A Nation of the People, by the People
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By David Gray
Special to The Pilot
I vote as an independent and owe allegiance to neither party. Having said that, I have a problem with the current mantra-memorization and posturing of the Republican Party, along with those with a heart for the tea party.
The only reason I can see for this affront is the fact that the Republican Party lost the election and they’re using every means possible to see that Barack Obama will not be elected again, the status and condition of the country be damned. (Shame on them.)
I also count it an insult that the president is continually addressed as “Obama” and not as “President Obama.” The status of the office demands that some sense of civility be used when he is being praised or vilified. Common courtesy should be the rule whether it’s in the press or on the television. Sadly, we have become a rude and insensitive nation for the sake of sounding important.
Conservatives say that if small business owners are granted the elimination of government oversight, lower taxes, and freedom to keep workers in the “low-paid” status, everything will be fine. This is so far from correct it becomes ludicrous.
A sound bite on YouTube shows President Franklin D. Roosevelt declaring to the nation in 1936 that the Republicans were looking to destroy Social Security as it was passed and they were the ones to “fix it” so it would work. It is pretty funny and prophetic.
Nobody is currently mentioning the plan that was strongly promoted by President George W. Bush that all Social Security money should be invested in the Wall Street stock market. “We’ll all become millionaires,” was the cry. “It’s your money.” If we had “class warfare,” it would be between mega-millionaires and beggars.
God has given some the ability to be leaders and company owners and some to be workers. The two working together is what makes America great. If a businessman has become a “millionaire” by running a successful business, it was done with the work force he hired. They helped get him there.
Often their reward is a job shipped overseas because it “improves” the company’s bottom line. If debts are coming due because of a war that was started under the previous administration, is there reason to believe that all the costs are to be borne by those least able to pay it? What is the millionaires’ responsibility? Is it to continue to be “millionaires,” only more so? God forbid!
We are a nation “Of the People, By the People, and For the People.” If the Republicans and tea party activists are determined to take government out of our lives, my suggestion would be for them to take it upon themselves to create and do acts of kindness without the “government’s” help.
Create jobs without waiting for a “government program.” Assist local church and missionary outreach programs from the coffers of abundance within the above-mentioned parties. God and his position in the lives of the current presidential candidates has become a rallying cry within the party.
“I am a Christian who loves Jesus” is shouted loudly and often. How important is it to them when what is written is being ignored? How strong would the message be if this was done and those responsible were able to declare, “Look what we’ve done, and it was done without cost to you and without government’s help.”
That would put the rubber on the road and show that they mean what they say and can get things done. “We don’t need big government” is a nice cliché, but there is a cost to not having it.
We are our brothers’ keepers. With kindness and civility, we can regain the place God has for all of us. Can we move on and fix things to the benefit of everyone instead of bashing “Obama” and those greedy and lazy union workers?
I believe we can.
David Gray lives in Pinehurst.
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Comments
skylinefirepest 1 year, 7 months ago
David, get a life! You apparently have a very short memory. Bush was simply called Bush even by our biased media. Though Obama well deserves it, he has not been beaten over the head by the media the way Bush was. Obama is so incompetent and a liar to boot that he is working harder to defeat himself than anything the Republicans are doing. This man, who has never so much as sold a hotdog on a street corner has proven to be as anti-business as any administration we've ever had. Incidentally, the Republicans wanted to put ( not all of the SS money ) a small percentage of the SS money to work in the private sector. Would have been a great idea but, as usual, the Democrats hollered about old people losing their savings to the nasty entrepeneurs. You may call yourself an Independant but your writing shows you to be as bad a Liberal as Dusty.
dustyrhoades 1 year, 7 months ago
Though Obama well deserves it, he has not been beaten over the head by the media the way Bush was.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA! Oh, you're a funny one, you are.
fugitiveguy 1 year, 7 months ago
Hey Obama and Media, you two should get a room! Oops, I mean President Obama your royal excellency.
geoffcutler 1 year, 7 months ago
Were you aware, Mr. Gray, that the local chapter of the tea party raised $1,500 for the victims of the Sanford tornado? Probably not, as the press release sent to this paper was not published to the best of my knowledge. Your commentary sounds left of independent. I too am unaffiliated but am happy to admit being a conservative independent.
teufelhunden 1 year, 7 months ago
Interesting.
geoffcutler 1 year, 7 months ago
Isn't it?
