Posted by
Gloria G on Thursday, November 09, 2006 9:03:28 PM
It would be easy to give in to despair or anger in the aftermath of Tuesday's elections. However, I'm more in the frame of mind of Laura Ingraham who said Wednesday morning that she and her team were not giving in to negative thinking. Now is the time to learn lessons and regroup for the future.
The fact is, since I've been voting beginning with the 1976 elections, I have seen the American people lurch back and forth so consistently that I'm beginning to see the patterns. You see, while we like to talk a lot about these warm and fuzzy idealistic issues, reality always brings us back to conservative issues. So, we elect Democrats when we get mad at conservatives after we kept them in office long enough for them to get fat and lazy. But as the Dems start to mess up the economy or foreign policy we come to our senses and bring the other guys back, hoping that they've learned a little humility.
I'm hoping the cycle holds this time because we have a lot to lose. Obviously, the return of high taxes by keeping estate taxes and pushing middle-class Americans into the wealthy tax brackets will get people's attention pretty quickly. And then when interest rates start to rise a lot of other things will be affected -- like home mortgages and consumer credit. And if the Dems pull the troops out of Iraq too quickly the blood will be on their hands and it'll be ugly. Believe me, it won't take long for us to feel the liberal squeeze. And when that happens we'll come to our senses.
But we have some work to do before all this happens. You see, we get the leaders we deserve because they come from us. In other words, our leaders' principles and values reflect our principles and values. And if you stand back and look at the big picture there are some odd contradictions that cry out for explanation. For example, in a country where something like 70% of the population claims to be Christian and votes against gay marriage, the majority supports abortion. How can this be? It doesn't make sense, certainly not in the context of Christian morality. Secondly, we vote opposite parties into party and then wonder why we have gridlock. Third, we reject reform proposals for the Social Security system at the same time that we fail individually to prepare for retirement. And yes, I'm one of those knuckleheads, but hopefully, I'm learning the lesson. Fourth, we enthusiastically encourage our President when we've been attacked and then lose heart when the war turns out to be difficult. And to add insult to injury we give credence to generals who openly attack their commander-in-chief. This didn't happen during the time of the "Greatest Generation." Those commanders-in-chief actually "fired" generals who bucked them (Patton, MacArthur). We just don't have an appreciation for discipline and dedication and backbone any more.
I've always believed that one of the great fallacies of the baby boom generation, of which I am a sheepish member, is that we tend to pick and choose our issues and values without regard to how they all fit together. But I believe that's what has caused a lot of our problems. An individual needs a value system -- where all the beliefs and values coordinate and fit together and do not contradict each other at different times. It's hard work to develop a system like this. And it's even harder to live it. But, if you're going to do this then you have to throw out moral relativism. Right away, you'll see it for what it is: an intellectually, morally, and spiritually lazy approach to a belief system. It's the difference between a snack buffet instead of a well-cooked meal. And it's about as nourishing and satisfying in the long run.
Once we as individuals and then as a people rediscover or rebuild our beliefs we can then identify people of substance and character to represent us in government, people who will see the job as a sacred trust.
Are we up to the task? I hope so.