My high school science teacher constantly repeated one of his standards to live by: When it concerns people and facts, believe none of what you hear, none of what you read and only half of what you see.
In other words, seek the truth for yourself because truth is not subjective. When it comes to today’s politics, we would do well to heed his advice. Our present politicians are divisive and dishonest. When one of those people of any stripe tries to reduce the discourse to belittling their opponents’ character, they prove themselves dishonorable and guilty of the character flaws with which they impugn their opponents.
In all the recent issues either acted on or proposed including the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), the stimulus, man-made global warming, health care — all have been or ultimately will be destructive and do more damage if we the people allow them to stand. My hope lies wholly in divine providence and “we the people” as defined in the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights. It is ultimately up to us to fix the messes we allowed those people to create.
We are in charge. If you doubt it, consider how badly they have reacted to people who disagree with them at the town hall meetings and the million-plus people who showed up in Washington, D.C., earlier this year.
They were reduced to the tactic of those who are afraid by calling names and impugning the character of the people. They truly believe they control the nation. We must disabuse them of that corrupted thinking through impeachment, petition for redress, referendum and at the ballot box.
No more professional politicians who have never held a real job, run a small business or walked the mile in another’s moccasins. No more rich lawyers or academics who look down their noses at us, believing they know what is best for us no matter what we think. This effort will require no less than what the Founders committed to the struggle for the republic: our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor. Enough of over-educated idiots with no common sense and no real-life experience. If we are not totally committed to retaking the republic, we will have no one to blame but ourselves.
Ken Carter
Lockwood
Opinion
Voices: We are in charge
- Opinion
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Our View: Santorum's Achilles' ear
Rick Santorum knocked everyone for a loop this week, not just with his victory in Missouri but with the landslide size of the thing.
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Our View: Are school loans next 'debt bomb'?
The late American middle class struggled for decades to keep pace with an American dream slipping from its grasp.
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Our View: A better way of limit terms
A Missouri House committee on Tuesday endorsed a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow lawmakers to serve 16 years in the state Legislature, either the House or the Senate.
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Your View: Is it our fault?
When did coveting things and money take over character? What happened?
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Your View: No way to run a school
All throughout the state of Missouri, you’ll hear much discussion about teacher tenure and the indefinite contracts that go along with that. Most — if not nearly all — jobs in the private and public sectors have no such career protection.
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Your View: Prime suspects
If it’s too cool in the house, you can turn up the heat if you think you can afford it.
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Our View: Worldwide concern
There is growing concern worldwide that Israel might launch an attack on Iranian nuclear plants.
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Other Views: FAA deal up in air five years
The Federal Aviation Administration bill was delayed 23 times, but the agency finally has a law giving it $63 billion and full operating authority for the next four years.
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Don Ray, columnist: Obama's pipeline excuse an election-year cop-out
On Jan. 18, President Barack Obama announced he was rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline project — a project that had its beginnings some 40 months ago (September 2008).
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James Whitford, guest columnist: Broken people or broken system?
Are the people broken or is the system broken? If you walk into Watered Gardens, our rescue mission, it may seem the people are broken. But it’s a rescue mission. It just feels that way. And sometimes, it just looks that way.
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