The museum fiasco continues to amaze all of us who support the museum. My husband talked to the museum grounds keeper regarding the tree issue. The fellow was amazed at how fast the Commissioners folded because they actually had sent someone months ago to count the trees and indicate which ones would have to be removed. Now they deny that trees had ever been considered for removal!
My husband was talking to a hard-working Master Gardener who has given us tremendous support on building the museum's compost bins for educational efforts. He is ex-military and a tremendous worker! Retired, like us, gardening is one of his favorite activities. When hubby told him about the museum fiasco his first response was..."They must be Democrats on the Board!" This is a Republican county, so I am a little amazed at his response...but this has really enlightened me. We always see stupidity from elected officials as a party line issue.
This is not a political post...just an example of how we have to be more pro-active in holding our elected officials feet to the fire. Most of us focus on the Presidential and state elections and then just vote party line on the local stuff. I am as guilty of this as others are. It is OK. Just make sure you check on the minutes of the meetings every once in a while, make sure you volunteer in your community, try to get those who do not agree with you politically to give their reasons and examples for their beliefs and issues. Try to accept that elected officials needs us to keep them on track.
I continue to emphasize that most of us really are on the same agenda. Conservatives fear this black president is going to give this country away to poor people. This IS a valid argument (Although I do not think this is a real agenda for this President) and liberals have to admit that more regulation is needed for our socialist programs. But conservatives have to trust scientists and educational experts on stuff without assuming they have a secret agenda and agree that regulation in other areas needs to be enforced...certainly banking with many banks being investigated.
But we also need to compromise. Then revisit that compromise in a few years and fine tune it more one way or the other. None of us agree with the skin-heads that desecrate the Sikhs ability to worship as their minds and hearts tell them. None of us agree with those lazy minority youth who continue to collect food stamps, drink on the steps, and avoid work at all costs. BUT THERE IS A MIDDLE GROUND! The world is FULL of hard-working and honest conservatives and liberals that help solve problems. Do not let political leaders who state that compromise is a dirty word convince you otherwise! This hard-lined Congress will destroy this country.
I will be shortly saying goodbye to a Republican lady whose work in this community has been substantial. She is an energizer bunny that few could keep up (grammar folks take a sigh) with. I know about two of her many community projects that will require two people in each case to fill her shoes. (I am one of these who had to get a buddy before I would take her place!)
I guess what I am trying to say is that we need both sides of the Yin/Yang coin. We keep each other from going off the edge. Yes, there are a few issues that require too much tears and anger to discuss, but let us put those aside for now. Let us just find a middle ground on everything else.
My dear sweet Tabor, whom I admire with all my heart, we are the statically poor . . . " wealthy not rich."
ReplyDeleteMy Symphony
To live content with small means.
To seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion.
To be worthy not respectable,
and wealthy not rich.
To study hard, think quietly, talk gently,
act frankly, to listen to stars, birds, babes,
and sages with open heart, to bear all cheerfully,
do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never.
In a word, to let the spiritual,
unbidden and unconscious,
grow up through the common.
This is to be my symphony.
William Ellery Channin
I don't think Congress has done a thing but fight among themselves through too many terms. For the sake of our country, they should at least agree on some things. And this ugly name calling mess going on by the two political parties is sickening. I don't want to vote for either one of them...
ReplyDeleteOh, hugs. Did I ever tell you how much I hate politics?
ReplyDeleteNothing to add, so I'll just tell you not to worry about the grammar folks. That "don't end a sentence with a preposition" thing was invented out of thin air after my father was born (said he); and famously Winston Churchill said about it:
ReplyDelete"This is the sort of errant pedantry up with which I shall not put."
Compromise created this country, and only compromise can save it.
ReplyDeletevery good post
ReplyDeleteThere are times to stand one's ground and times one must compromise. If only they were clearly labeled!
ReplyDeleteIf only we could...I find the political atmosphere right now too scary. I used to be very active in campaigns and working for issues of importance, but lately I just want it all to go away.
ReplyDeleteWe are all to quick to add a label to everyone. I just wish that good old common sense would be used more often.
