People hate politicians.
Bosses also are rarely appreciated, and relatives get their fair share of disdain. But while we can’t choose our bosses or our relatives, we can choose our politicians; maybe we have to do a better job of that.
It’s a given that politicians on the campaign trail make a lot of promises, trying to sell us whatever they think we want to hear so we’ll elect them. It’s just another form of advertising, and the discerning consumer knows products don’t always live up to the hyperbole. It’s our responsibility to look beyond the slogans to find out whether that person has a history of accomplishments and behavior that justifies our support. Actions speak louder than words. In the era of widespread fake news, it’s even more important, however difficult, to find the truth. It sure isn’t found in tabloid newspapers and disreputable social media.
Furthermore, we have to realize that in our democratic governance, no single elected official — and that includes the president — creates, passes and enforces our laws. The legislative process requires politicians to work together; they must seek compromise. The recent failure to pass an equitable health care bill speaks to that need. Even then, it is unrealistic to think that in a country of more than 320 million people that everyone will be happy with the results of our legislative process. Fortunately, we have the right to speak out, question, and go to court when we feel a law is unjust.
The United States was founded on some pretty remarkable ideals. The reality of life in the America often falls short of those principles — witness the despicable events in Charlottesville, Va., as the latest example. The deplorable leadership of the current president is not helping, but I hope that there are enough citizens who will speak up now and vote in 2018 and 2020 to correct the course in which the ship of state is now careening.
— Emily Good, Northbrook
