I haven't submitted a column for the past few weeks, not because I have not been listing, reading, thinking and writing, but because there have been so many things to write about that I found myself either starting to write another opinion before finishing the one I was on, or trying to incorporate disparate content in a single column. At my age, ideas vanish rather quickly, so I have to write them down quickly. Writing them down, however, triggers supporting ideas, and, soon, I'm writing another column. All of these topics will remain timely until after the November elections, and likely will be fully developed before then.
There are people who believe that whatever they believe is right must be pursued even if traditional values suggest and most people believe both the ends and the means of pursuit are wrong. Only recently has such deeds and dealings been welcomed into the America's value system. Now, people don't seen to mind their politicians lying. Some are happy because they benefit from the lies. Others are happy just to have been on the winning side even if winning means they lose. This expanded abandonment of traditional values of all kinds explains why Americans are growing increasingly tolerant of unkindly--and even immoral--actions toward more vulnerable Americans.
Over the past several years television game shows such as Survivors and Big Brothers have reinforced the practices of lying, deceiving, conniving and double-crossing by rewarding them if they can be a used in a winning combination. it's supposedly all in fun but it softens society's moral resistance. As in the real world, the winners are usually not only the best at deceit; they also have other attributes that enables them to effectively use lies .
Prior to the Republican convention, the question had been asked among media talk-show hosts and guests: What can Mitt Romney--and those who will speak in his behalf--say so the American people will really know who Mitt Romney is? As if his past and present actions have not already revealed a lot toward answering that question. If, during his youth, Romney actually threw a homosexual young man to the ground and cut his hair--which Romney apparently has not denied--that's who he is. With a smile on his face, a disrespectful and insensitive Mitt Romney told the proud African American audience at the NAACP convention that the first thing he will do as president is get rid of Obamacare. Tha't who Mitt Romney is. When he falsely (evenly solemnly) claimed that he wanted Obama to be successful, that's who Mitt Romney is. The man who has been distorting the words and effectiveness of the actions of the President every chance he gets, that's who Mitt Romney is. The man who is constantly changing who he himself is reflects who Mitt Romney is. Trying to remake Mitt Romney look good is like saying the only thing President Obama needs at the Democratic convention is for some people close to him say that the economy is doing much better than it appears, and that 92.7% of Americans who want to work and need to work have jobs.
Marco Rubio said that America's greatest virtue is its faith in God. He also quoted "from whom much is given much is expected." It means that, from those who have had the good fortune to inherit wealth or acquire it on their own, there is the responsibility not to spread the wealth but to pay more taxes to help those who have not been so fortunate or so blessed. Some people give more money to churches, charities, and government so that money can be used to pay the nation's bills and give necessary help to those in need. The government services the same kinds of needs as churches and charities--just on a larger scale.
Government must help people who either don't belong to a church, may not attend church, or don't belong to those churches whose members have enough wealth to assist members in need. Government serves those who very often are not served by the charities to which wealthy people contribute. It is hard to understand why wealthy people are able to make a distinguish between giving the money to government so it can both pay its bills and help those in need and similarly giving money to churches and charities so they can do the same things. Inefficiencies exist in all organizations (churches, unions, charities, etc.) where contributions often flows through the hands of dishonest handlers, to unknown destinations for unintended purposes, which are determined by unknown and unethical decision-makers. Neither of these has ever been a reason, however, to stop contributing when it is obvious that the organizations are putting much more money to good use than may subject to abuse by a few individuals.
There is a Republican party out there that is not represented by those who are leading the party at this time. There are Evangelicals within the Republican party who don't believe that politicians should be telling lies to those who they believe don't know any better and those they believe know better but don't care. These Republican feel that if they must choose between liars and those who support abortions, they will choose liars as the lesser evil.
Democrats would seem to believe the contrary, that abortions are a lesser evil than lying. That's because Democrats have failed to communicate the difference between women HAVING THE RIGHT to have abortions under certain conditions and their believing abortions ARE MORALLY RIGHT. Similarily, saying that people have the right to marry someone of the same sex is not the same as saying that it is believed to be the right thing to do. The Constitution and the Supreme Court Justices interpretation of the Constitution give people CERTAIN RIGHTS that they have regardless of how other people may feel about it.
America and Republicans need to resurrect the honest, big tent, creative and compromising GOP. But they need Democratic victories this year to do it. Republicans know that they didn't just let Obama fail; they hindered success. A vote for Democrats this year would not be a vote for abortions and gay marriages. It is a vote for bipartisanship. Like most Republicans, most Democrats don't engage in nor do they necessarily condone every activity permitted by the Constitution. In November, only God and the voters will be in the voting booths. And if Sen. Rubio is right about our faith in God being America's greatest virtue, then, lying, misdeeds and evil intentions don't have a chance.
