politics

Not My Party

~ thefiddler@cox.net

Party loyalty and ideological orthodoxy damages America. It is destructive to everything the founding generation believed important to a strong America. George Washington reminded us that the “real design” of parties is “to direct, control, counteract, or awe the regular deliberation and action of the constituted authorities.” It was, Washington said, “destructive” and “of fatal tendency.” James Madison dedicated Federalist Number 10 to the dangers of factionalism. Though he believed it was impossible to avoid factionalism, he was optimistic that the new federal constitution would moderate partisan tendencies. Even Thomas Jefferson, arguably among the most partisan of the founding generation, understood that Americans must rise above partisanship. “We have called by different names brethren of the same principle,” he declared in his first inaugural. “We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists. If there be any among us who would wish to dissolve this Union or to change its republican form, let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it.”

Today party and ideology are not just present but dominant. They have become intolerant. It leaves most Americans, I believe, wondering what happened to “reason.” Have we lost the ability for patriots to gather and openly debate and reason out differences of opinion? Unfortunately the answer is yes. As a result, many of us are left adrift without any political affiliation, neither Democrat nor Republican, neither conservative nor liberal. Even more are left alienated from politics altogether, believing they have no say and no way to participate that’s worth their effort.

I love freedom. Freedom is a liberal value. As an American I believe that I should be free to own the property I desire, love the person I love, raise my family to reflect my values, worship God in my way, and speak my mind in support of the causes important to me. I do not believe that I should control these decisions for other people and I am offended when others try to impose these decisions on me. I do not denigrate someone else’s freedom and I do not appreciate those who attack my freedoms.

I also believe in equality. Equality is another liberal revolutionary value. As expressed in the 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights, I believe “That all men are by nature equally free and independent.” Yes, all humans, no matter their gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or economic station. As George Mason’s declaration says, “no man, or set of men, are entitled to exclusive or separate emoluments or privileges”—there is no gentry, no royalty, no earls or duchesses in America. In all essential elements of the republic we must be equal. Every citizen should have the opportunity to vote. Every citizen should find equal treatment before the law and our government institutions, with no group or individual privileged above another. Every citizen should have equal opportunity to employ their talents for the betterment of themselves and their family. Every citizen should have access to education, because an educated citizenry is a responsible citizenry.

I believe in the conservative value of responsibility. Individuals who avoid responsibility dismay me. Politicians (Democrat and Republican) who authorize military action and social programs without allocating the funds or raising the taxes to pay for it anger me. It’s irresponsible. If it’s important to do, we should raise (not borrow) the money to accomplish it. As a responsible citizen, I pay my taxes. It’s my patriotic duty. Those who cheat and pay less than their fair share offend me.

And speaking of responsibility, I believe it is my responsibility to conduct myself for the betterment of my community, to note how much I have given and to take less in return. That includes stewardship of everything from natural resources to the education of children in my community (not just my own children). It means that I am responsible to assist the less fortunate and disadvantaged in my community. It’s my responsibility to help build a strong community and if that means buying insurance, donating to causes, paying my taxes, and dedicating my time, so be it. I expect my representatives to shoulder their responsibility as well.

I believe that power corrupts. The founding generation held this same conservative belief. It offends me when politicians close ranks around party instead of my community’s best interest. The exorbitant profits and salaries of corporate shareholders and CEOs offend me. It’s just another example of consolidating greed and power. And I believe that public servants (elected representatives, government workers, the military, police, and others) are especially answerable for their actions, because of the additional community responsibility they carry. I have little tolerance for the kind of corruption and indiscretion that harm the citizens these people serve.

I believe there are a lot of frustrated Americans like me. It shows in the low vote of confidence that presidents, governors, legislators, and judges receive on opinion polls. I want them all to work for my community’s best interest, not theirs, and not for a political party’s.

There is a lot of pessimism out there right now, but “We the People” need to put it aside. This whole experiment we call the American republic is idealistic. It has been from the very beginning. Our founding generation believed that common everyday human beings could rise above their self-serving instincts and collaborate for the common good. It’s time we got back to work. It’s time we started taking to each other with the kind of empathy that engenders respect for the individual. It’s time we start demanding that our politicians work across party lines for our common interest or step down. It’s time we found leaders who will—no mater their political party—step forward and say (to paraphrase Mr. Jefferson): We are all Republicans. We are all Democrats. We are all liberals. We are all conservatives.

Yes, real differences separate us. But the ideologues and partisans are wrong: There is no single secret pathway back to the “Garden of Eden.” We will not get everything we want in the coming debate. But we have most of what we need if we start talking and listening to each other. The current winner-take-all battle strategy is failing. We are failing ourselves, our community, our state, our nation, our nation’s future; we are failing the vision of our founding generation. Why? Because we cannot step aside from dogma long enough to have a frank, honest discussion? Because we cannot talk with reason? It is simply not acceptable. We’d better figure out how to do better. We’d better figure out how to create a new future. And we the citizens will have to figure out how to build it together.

