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Posted on 01/19/2006 11:06 PM EST
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Hunker Down, Take Cover, and Breathe Slowly
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Perusing ElEditor.com I came across (the) column (Looking Back Provides Hope for Future, Jan 5, 2006) about learning from the major events of 2005 and how your readers responded to those events in relation to the community and the New Year. Well, it got me thinking about how I perceive my role in my new community. Citizens of all communities I think act or react to local issues in large measure by how they perceive and
accept the leadership in the larger government entities. If the main
players in a democratic government gradually (almost stealthily) become
irresponsible, self-centered and dishonest then the community oriented
individual eventually may gravitate towards skepticism, i.e., (to revise
your metaphor) the glass may start to run out of fluid and eventually become
empty.
I'm thinking of a President who lies to the people under the guise of
security, "leaders" in Congress who concentrate exclusively on the
acquisition of more power for themselves, Supreme Court justices who hide
behind antiquated notions of "original intent" and even appointed
independent commissioners who pursue their own political agendas instead of
objectively regulating the public's business. In such an atmosphere of
deceit, any reservoir of optimism in a local community may start to
dissipate. Individuals may seek directions geared towards
self-preservation.
Notwithstanding Tip O'Neil's dictum that all politics are local, the Federal
Government sets the tone. It seems axiomatic that expending energy and
human lives willy-nilly on foreign wars and external "nation building"
actually detracts from our real security. (Maybe the President's actual
purpose in Iraq was to try out his new war toys before a real, direct threat
to our nation actually materializes.) It also seems (by definition really)
that a representative in Congress should represent the people first.
Secondary goals, such as the acquisition of power, could accrue together with
good works -- what a novel idea! And what about the Supreme Court justice; does he or she live in an abstract world, or, a real, tangible one: one that is called The United States of America perhaps? One that has sounds and smells and, well… people. One in which the people may expect that their private property should not be subject to public acquisition after covetous, politically connected developers start to salivate (refer to SC decision Kilo v. City of New London). Almost forgot about the independent
commissioner. Well, can the head of the FDA release pills into the public
domain when studies indicate that there is doubt about their safety?
Not to knock your "hope for the future" sentiments, but I'm more inclined to
hunker down, take cover and breathe slowly -- the big folks are using up
more and more oxygen.
Whoops! Sorry, didn't mean to get into global warming.
Garney Cope, Alexandria, VA., Via-Email
(Editor’s Note: The letter writer retired from The Washington Post in 2004 and presently resides outside Washington, DC in Alexandria, Va. He plans a move to sunny Tampa Bay, FLA. in the very near future)
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