letter to the editor

Over the years I have developed a strong interest in voting candidate quality rather than party affiliation. The problem lies not so much with party but with “stinking thinking” which leads to the belief that serving some undefined party good is superior to doing what is necessary for the well being of the United States and its citizens. Ever since college I have been waiting the day when someone in the cabinet would remember that tax paying, loyal, predominately middle class (white and blue collar alike) have fought this nations wars (always successfully until they were moved out of control) and paid the bills that supported this nation. We in the middle class have been harried almost beyond belief and beset by a horde of issues that are basically attitudinal on the part of our governing bodies. They are:

1.  What is good for the majority of the citizenry of our country must be     avoided at all costs.

2.  Make the people who pay the most for the support of the government receive the fewest benefits.

3.  The nation must support arrant nonsense in international affairs, even if the results are not favorable to the United States.

4.  Humiliation abroad is laudable. Somehow or other the abominable list of national shames has been equated with proper behavior. Do you remember the Suez, Viet Nam, the Berlin blockade, the Pueblo incident, Korean truce, Iran Embassy(1979), Lebanon marine barracks, Lockerbie Pan Am flight, New York World Trade Center attack (1993).Dhahran Saudia Arabia Khobar Towers Military Complex, Naorobi, Kenya Embassy, Salaam Tanzania US Embassy, USS Cole, and 9-11.

 5.  It is disgusting for the mainstream media to be granted their absolute freedom of speech under the guise of being objective. They seem to think  that their First Amendment liberties are derived from international law instead of our Constitution’s Bill of Rights. Political editorials are increasing, and slanted views are propagated using the anti-moral position. The odd fact about the current war is that the media is giving virtually no true information about what its warriors are actually doing.

6. Unfortunately, the judicial system is being held captive by Congress, and they are using politics in appointment of judges. Congress is practically filled with lifetime rip-off artists who tend to keep a low profile, avoid trouble, and take care of themselves handsomely because there is no one there to stop them. When things go wrong, they blame the other party or the president.

7.  One can buy love. “Do Goodism” is superior to virtue, self-respect, ethics, etc. Love thy neighbor now means pay for the aborigine in the boondocks or Basudoland, etc; never does it seem to secure the well-being of American citizens. Our government is doing charity work using tax dollars.

8.   In politics it seems the status quo is to lie at times to be unpredictably effective. For example, in the last presidential election too many democrats campaigned that President Bush was going to cut social security even though they knew the president wouldn’t dare do so. Where has statesmanship gone? Many are acting like activists seeking conflict.

9.  Every caution should be taken to maintain separation of church and state. The government must not interfere with the free exercise of religion and establishment of religion.

10.  Wasps are bad. Everybody else is good (Note: Wasps now include white Catholics). Government supports equal opportunity but not ERA. Big society programs have been implemented under the belief that government should solve poverty. Non-English speaking is an issue. Why do legislators think it is good practice to allow driving licenses to be issued to non-citizens.

Given that list of attitudes, it is easy to understand our frustration What is   incomprehensible is the incredible naivete in congress that supports such attitudes. It boggles the imagination. I cannot make demands since I am not a member of a pressure group; therefore, I must plead. My pleas are:

1.  Stop trying  to apply the United States Constitution to all people    everywhere. Rights under the constitution are guaranteed to the states and the people thereof and are sovereign to individual rights.

2.  Encourage means to increase national production and reduce unit cost of product. We don’t need to export technology to set up competitors. We need markets. Private industry, properly encouraged, could through research and development achieve these goals.

3.  Better auditing of UN is warranted. Cut drastically the money given to the United Nations. It is wasted. We should stop giving to them until value is received.

4.  Demonstrate a position of strength in world affairs. We have endured a long list of disgraces since World War II.

5. Start some reasonable accountability procedures to assure legislators are accountable and must develop revenues for expenses. Stop bleeding social security funds for other satellite projects. If legislators’ retirement system were social security, they would have resolved the social security problem long ago. Congress should seek the elimination of bill add-ons.

6.  Discontinue using tax money to donate millions to unions, give aid to gay groups, support ERA, etc.

7.  Overhaul the news-media tactics for reporting. Balance and fairness in reporting should be a must. Media either completely distort or omit facts with their own position and point of view. On the current war we get primarily the negative report. Hostility has definitely entered the political arena also, and media is at least partially to blame.

8.  Discontinue the practice of filibuster under the guise that the party in minority needs an alternative for loss of power in the legislature.

9. The Supreme Court accepts religious liberty as being basic to American civic life as religion itself, but in a relationship between citizens and religion, the government is firmly committed to a position of neutrality. Life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30 second prayer before a football game. So what is the big deal? The government’s role should not be to aid nor oppose religion. The key to correct interpretation of the premises of Supreme Court is that the government must not mandate a religion.

James D. Wilson

Seymour, TN 37865