I think it’s time to step back and take a hard look at where politics are today. Partisan divisions are at an all-time high. There are reports of Republicans and Democrats in Congress staying in their perspective corners, refusing even to talk to each other. One side calls the other evil for simply disagreeing. What’s wrong with this picture?
For one thing, this is not America at its best. I don’t know what our forefathers would think of how our government has evolved into the two party system we have, but they obviously saw a need for checks and balances.
In those days it was large states verses small states. Thus our two-house Congress was born. In addition, the three main branches of the federal government (executive, legislative, and judicial) had their powers separated and guaranteed in order to prevent any one of them from dominating the others.
But today I think we have an even more important form of checks and balances, and that is the debate between the Left and the Right. Despite being a Democrat, I don’t think our way should be the only way. And I believe Republicans would be smart to realize this simple truth themselves.
Just because we have different ideas about how to address the problems we face, doesn’t mean we need to hate each other. After all, we have a lot more in common than we think. I think we all agree that we have the best system of government. We agree that every person has the right to be free and the right to pursue happiness. So why do so many have these high levels of intolerance and distain for the other side?
It is my opinion that one of the reasons is that our so-called campaign tactics have gone too far. And the most guilty of these is the practice of painting your opponent as sinister, or un-American. This kind of tactic, while curiously effective, ultimately is counter productive and cheapens us all. Yeah, let’s call each other stupid, or misguided, or just dead wrong, but impugning an opponent’s patriotism, or accusing them of evil intent amounts to dehumanization. And when we dehumanize anyone, we end up dehumanizing ourselves.
It is when both sides sincerely focus on the issue with an open mind to the other’s point of view do we have a chance to accomplish good things. It is when we have the maturity to accept that the ultimate solution to a problem isn’t going to look exactly how we envisioned it would, that we find the best solutions. It will be when we learn that you don’t have to be a centrist to understand that the center is where compromise is made.
Now its no secret that I’m a Democrat with a capitol D, but just before I sit down to write an article I pull out a little note to myself. It reads “Republicans aren’t bad, they’re just wrong.” I do this because I don’t want my passion to overpower my better sense. I may accuse an individual of being evil, but if I were ever to accuse a whole group, well then shame on me. That kind of thinking has done enough damage.
It’s the debate between left and right that keeps us checked more than separation of powers in today’s political environment. I sincerely believe if either side were to gain complete control, it would be disastrous. So I think we’d all do well to remember that we Democrats and Republicans need each other. Its what makes us Americans.
Devin Barber, Politics Correspondent
Devin’s column, “Left Of The Right” published every Tuesday and Thursday to
Gather Essentials: Politics is a Blue Collar Democrats take on current political news.
Devin was raised by proud Roosevelt Democrats. Being the son of parents counted among the throng of Americans displaced by the Great Depression has given Devin a deep rooted passion for causes dealing with the poor and the working class.
You can find all of Devin’s columns at http://gather.com/leftoftheright
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Comments: 3
Right all the time? I see Democrats like Ted Kennedy bash and bash and bash our troops, our government repeatedly undermining our efforts to defeat these terrorists abroad and keep them from succeeding in attacking our homeland again. He is a Democrat that is thinking right?
I see in the the news John Kerry is in Davos speaking whilst standing next to a known terrorist leader , denouncing our nation as an international pariah. He is right ? He is helpng the cause of the United States by undermining our troops , attempting to demoralize our troops, bash our country yet again....?
Nancy Pelosi gets up an whoops it up that she has the "power", that is what was most important to her, not gaining a political position to further the interests of the United states, to create the conditions to promote the conitinuing prosperity of the average American, not to create an atmosphere of entrepeneurship, innovation, creativity, spirit of enthusiasm in pursuing the American dream, no it was time to celebrate how she got hers. No cry of foul at the polls by Dems in this round, they won , so everything must have been on the up and up. Notice how many cries of foul came from losing Republicans, the silence was deafening.
Without Dems where would we get our comedy.
To answer your question; The note is to remind me that my Republican brothers and sisters are not evil monsters, out to destroy America. But if I didn't think the Democrats were right in their approach to politics, I wouldn't be one.
You seem to see us as less than human Keith and that kind of thinking is bad for us all. Bottom line is, you think your right and I think I'm right, so lets meet in the center and keep this miracle called the United States going.