ReplyDeleteMy main thought is why don't Republicans fight for the kind of Republican they used to elect. I had them in my state and think we all still know the individuals who truly understood what conservative meant. Currently the Congress is losing all of those leaders to the ones who don't believe in compromise and consider being a moderate to be a sin.
ReplyDeleteAs it stands, I would not vote for a single Republican because when I see them vote they always toe the party line when it counts the most. In the past though, I have voted for Republicans and hope the day will again come when I can as I consider myself to be a moderate that leans left but has a lot of conservative beliefs but not the kind that those, who call themselves conservatives today, espouse.
I keep trying to understand why Republican voters let this happen to their party that used to be a proud one. It is impossible to see it in the Republican leaders of today and from what I hear Boehner got it last time with those who came in and began to make any possibility of compromise impossible and this time it might be McConnell's turn to experience the 'any compromise with a Democrat is evil' new Senators. Somebody is voting for that though and the question I have is why?
I think jumping to the party line on issues is lazy. I know there are good people on both sides but with the polarized Tea Party candidates pushing out moderates, less and less so in the Republican party.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you whole-heartedly. I've been saying the same thing for a number of years. NO PARTY is absolutely perfect, nor right all of the time. Life is always give and take. What ever happened to listening to the opposite point of veiw? Good luck with your trees!!!!! pkj
ReplyDeleteThe Canadian in me looks across the border at the divisive state of American political discourse and sighs. It saddens me to see heels dug in to deeply that virtually every aspect of daily life seems to be painted with polarized Democrat or Republican paint.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wonder if the most entrenched members of each side even recognize the love the others have for their country. Or are they so diametrically focused on slamming the other that they lose sight of "country" in the first place?
Indeed, we may never know. But they may want to drop by my neck of the woods for a lesson in how it might work. There's as much strife here as anywhere else. But somehow, the nastiness doesn't seep into the very core of everyone's moral (immoral?) fibre to the same degree here.
I see so much potential being wasted...
It's at the local level that these battles have to be waged. They will not always be won, but they must be waged nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, what do we have left?
Very nicely said.
ReplyDeleteI am afraid "compromise" is out of the question with the current folks in congress. But I thought that was what they were supposed to do?
ReplyDeleteSilly me!
This is wise counsel indeed. Will anyone listen?
ReplyDeleteBeing from Louisiana, i see this all of the time; politics here is considered a spectator sport, which is sad.
ReplyDeleteWhen asked which party, i always want to say, "Costume."
Some wisdom here, to be sure. There is almost always an area for agreement between peoples. Find that with someone and then it can almost always be a friendly cooperation from that point.
ReplyDeleteI live in a very racially mixed community where rich, poor and people in the middle live side by side and use the same services. Also, without food stamps and other supports for the poor, this town would dry up. The job situation is very bad.
ReplyDeleteOf course we still have the idea of America as it was when I was growing up, with the black/white conflict and very little immigration, but times have changed. And I think white elders should get with it and stop blaming African Americans. Get out and mix and mingle instead of spending their time in defensive enclaves.
BTW: Who benefits most from cheap immigrant labor? White American elders, that's who!
Anyway, I'm glad you were able to save your trees.
Excellent point!
ReplyDeleteThe tree hugger smiles...
About ending that sentence with a preposition -- I had forgotten that Churchill quote which is so funny.
ReplyDeleteGlad your trees survived. Our city almost lost some truly landmark trees -- in fact, one was cut down before anyone knew what was happening and people had to strongly intervene.
Interesting to read Canadian Carmi's view of our ridiculous political situation. He has it pegged pretty well. Yes, these past 12 years have been critical years in even more critical times filled with squandered potential.
Tabor, I think you've summed matters up well -- it's not complicated. Much goes awry with emotions escalating when labels are applied, name-calling occurs, groups are maligned and generalizations are made.
We definitely need to pay attention, beginning at the local level -- not just every four years when there is a Presidential election.
The decreasing numbers of moderate leaders does account to a great extent for the gridlock we have in D.C. Until there are more of those with moderate views becoming the majority in Congress, I fear we'll be subjected to more of the same.