TreadLightly 1 year, 7 months ago
Thank you, David. At last someone recognizes that God is an integral part of any free society, just as the Declaration of Independence points out that our basic rights are given to us by God, and not to be denied.
I know that you are truly an independent caught in the middle, for a couple of reasons. (1) You have a respect for God. (2) You recognize that the Republican Party has its own brand of progressives, who work best "across the aisle." (3) You do not recognize that you are being a useful idiot for the people who can not bear to hear the word Jesus or God, but who actively oppose every mention of them in public life. (Be very afraid of any government that tries to remove God from public life!)
You also are showing signs of brainwashing to think that free markets are inferior to regulated markets. If markets are not free, you do not have economic freedom. If you do not have economic freedom, you do not have freedom—period. The regulation process is the part that grows every year until the masses arrive at serfdom. Government gets larger and more powerful with every set of regulations.
The Tea Parties have no interest in partisan politics, as both parties have people who have abandoned the core legal document of the United States, the document which is required to be the standard of every case before the Supreme Court. That would be the Constitution. Is that unreasonable? Would that cripple the country? (Did the country function prior to 1911?)
The reason they don’t like the Constitution is that it would remove the terrible knot of power in the federal government and “redistribute” it to the proper places. You will know the power is back where it should be when the most powerful politician in your life has his office within walking distance of your house. The second most powerful will be at the county level. The third most powerful will be at the state level. The politician who has the least direct effect on your life and business should have his office in Washington, D.C.
sgmartin 1 year, 7 months ago
Well said Mr. Gray. You give me hope that there is more intelligent life in Pinehurst than I previously believed. And Geoff, $1500 from the Tea Party to Sanford tornado victims is lovely but hardly impressive or worthy of a press release.
geoffcutler 1 year, 7 months ago
What did you send? I think it is very newsworthy when you consider the denigration and slander that has been spewed at this group. It illustrates that they are not the racist haters they are accused of being. I thought you were moving....
fugitiveguy 1 year, 7 months ago
Sad, thats all I can say. So condescending.
nothingspecial 1 year, 7 months ago
Mr. Gray, that's a very hard sell convincing folks that the government should be the means for us to be our brother's keeper. Please consider how we could possibly find an institution more able to fritter away money in the effort! Attacking the rich and Christians as being basically heartless to paraphrase your words, shows you have a profound lack of empathy or understanding of either of those groups. That further weakens your argument. I'm with TreadLightly again. Recommend you read Liberty and Tyranny by Mark Levin, to at least get a better idea of where your opponents are coming from.
TreadLightly 1 year, 7 months ago
"Liberty and Tyranny" is excellent, and I would add Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" for the most basic understanding of government and society relationships.
fugitiveguy 1 year, 7 months ago
Yes, "Liberty and Tyrany" is excellent. So is "the great one"
F250 1 year, 7 months ago
Mr. Gray, Can we move on and fix things to the benefit of everyone instead of bashing Obama for getting in bed with those greedy and lazy union workers? More over the prime cause of jobs being moved elsewhere. Oh darn, what bout all the people in South Carolina who were waiting on the non union air plane plant opening. Shame on him.and Why did he do nothing?/???
The progressive admin seated today is so far from correct it becomes ludicrous. The blatent forgery of the released birth cirtificate identified by the best this country has to offer only show us all the truth, "Obama" is no President of the US.
Not laughing with you but at you be saying your an independent, I am glad you didn't say your were used to be a Patriot also.
