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: Victims should come first
Millions of dollars in donations have poured in from around the world since the May 22, 2011, tornado. Those donations represent money from lemonade stands, charity auctions, corporate gifts and celebrity checks, just to name a few. In fact, one year later donations continue to come to Joplin.
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Beth Meeker, guest columnist: Same-sex marriage battle a quest for equal rights
I would like to take a moment to reply to guest columnist Anson Burlingame’s, “The Marriage Debate” (Globe, May 13).
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Sunday Forum: 2012 graduation speakers key on tornado, mall school and president’s visit
Editor’s note: In addition to speeches by President Barack Obama and Gov. Jay Nixon, Joplin High School’s top students addressed graduates, faculty, parents and other guests packed into the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center on the Missouri Southern State University campus. Following are the text of those speeches.
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Geoff Caldwell, guest columnist: Pack mentality takes truth as a casualty
President Obama’s Joplin graduation speech Monday showed that while there’s the political “right,” there’s also a very active “rabid” political right.
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Your View: ‘Study’ can mean anything
A few evenings ago, I watched a television program on the science of marriage.
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Our View: Support for museum
How can you tell the story of Joplin without the accounts of its mining history?
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Our View: Finding middle ground
The G-8 summit held last week in Camp David ended as expected.
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Anson Burlingame, guest columnist: Class of 2012 upholds character, hope
My oldest granddaughter was part of the class of 2012 from Joplin High School, and I attended the ceremony on Monday night.
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Scott Charton, guest columnist: 'Deadline in Disaster' film a story about storytellers
Local newspapers are at their best when they help their communities confront, understand, endure and overcome shared challenges.
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Our View: Make voting easiser
This year’s ballot will not include a proposed constitutional amendment that photo identification be required at the polls in Missouri. Good.
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Our View: Victims should come first
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