by Mark A. Cohen - Over 150 of his blog posts can be read at fromthelefttotheright[dot]blogspot[dot]com
The Tea Party represents "the hope of America," John Andrews, a Denver Post columnist, said at a recent event. In these days when the left represents the status quo (don't you dare modify Social Security and Medicare), and the right is for change (lower our taxes and stop spending), Andrews advocates a responsibility movement outside the two parties. "We need to fix politics as it is," he said, and he told the audience there are four basic steps we can use to mend it: Self-assertion, self-restraint, self-reliance, and civic knowledge. These are close to some ideas put forth by leftists during the 1960's, but they haven’t opted for them much since. Specific steps, how refreshing!
Self assertion means we push back on government. Self restraint means doing things in an even-toned manner. Mr. Andrews described it as a "musket over the fireplace, break glass in an emergency only" situation. Self reliance says we do enough things ourselves so that government doesn't have to reach in. A case in point is a family taking care of a member instead of relying on Medicare to do it. John Andrews wonders how so many Americans changed their attitudes so quickly - from being ashamed of accepting welfare - to demanding it. Some insist it's a right and not a privilege, and say, "Don't you ever take it away!"
People need to understand the founding documents of the United States. This is known as civic knowledge. For example, many U.S. citizens can't distinguish between Karl Marx' statement, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs," and the Declaration of Independence, which says, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." It is surprising to realize that our slanted education system has failed us so horribly. No wonder many clamor for private educations for their children.
Societies follow predictable patterns. History shows that fiscal suicide follows moral suicide in the decline of a civilization. From bondage comes faith. Out of faith comes courage. As with bondage, faith, and courage, each of these follows the other in this order: liberty, abundance, complacency, entitlement, apathy, dependence, and bondage once again. Please think about those items for a moment, and reread them, if you will. Mr. Andrews stated that most civilizations get about 250 years, and this country has reached age 235 this year. "We are in the kill zone," he said. "Time is running out." Then he reminded us there's nowhere else to go in the world if freedom goes out in America. "Don't let it." Let's get to 2076 intact as a nation. As Mr. Andrews put it, "Let's get there and beat the odds." I felt inspired, and I thought the rest of the audience did as well.
I enjoyed John Andrews' latest column, Color the state red in 2012 at www.denverpost.com/andrews. When I read the narrow-minded responses to it there, online, I could only lament that our public education system has failed us. It needs a complete overhaul. The other side is myopic. They see tantrums, psychoses, fanaticism, and hatred where none at all exists. Every response but one seem to insist the right wants to take away people's rights, pollute, and hate gays. How and why do they believe this lie? These folks want to censor Mr. Andrews, and what they said is hateful. Their lack of cohesive thought and absence of intelligent rebuttal is stunning, and a bit disturbing. We must work to change the false perception these extremists have of us on the right. Please read the column and then the responses. You may respond either here or there, if you like.
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Keywords: Conservatism, Conservative blog, Mark A. Cohen, From The Left to the Right, John Andrews, The Denver Post, responsibility movement, self-assertion, civil knowledge
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