TOYTIME 1 year, 7 months ago
My memory of presidential nick-names being used instead of "President _"... "Tricky Dick" nothing comes to mind for Ford "Mr. Peanut, Jimmy" "Gipper, Mr. Teflon" nothing comes to mind GHWB "Slick Willy, Bubba" "Dubya, W"
Anyone think of others? I know this isn't really related to the topic, hope no one minds
Bookman 1 year, 7 months ago
I consider myself an independent as well, but I do not agree with everything Mr. Gray has put forth. While I do get distressed at all the Obama bashing and complete disrespect for the office of the President, its not anything new to this country. I do think the Obama administration shares the some blame for the problems this country is in, but he is not the sole culprit as the Tea Party and other Republicans would have you believe. Who takes the responsibility in the House since the last elections? The Democratic minority? The Republican's who cannot even get a consensus among it's own party? How about the Senate? The point is there is plenty of blame to go around. As an independent I see the Republican party's totally focused on hating of Obama and unseating him to the point of destroying the country to do it. I see the Democrats as a bunch of spineless whiners who need to get off their butts and balance things out. God didn't put us into this mess...and from my point of view he isn't going to get us out of it either. People need to grow up and realize this isn't the 18th Century, if this country is going to survive we have to do it by growing and adapting, not taking steps back. The world is more than just white people who have devoted themselves to one religion and one way of life.
nothingspecial 1 year, 7 months ago
Speaking of growing and adapting and becoming more progressive, here's a few points we've learned over the past few years: --Socialism, as shown by the USSR, and Europe's socialist-light efforts are a clear failure; --Our nation is filled with stories of how the power granted to unions have absolutely corrupted them - no entity, including unions should be granted too much power anymore; --There are numerous examples among European states and U.S. States, such as California of the financial Armageddon caused by our ever expanding entitlement programs - a new direction is needed; --Socialized health care as conceived and passed by this administration for the stated benefit of not more than 15% of our population is significantly raising insurance premiums, the cost of hiring workers and putting our youth into a kind of endentured servitude to pay the bills; --The tampering of our free market system by the progressives who pressured banks to grant more lenient home loans to persons who it turned out couldn't afford homes caused the huge bubble burst of 2007 and should serve as a warning against tampering with the free market again; --It is not smart to spend as much as 24 dollars per kilowatt hour for electricity using green energy when we have endless supplies of other cheaper energies.
MikeNC 1 year, 7 months ago
The way I look at it: We had Democrats, well acting like Democrats and some Republicans, acting like Democrats, coupled with Barney Frank and Chris Dodds and Chuck Shumar's brillant idea, that everyone in America deserves a house and VOILA, here we all are, ready to tear each others hair out, because we ALL know we are going to have to "eat this mess" we didn't create, IF and WHEN Washington ever figures out what we're going to have to eat to get out of this mess. And if that weren't enough, we've elected a President who just loves the chaos and runs his campaign 24/7, instead of Leading a country as Leader and a Healer and governing in the Center. Diane
geoffcutler 1 year, 7 months ago
NS has touched on the one thing about the real estate crash rarely talked about. The collapse of the housing market was caused by the congressional shakedown of banks by Frank and Dodd for Frannie and Freddie. See McCain's Letter to Bush in 2005. Half million dollar loans, 0% interest to McDonalds hamburger slingers to fulfill Carter's dream of equally affordable housing for all? Brilliant!
Yukonjohn 1 year, 7 months ago
I do not know why people have quit showing the President his due respect. I did not like President Bush, not even a little, but he was MY President. I totally disagree with President Obama, but once again, he is MY President. He is OUR President. I will vote and talk and hopefully he will not be reeelected, but while he is there, he is our President. I see NO ONE in the wings, other than Ron Paul or possibly Herman Cain that I think would make a decent President. It is a shame Bill Clinton can't come back and serve again. I also do not believe that a President needs to be moral, or even close to it, but they need to be a leader.
nothingspecial 1 year, 7 months ago
Have to disagree with you, Yukonjohn, on your point about a President being moral. President Clinton for instance had some horrible moral lapses (like all of us) that as such a highly visible leader have an often extraordinary effect on those he leads. But he was/is a likable guy, perhaps because we sense that he tries, like we all do and because he was/is sharp as a tack.
pacer 1 year, 7 months ago
Thank you David Gray, I sincerely enjoyed your article.