The Plattsburgh Press-Republican
Aug. 1
When the founding fathers of our remarkable nation wrestled for an astoundingly brief period in 1787 to conceive and compose our Constitution as the outline of our government, they overcame mountainous disagreements to “invent” democracy as we now know it and even take it for granted.
It actually became an experiment in self-government by the people, and it has worked.
Various enemies and detractors over the past two and a half centuries have criticized it.
Adolph Hitler wrote in “Mein Kampf” that it’s preposterous to turn a government over to people who win popularity contests and know nothing about the issues on which they will vote. That work must be reserved only for experts, he argued — not for novices.
Yet the voting process continues to provide us the most effective form of government ever tried.
President Donald Trump has shown, to one degree of effectiveness or another, that government can be placed into the hands of those with no experience, and the system will prevail.
The only legitimate threat to our enduring freedom and prosperity is some sort of interference with the process that feeds us the presidents, members of Congress, governors, et.al., of our choice.
But that is apparently what happened in 2016 and continues to happen today.
Rep. Will Hurd is a Republican from Texas who was among the members of Congress questioning Robert Mueller during one of the two hearings before House committees held July 24 to probe Mueller’s findings during his election investigation.
Hurd very likely has extensive knowledge of the potential trouble facing America from Russian election meddling by virtue of his one-time service as a CIA agent.
This was one of the questions Hurd asked: “Did you think that this was a single attempt by the Russians to get involved in our election, or did you find evidence to suggest they’ll try to do this again?”
Mueller’s reply: “It wasn’t a single attempt. They’re doing it as we sit here.”
Meanwhile, though, about the only thing the American people are hearing about this egregious affront to our own welfare as a nation is from Republicans and Democrats lining up to blame the other party.
We’re hearing almost nothing about efforts now and into the future to join forces against it.
In ages past, we would hear political bickering and worse, but all that would be forsaken when we had to join hands against a common enemy.
When war broke out, we’d line up behind our president and our defenders to rally our combined strength for the protection of all of us. When we faced economic chaos, we’d find a solution and join hands to enact it.
But, now, all we seem to care about is proving one party is predominant over the other.
What a disappointment this chapter of our history has been. And, what is more important, what a threat to our security as a nation.
We must stop the blaming, accept the facts and solve the problem. Period.
