we were attacked during World War II.
What would be the response of each and every person within this large gathering? I’m assuming that suddenly, the individual political views of each person in this gathering would become irrelevant and everyone in the group would stand firm together to do all that would be necessary to protect our United State of America.
Believing in the above setting as I do, I find myself in a state of confusion over the manner in which my country is dealing with other challenges facing our longevity. Why do we not appear to be acting as a “united” country when it comes to a great many of our other challenges to us as a nation?
The gap between the rich and the poor and middle class of my country has grown considerably over the past four decades, yet building a consensus for dealing with this problem seems insurmountable. Constant news reports appear to show that our formerly wonderful national infrastructure of roads and bridges enhanced by the efforts of a Republican president, Dwight Eisenhower, back in the 1950s, is in a state of serious decline. Too many of our local and state public educational systems throughout the nation, after a spectacular period of success during the mid-20th century, are failing to live up to their history.
Yes, if we are attacked by a military might, we will all come together to fight as a unified nation. But when it comes to almost every other challenge, it seems as if we are not here for each other.
I understand that we are a nation of free speech with the ideals of democracy. But democracy requires more than just speaking out to achieve its goals. It also requires our people and our political leaders of all political persuasions to eventually agree to sit down and speak with and listen to each other as we search for solutions to our challenges.
And democracy, if it is to work, also requires — on not all, but on many occasions — that we use the tool of compromise in an effort to achieve solutions to our problems.
Like all nations before us, we’ve had a mixed bag of successes and failures. My hope is we as a nation will overcome our current political atrophy and begin, once again, to act and behave like a true decent democracy.
What would be the response of each and every person within this large gathering? I’m assuming that suddenly, the individual political views of each person in this gathering would become irrelevant and everyone in the group would stand firm together to do all that would be necessary to protect our United State of America.
Believing in the above setting as I do, I find myself in a state of confusion over the manner in which my country is dealing with other challenges facing our longevity. Why do we not appear to be acting as a “united” country when it comes to a great many of our other challenges to us as a nation?
The gap between the rich and the poor and middle class of my country has grown considerably over the past four decades, yet building a consensus for dealing with this problem seems insurmountable. Constant news reports appear to show that our formerly wonderful national infrastructure of roads and bridges enhanced by the efforts of a Republican president, Dwight Eisenhower, back in the 1950s, is in a state of serious decline. Too many of our local and state public educational systems throughout the nation, after a spectacular period of success during the mid-20th century, are failing to live up to their history.
Yes, if we are attacked by a military might, we will all come together to fight as a unified nation. But when it comes to almost every other challenge, it seems as if we are not here for each other.
I understand that we are a nation of free speech with the ideals of democracy. But democracy requires more than just speaking out to achieve its goals. It also requires our people and our political leaders of all political persuasions to eventually agree to sit down and speak with and listen to each other as we search for solutions to our challenges.
And democracy, if it is to work, also requires — on not all, but on many occasions — that we use the tool of compromise in an effort to achieve solutions to our problems.
Like all nations before us, we’ve had a mixed bag of successes and failures. My hope is we as a nation will overcome our current political atrophy and begin, once again, to act and behave like a true decent democracy.
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