I Respectfully Disagree

I have been watching the November election of 2010 for the Congressional and state Governor elections.  It is rather an interesting election cycle: a Delaware newcomer who claims that she is not a witch, a California candidate calling his opponent a whore, and a Nevada Senate candidate who thinks people should barter for health. However, I am concerned about that the level of civility in politics.  I know that politicians tend to demonize their opponents in order to win election. After the elections pass and the winners and losers lick their wounds, the politicians tend to go into normal governing procedure of talking to the other side and making compromises and deals. Unfortunately, I do not see that normal trend in this election. I keep on hearing the Tea Party advocating stopping the government no matter the cost to the country. They argue to shutdown government just as Newt Gingrich, who was a very conservative head of the house in the 1990s, did in 1994. For some of these people, they have been obstinate rather than pragmatic is the order of the day.  If obstruction means getting elected to stop whatever issues that need to be addressed, than they will obstruct which means that the pressing issues that need to be addressed such as the energy, debt, and economic crisis’s will not be solved.  As a consequence, this country will continue to muddle along until a real crisis forces which could cost the big and these political faction to make a deal that nobody wants.  On the contrary, those people who view that politics is mean and nasty should read the history of the Reagan Administration. Even though this Administration was in a period of relative chaotic state of ideologies in the governing policies, they have dealt with Congressional Senators and Representatives with respect and civility. Reagan who had to deal with the Democratic dominated Congress made a dealt on the Issue of Social Security. Even though the conservative Regan and the liberal Democrats were from two different points of the political spectrum, they viewed each other with respect and dignity. Reagan even treated some liberals as friends who argued very intensely during the day and treated each other kindly at night. I hope these future leaders of America can learn from Regan’s example in that they do not need to treat each other as traitors or back stabbers. They should try to focus on the issues and not on the character of his or her opponent. I think then we can finally regain our civilized political discourse that has been missing since the 90s.

Vocabulary Word

Civility

Noun

Plural; ties

courtesy; politeness.

a polite action or expression

Obstruction

Noun

Wall, blocks, barrier

an act or instance of obstructing