Holiday Challenges

12/05/2005

Paul Munnis

As the Holiday Season arrives we have celebrations planned that bring us closer to family and friends. Our whole community realizes that it is time to set aside the politics of earth and to embrace a more heavenly set of priorities. It is time to remind ourselves of the gifts that we receive from God on a daily basis and it is a time to commit ourselves to doing His work. Foremost among God’s work is bringing peace on earth and good-will towards men.

For Democrats, we strive to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, house the homeless, and create a community that nourishes and serves our most vulnerable members. We value human capital and we seek to empower the best and brightest among us. This is what it means to be a Democrat, to do our best for those of us who are down on their luck and in need of support, to offer love, and a helping hand. We do this not out of a sense of superiority but out of a sense of humility while realizing that we ourselves may be in need of a social safety net at some time in our lives. Democrats are called not to wave the flag and proselytize for fundamental Christian sects but rather to do God’s work and do it without self-aggrandizing ourselves in the process and to accomplish that work in a pluralistic society where many viewpoints are held. That means developing consensus for our politics through salesmanship of our ideas and values while creating programs for the Common good.

It can be frustrating at times to be a Democrat because we see needs, we manage to design programs that will solve the needs, then we manage to get the program into our government system to benefit those who need help and then an election comes along and wipes it all out and we have to start over again.

It can also be rewarding as we accomplish our goals and we see the beneficial results and thus we work hard to preserve the best-of-breed programs and to improve on those that were killed off when next we have a chance to try again.

As Democrats we do not have a monopoly on love and kindness towards our fellow human beings. Every social program that exists has a Republican stamp of acceptance on it for indeed about the only way until very recently to accomplish these social goals was with a bi-partisan cooperative effort in Congressional and State Legislatures. For example Social Security was designed by a Republican and enacted by common agreement between two Parties. It is serving America well. The present trend to overhaul Social Security comes from a right wing group inside of the GOP who have seized power and who do not represent the majority of Republicans. The right-wingers want to eliminate Social Security. However, most members of the GOP have parents whom they want to see retire in dignity and who value the Social Security benefits and the social contract that is represented by the program. We can work together to solve the long term problems while preserving the quality of the effort.

It is therefore not right for Democrats to bash our fellow Republicans in any personal way. If we hold different views we should express them and allow rebuttal. The resulting debate influences our fellow Americans and as a nation we move towards acceptance, denial, or revision of a proposal. Indeed, if we would advance our cause we would do well to unite in a brotherhood of like purpose. Such a Brotherhood can move mountains and is more representative of the American people than the current anger and divisiveness that permeates our land under the presidency of Mr. Bush. The neo-cons seek to destroy the social contract between a people and its government and it is up to us to turn that around in the coming election. Democrats need not fear the GOP getting into office as long as they are not extreme right-wing elements and as long as they are willing to work in a bi-partisan way for the common good. Together we can rebuild America and restore the damage done by the Bush neo-cons to our nation and to our mutual interests.

The only way that we Democrats will be satisfied with the Iraq War and its outcome is if we set joint social goals with the Iraqi people and unite together to implement them. As that happens then gun muzzles will point downwards and accomplishment will bring a joint shared pride. Education of the Iraqi children is one such possible shared goal we should be working towards.

Leaving a positive legacy in Iraq is the right strategic plan and it is far better than trying to fight and to kill more than 100 insurgent factions all in parallel. We are challenged to beat swords into plowshares. We need to move beyond the military phase and into the joint fellowship phase in Iraq. It’s up to politicians to lead in this respect. We must elect leaders who can get the job done.

Let’s move forward towards 2006 and the election that it holds with thoughts of joint accomplishment ahead. Let’s pool out talents to create a strong and wonderful nation that is the envy of the earth. We can do these things working together.

May God Bless America.