I think it is critical for politicians of any party to stand for something. When the established parties use endorsements as payback, they deserve the defeat they get. I’m glad to see Governor Huckabee bucking the establishment to support a principled public servant in Florida.
“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were. Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.” John Donne (1572 – 1631)
When did we stop believing this? We believed it 50 years ago when college students from all over the country rallied and marched in support of blacks in the south. We believed it when we gathered to mourn our slain president and we believed it 5 years later when his brother was also assassinated. When did we start believing nothing was so important as us and our desires? When did we decide that it doesn’t matter what changes take place in society as long as it doesn’t affect ME?
I realized (again) in the last few days that I have a worldview so at odds with many that I wonder how we can communicate. You see, I believe Donne’s statement. I believe when any group of people is oppressed, it is my obligation to stand in support of them. If not, who will stand in support of me when I need it? I believe in mutual respect, even of those who do not agree with me.
And I believe we must demonstrate this is all areas of our lives, including our political affiliations. When Congress passes a bill that targets a specific group, we should not be silent because it “doesn’t affect me”. Such tactics are divisive and violate the intent of the fathers of our country. “We believe that all men are created equal …” Note, they did not say anything about some being more equal than others when it comes to shouldering the obligations of the nation. They did not say anyone should get a free ride. I believe they intended that we should have equal opportunity, but the results we achieved should be due to our own efforts and abilities.
Somewhere along the line we seem to have decided that created equal means we must legislate equality by the Robin Hood method … the only problem with that is that when government decides to level the playing field, the only winner is government. You can’t raise the economic standards of the poor by taking from those more well off and handing out freebies. All that does is create more generations of people who don’t have and will never have because you have stolen their incentive to get.