Political Priorities for the New Year - Put America before politics

CaliforniaRepublic.org ^ | 12/31/05 | J.F. Kelly,Jr.

[NormsRevenge]

Ordinary people are said to have difficulty in keeping New Year’s resolutions. Members of the political class must have an even harder time of it, given the shifts in the preferences and priorities of the public it primarily tries to please.

Politicians probably (Why am I using so many words beginning with “p”?) don’t have sufficient time to spend on formulating New Year’s resolutions. They are, perhaps, still working on keeping campaign promises or maybe they are just too preoccupied with opinion polls and worrying about reelection strategies. So, purely in the spirit of helpfulness, I again offer busy politicians ten suggested resolutions and priorities.

Members of the loyal opposition should, when in doubt, try agreeing with the president now and then, especially on matters of national security. It isn’t required that you oppose everything the president says or does. In wartime, it has been the custom of this country to support the commander-in-chief and to rally around the troops, at least for the duration. It’s been our tradition to support their mission and to refrain from public utterances that make that mission more difficult by encouraging the enemy. There will be plenty of time for constructive criticism once the troops have accomplished that mission and are safely out of harm’s way.

Put the security of all Americans ahead of the individual rights of a relative few. No people anywhere enjoy more freedoms than do Americans. But when the safety of many is threatened by fanatics who would do anything to destroy us, the greater good requires that public safety trump individual rights, at least temporarily. The number one priority of the federal government is the safety of its citizens. Death, after all, is the ultimate depriver of civil rights.

Recognize the dangers in the increasing polarization of Americans. Little can be accomplished without compromise. Public officials need to acknowledge that intelligent persons are permitted to hold views at variance with their own or those prescribed by their religions. Religions and their followers must accept that they cannot impose their views on others or intimidate politicians to that purpose. Public and elected officials must be tolerant of the views and beliefs of their constituents on both sides of moral issues like abortion, capital punishment and stem cell research regardless of their own personal beliefs and views.

Restore integrity to politics. A recent poll indicated that approximately 80% of Americans do not believe that Congress is doing a good job. Much of this is undoubtedly a result of recent revelations of misconduct in office. Politicians and others in public service need to understand that they simply cannot use public office to enrich themselves in any way. They must accept the fact that they are held to higher, more stringent standards of behavior and that their moral failures seriously erode public confidence in government.

Take immediate action to restore respect for our borders and immigration laws. This should not be viewed as a social issue, but rather a matter of security and respect for sovereignty. Americans have clearly indicated that they are fed up with inaction and political cowardice on this matter and that they want action now at every level, including state and local, to enforce our immigration laws and to stop illegal immigration. After this is accomplished, and only then, we can consider immigration reform.

Restore fiscal sanity to the federal government. Our federal debt is mind-boggling and the Chinese own much of it. The notion that an expanding economy will forever permit us to carry an unlimited amount of debt is dangerous. We are placing a huge burden upon our children and grandchildren and they will not thank us for it.

Help stamp out political correctness. We have gone way too far in what was originally a well-meaning effort to eliminate subtle discrimination and promote inclusion. In the process, we have unnecessarily trashed tradition, distorted our culture and invited ridicule and backlash.

Seek to strengthen the integrity of the family. The decline of the traditional family has been accompanied by social disintegration. About 40% of American children live in households without a resident father or close adult male role model. Those who create a child should not be permitted to so easily walk away from their parental responsibilities.

Work to improve the real quality of education, not by just throwing money at the problems, but by finding effective ways to get parents involved in the education process at home, increasing competition among schools, stressing academics over sports and “feel good” classes, and curbing the high school grade inflation that is resulting in excessive first year college attrition.

Finally, promote old-fashioned patriotism. We live in the greatest country on earth. There is nothing wrong with being proud of it. Happy New Year.

[NormsRevenge]

J.F. Kelly, Jr. is a retired Navy Captain and bank executive who writes on current events and military subjects. He is a resident of Coronado, California.

[nmh]

Sounds good


BUT

some really believe their wacko ideas are GOOD for America and that's why they gravitate to wacko organizations and political parties.

[inquest]

There will be plenty of time for constructive criticism once the troops have accomplished that mission and are safely out of harm’s way.

Actually, there's nothing wrong with constructive criticism even right now. Taking potshots and preaching defeatism, on the other hand, is just the work of cowards and fools, and does not help the situation at all.

[RasterMaster]

One thing the current DUmocrats never have been is patriotic. Not only do they hate this nation and everything it was founded upon, the loathe their own constituents even more. They wake every morning, look at their hollow shell in the mirror and hate is the only thing they see in the reflection.

Since I don't expect them to ever change, the only message I have for the DUmpster Diver DUmocrats for 2006 is:

HAVE A NICE FLIGHT!

[Christian4Bush]

bttt