Ship Shape

Bacchus is relearning NOT to chew on his leash during our morning stroll and I'm relearning that I understand squat about how those that govern us think versus the way we, the public, think.

Kathleen Parker's column this morning talked about how American's are tired of extremes. I hope she is correct. If she isn't I fear our ship of state is in deep trouble. I got to thinking about that analogy.

You boating folks know what "twin screws" are. The propellers that power the boat. For our ship let's say one prop is Democrat, the other Republican. They both "spin". To go forward both throttles are pushed forward. To turn, either left or right, one is forward, one back. Reverse, both are back. Kind of how the two parties work, isn't it?

But then a storm brews and it isn't such smooth sailing. Constant corrections are necessary; you never know what's going to happen next. You get the bluster of a Michael Moore threatening to knock the wind out of the sails of anyone who doesn't agree with him. You get a blow hard administration accusing everyone who doesn't agree with them of being unpatriotic. Constant corrections are always needed.

If we are truly tired of extremes than it's time we quit reacting that way ourselves and quit listening to the Ann Coulters and Michael Moores and think for ourselves. What credibility do either of them, or their types, have anyway? It is said it is a woman's preogative to change her mind. Suddenly it's becoming a millstone around Hillary Clinton's neck because she voted for the war. The same for an awful lot of Democrats as well as Republicans. What's wrong with changing ones mind? Why must one apologize for it? If a decision (vote) was made on bad information, okay. Apologize if one must for not having dug deeper at the time perhaps, but not for a vote made in good conscience. I'm much more concerned with those who can't change their mind no matter what the evidence of a bad decision. The Administration, collectively, for one.

How many of us also bought into the war? Be honest now. Or are you ashamed that your own partisan thinking, or even worse, apathy, led you to turn a blind eye to it?

With elections looming we had better start thinking for ourselves and start holding candidates' feet to the fire and LISTEN. Forget the rhetoric. Look for some substance. Beware of those candidates who follow only the talking points. Beware the candidates who screen attendees to public forums. Where are the ones who are interested in what's happening to our country rather than their own partisan or personal interests? Where are the ones who think for themselves and aren't afraid to say so? There is always the lament about the horrendous debt we're passing on to our children. Well, if we the people don't start acting more responsibly in our elective choices as well as who we listen to the debt may be all we have left to leave them.