Where Are the Leaders?

~ thefiddler@cox.net

[This entry was first published in the Huffington Post Blog on September 21, 2016.]

I know it’s popular to tag Millennials as the “entitled generation,” but it simply is not true. They are bright, idealistic, intelligent, and engaged. They are a great generation of emerging Americans. My “baby boomer” generation is the entitled one. We’re acting like irrational spoiled children. And worse, we’re letting young Americans down.

Look at the current political mess. Where are the leaders? “We the People” need inspiration, but there is a dearth of leadership. Across the political spectrum—local, state, and national politics—selfishness, denegation, dishonesty, and partisanship are the rule.

We know how leaders should act. We saw it during this summer’s Olympics. Athletes sacrificed to accomplish their goal. They were modest about accomplishments; they supported teammates and often their rivals; they showed us how honored they are (win or lose) to be on the field; and to a person they are patriotic representatives of country. These athletes are heroic. We need to ask ourselves why American political candidates exhibit hate, uncivil speech, partisanship, and self-aggrandizement instead of the sacrifice, mutual support, and honor like our nation’s Olympic athletes.

The American system has always been fragile—always seemed to some to be on the verge of collapse. We should never forget that the American Revolution nearly failed. Americans held on by the skin of their teeth as social, economic, and political turmoil wracked the former colonies. The Constitution had a traumatic birth. The disagreement over national government—loose confederation or centralized strong republic—pitted patriots of the Revolution against each other. The first crisis of the new republic saw President George Washington leading an army of Americans against other Americans, marching into western Pennsylvania to end the Whiskey Rebellion. A few years later Federalists in the John Adams administration suppressed free speech with the Alien and Sedition Acts. Decades later, when South Carolinians took steps to nullify a federal law, Andrew Jackson threatened federal military intervention. And don’t forget the slavery crisis that overshadowed all of the century’s politics. Throughout the 19th century, Europeans constantly predicted the United State’s demise. In 1861, a French publication, Le Monde, declared that “the republican tree” planted 80 years ago was dead, “its spoiled fruits had fallen, and its roots were rotten.”

Our struggles continued. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the fight for workers’ rights erupted in violence again and again. The Great Depression devastated families and communities across the nation. African American demands for equal rights were met first with thousands of lynchings, then with bombings and other bloody attacks. The tumultuous protests at the 1968 Democratic Convention were preceded that year by the assassinations of national leaders Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy. Six years later, President Richard Nixon’s Watergate scandal and resignation shook the foundations of the republic.

Today is no less tumultuous.

But in the past, we had leaders who reminded us that, as Americans, our revolutionary heritage lived within us. They encouraged us to accomplish the task, right the injustice, and create a more perfect union.

Today the rhetoric is altogether different. It is selfish: no trust, no empathy, no collaboration. Under the cover of faux patriotism, we spew vitriol at fellow citizens. We attack without any concern for facts or accuracy. We attack without offering constructive or collaborative solutions for proclaimed maladies. We create division among people to foment destruction. Rumor, innuendo, and flat-out lies are offered and accepted as truth.

We have forgotten that our democratic principles—the foundation of the republic—require the open, honest debate of well-informed and well-intentioned citizens. We have forgotten that maintaining our republic requires the sacrifices of many citizens, not just a few and not only those in uniform. Our freedom is not cheap. We all pay for it with devotion and sacrifice for the betterment of the polity. We are not just individuals; we are citizens and we must work together. Our revolutionary ideals are as remarkable today as they were 250 years ago.

We, the citizens of this nation, are sovereign. The success or failure of the republic rests with us. It is now our time—our responsibility to excise the cancer of partisanship, rancor, and selfishness. From presidents, to members of Congress, to state executives and legislatures, to local government and civic organizations, we must demand better leaders, even offer ourselves as those leaders. We must demand that leaders put our community, our state, and the nation first—before party, ideology, and selfish interest. Citizens will not all agree on the right course. We will debate it vigorously, but we must now hold ourselves to a higher standard than the feeble politicians claiming to be our leaders. We must open our hearts to the realization that each of us—no matter our background, creed, region, or social standing—are American citizens. We the citizens are not each other’s enemies. We each want the best for our children, our community, our state, and the nation. Collaboration and compromise is the only way to achieve it.

I may be too idealistic. But if so, I’m in good company because across our history we have been fortunate to find leaders inspired by American ideals. In 1832, Andrew Jackson was desperately trying to hold the nation together in the midst of a constitutional crisis with South Carolina nullifiers. He ended his December 1st proclamation with this prayer: “May the great Ruler of Nations grant that the signal blessings with which he has favored ours, may not, by the madness of party or personal ambition, be disregarded and lost; and may his wise Providence bring those who have produced this crisis to see the folly, before they feel the misery of civil strife; and inspire a returning veneration for that Union which, if we may dare to penetrate his designs, he has chosen as the only means of attaining the high destinies to which we may reasonably aspire.”