Saturday, March 28, 2009
CONFUSED
The American people are sometimes confusing with their ideas, opinions, and actions. But Oklahoma people are more frequently confusing in their notions of good and bad government, as well as good and bad persons. The Militant Moderate often feels like a stranger in the world that surrounds him.
Republicans tend to be the most confusing and the most exasperating people.
As the old hill country saying went, “Any fool with half-sense and one eye can see” that the country is in a real mess. It is not difficult to reason that since the republican party has been in control for eight years, they must bear some responsibility for the mess we are in.
It is perhaps more difficult, but not much, to see that the party’s central political theme that the government is our enemy and not our friend, and its legislative stress on less government and less regulation, has created an anarchical climate in which ruinous profiteering business practices have been rampant.
Why is that so easy for some of us to see, and so difficult for others?
As one of the two out of three Americans who think that President Obama is doing a good job, and one of the four out of five who view him favorably, it is difficult to understand the personal animosity which persists within a republican minority. His success in solving our problems and saving the country is the last thing they want, according to their own leaders. That is hard to understand.
It continues to be confusing and appalling to encounter acquaintances and friends who believe the trash talk and lies circulated. Again, this past week, the Militant Moderate visited with a well-educated friend who was surprised at the MM’s support of Mr. Obama. This friend then repeated the “known facts” that Obama was not born in this country, that he is a Muslim, and that he is a part of a foreign socialist conspiracy to take over the country. Gah!
The people of Oklahoma continue to be confusing. They want quality children’s services, an education system, penitentiaries to punish lots of people, a court system, a law enforcement system, mental health services, drug treatment, highways, and all the better services of government. Then, they turn around and elect legislators who promise them tax cuts.
Such inconsistent people are not thinking.
If our state legislature is representative of us, then woe be to this generation! We have seen some of the most ridiculous, stupid bills come up in this current legislature. The recurring bills to allow gun-toting on college campuses, substituting religion for science, and the latest insult to women creating a state abortion list record are examples.
Somewhere during recent elections the people of Oklahoma must have heard the message in the music, “Send in the clowns!”
The latest republican legislative attack on the public schools has been unbelievable. Through decades educators and public servants have worked to develop a state school system, create curriculum standards, regulate qualifications of teachers, set pay standards, accredit schools, create a good professional work environment, and establish quality control assurances. Now, this legislature wants to dump all this and “deregulate” the schools!
Either this bunch is deluded enough to think they are doing the will of the public, or they think the public is too dumb to recognize that they are instead serving other masters.
Sometime we must discuss the conceptual meaning of the frequently used term “taxpayers.” When your politicians use the term “taxpayers,” they do not necessarily mean you. But they want you to think that they do. There are different classes of taxpayers -- and some are wealthy enough to be campaign donors.
Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate
Republicans tend to be the most confusing and the most exasperating people.
As the old hill country saying went, “Any fool with half-sense and one eye can see” that the country is in a real mess. It is not difficult to reason that since the republican party has been in control for eight years, they must bear some responsibility for the mess we are in.
It is perhaps more difficult, but not much, to see that the party’s central political theme that the government is our enemy and not our friend, and its legislative stress on less government and less regulation, has created an anarchical climate in which ruinous profiteering business practices have been rampant.
Why is that so easy for some of us to see, and so difficult for others?
As one of the two out of three Americans who think that President Obama is doing a good job, and one of the four out of five who view him favorably, it is difficult to understand the personal animosity which persists within a republican minority. His success in solving our problems and saving the country is the last thing they want, according to their own leaders. That is hard to understand.
It continues to be confusing and appalling to encounter acquaintances and friends who believe the trash talk and lies circulated. Again, this past week, the Militant Moderate visited with a well-educated friend who was surprised at the MM’s support of Mr. Obama. This friend then repeated the “known facts” that Obama was not born in this country, that he is a Muslim, and that he is a part of a foreign socialist conspiracy to take over the country. Gah!
The people of Oklahoma continue to be confusing. They want quality children’s services, an education system, penitentiaries to punish lots of people, a court system, a law enforcement system, mental health services, drug treatment, highways, and all the better services of government. Then, they turn around and elect legislators who promise them tax cuts.
Such inconsistent people are not thinking.
If our state legislature is representative of us, then woe be to this generation! We have seen some of the most ridiculous, stupid bills come up in this current legislature. The recurring bills to allow gun-toting on college campuses, substituting religion for science, and the latest insult to women creating a state abortion list record are examples.
Somewhere during recent elections the people of Oklahoma must have heard the message in the music, “Send in the clowns!”
The latest republican legislative attack on the public schools has been unbelievable. Through decades educators and public servants have worked to develop a state school system, create curriculum standards, regulate qualifications of teachers, set pay standards, accredit schools, create a good professional work environment, and establish quality control assurances. Now, this legislature wants to dump all this and “deregulate” the schools!
Either this bunch is deluded enough to think they are doing the will of the public, or they think the public is too dumb to recognize that they are instead serving other masters.
Sometime we must discuss the conceptual meaning of the frequently used term “taxpayers.” When your politicians use the term “taxpayers,” they do not necessarily mean you. But they want you to think that they do. There are different classes of taxpayers -- and some are wealthy enough to be campaign donors.
Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate
