Considering resolutions this year points to the opportunity to address fundamental issues before us in our democracy. And they will require wisdom and perspective.
Decades ago a new generation asked us to consider again who we are. At the end of World War II we were the single major power standing. We educated our veterans and flourished economically. But inevitably, at least periodically, a people must consider who they are and where they are going. For us the time is here again as a new reform movement takes shape.
And we come to this time with a sad state of political affairs heavy with obstruction where statesmanship has descended to the level of the pathetic. Yet, as a Janus we are making strides in such things as bringing women to power, LBGT rights, environmentalism and raising the issue of institutionalized racist.
Lately we have seen tragedies in the deaths of young black men and police officers. Too often we are hearing cries which do not take account of the true nature of the issues. There is the matter of racial bias in police enforcement and the deaths of young men of color. Our understanding is strained. The man who murdered the two policemen in New York was fundamentally disturbed as was the man in Sydney, Australia who took hostages and did not represent Muslims. It is discriminatory to dismiss these aberrations as reflective of a body of people. In this country we need to face each issue for what it is. Demonstrations are called for and are part of a democratic institution. We need to retain respect for them.
Our problems are numerous. In the mental health field we endured devastation by insurance companies combined with slash and burn tactics in the name of “austerity”. The outcome has been distasteful incidents of violence – especially gun violence.
We face an infrastructure in trouble. We can only imagine how much faster our recovery from the Great Recession might have been if we had addressed the infrastructure problem. Instead we faced obstruction and “austerity” touted by people hostile to government.
In the XL pipeline we are seeing political grandstanding where the truth is the Gulf Coast refineries are filled with crude from fracking. We can’t use the Canadian crude and Europeans and Asians want it.
Even as women rise to power their reproductive rights are challenged.
Antidemocratic efforts at voter suppression by “conservatives” are widespread and in a democracy are intolerable.
We have to face the world as it is and deal with our failed policy toward Cuba and immigration issues which often reflect other of our failures. This is hardly a time for complacency. Nor is it a time to tolerate egotistical, manipulative politicians who are an aberrant minority in the government and who are hostile to government. They serve their own ends of ego, prejudice and racism.
There are important issues behind every one of the recent events making headlines. And they speak to opportunity to right wrongs and to deal with an emerging world. We have immense talent and resources at our disposal and they need to be joined with wisdom and perspective. Presently we are seeing the best and the worst of us played out. The best is seen in the opportunities presented by the reform movement which is forming.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.