The rising tide of civil discourse

This tide is not being led by the politicians. It is being forced on them by we citizens. In all the innumerable conflicts about what is best for our Country, the past methods of politics in D.C. have been superceded. There are just many that don’t know it yet; they haven’t gotten the word, yet.

Like a revolution or a civil war at its beginning, it usually takes some small spark to set things off. To me it is the convergence of the resignation of the Secretary of the Army over the veterans’ treatment issue, and the stupid comments from Anne Coulter about Edwards being a faggot. How so you may say? Let me go forward.

The Secretary of the Army is obviously from a tradition of taking responsibility for those under him during his watch. And the Secretary of Defense is from the same tradition of holding people accountable, as in “having trust and faith and confidence” in those who work for him. The lightweights of today may see this resignation as some kind of political sport victory, but those of this persuasion have just had the world pass them by in understanding the idea of civil discourse, and civil responsibility.

Let me continue on to Ms. Coulter. I like her, her political wit, and her politics. But to refer to Edwards as a faggot does not contribute to civil discourse. There is such a thing as leadership standards, and one must uphold themselves to this standard to lead our nation. Yes, I know the other 20 % side overwhelmingly uses bad words (George Carlin style) routinely in blogs and speech, but in doing so they denigrate themselves and lose the votes of middle American citizens.

As long as I am naming names, let us continue. The Clintons brought Arkansas State politics to the Nation’s capital in 1992. Nothing against Arkansas, but these individuals have done much harm to our Country in the politics of our National Interests. Books have and will be written about all this, but those practicing politics in their lifetimes since 1992 have used tactics, mean spirited tactics, to go about our Nation's business. Finally we are coming back to the old fashioned idea of civil discourse. We don’t have to agree, but we also don’t have to use the politics of personal destruction as a method of achieving our political goal. In other words, let’s talk, debate, and accept the results of the vote. Since a whole generation of people have been brought up another political way, it will take a long time for “the aircraft carrier to change course”. But then it took a long time for “the aircraft carrier to get on the present course”. The delay factor in “the aircraft carrier” analogy is still appropriate since Bill Clinton has been out of power 6 years, and still has influence as evidenced by his “cold hearted wife” periodically pulling him back in to advance her ego driven political agenda to be the President of the United States.

The most important point to the readers is that we voters are in charge. There are plenty of examples of honorable behavior, and poor behavior. But along the way we can demand, and expect to get, civil discourse. This is not pie in the sky talk. Those who choose the past, the lack of civil discourse, the politics of destruction, the lack of being accountable for results, even the advancement of ideas from the past, will go down the path of failed ideas. Those who choose being demanding as voters about civil discourse can vote politically; and even earlier vote other ways, with whom they tune in, whom they listen to, and whom they respect. We do have a Country and way of life to run, and often defend. The political process is dead serious. This is not a game. Those thinking otherwise are playing with fire. And civil discourse is an idea as old as history.