I also believe in Santa Clause.
written by Julie R. Neidlinger 5 comments link this post::Actual letter to the editor in today's newspaper, and my faux response.::
Dear Editor:
"If the people lead, eventually the leaders will follow." This old saying rings true after this election.
I believe people want peace so badly that the leaders better get out of their way and let them have it as president Eisenhower put it so candidly years ago.
I believe people have come to see war as the problem. Two wars at the same time and threatening a war against terrorists was too much. This is why the Pentagon and Department of Defense were repudiated. We want star diplomats - not star wars.
I believe people were saying, despite 9-11 we want to keep our constitution and the Bill of Rights rather than sacrifice any part of them to defend ourselves from terrorists.
I believe we're asking our leaders to approach the future with optimism and hope - not dread and fear.
This election was a peoples' revolution. Let's hope the leaders understand the message and act on it.
Larry Lange
Devils Lake, ND
-----
Dear Larry,
I believe you have more religious faith than I, in both a specific political party and the ability of the average voter to vote with such righteous and pure motives instead of predisposed quirks and economic gain.
I believe no political party can keep any promise.
I believe politicians who have been in the game long enough are always for sale and that running on "experience" is a fancy way of saying they know how to play the game.
I believe North Dakotans will continue to vote for Democratic representation as long as they bring in agricultural money no matter what else they stand for.
I believe a real people's revolution is reflected in Tiananmen Square and East Timor.
I believe most people in this country couldn't lead themselves out of credit card debt and bad romantic relationships, much less lead a recitation of the Bill of Rights.
I believe Star Wars is a stupid series of movies and that George Lucas is a bad writer.
I believe there can be no unified message for a nation of nearly 300 million people with a voting selection of basically two political choices; it could mean anything.
I believe this "revolution" will be as magnanimous and productive as the Republican "revolution" of the past decade.
I believe you're going to be disappointed in a few years as the people "revolt" yet again, in typical fickle and cyclical nature, and vote in the other guys.
I believe the only one who speaks for me is me and that, this being a republic, I often get the shaft.
I believe there are no new political "heroes" anymore and never will be.
I believe it is foolish to put my faith in the hands of a politician who will trade it in for a golf junket without a prick of conscience.
I believe that any real revolution and change that is to occur in this country will not happen in a voting booth but will happen when people get their damn lives together, be honest, quit looking out for themselves, help others, stop being greedy, give up consumerism, quit blaming others, quit bickering based on politics, refuse handouts, stop being a victim, stop helping other people be victims, and quit waiting for some political system to rescue them and make their lives great.
I know that I am ever thankful to live here, in the United States, despite the above.
Julie R. Neidlinger
Hampden, ND
Labels: politics
Copyright (c) Julie R. Neidlinger 11/16/2006 07:05:00 PM
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5 Comments:
Ouch! Hating on Star Wars?! Poor George. Perhaps he can console himself with his hundreds of millions of dollars.
But Amen to your penultimate paragraph. Politicians can help, or they can hurt. But real solutions lie with the people and their choices.
By 
Dan Lovejoy, at
16/11/06 22:57
I should add, to the "penultimate paragraph" the following phrase: Myself included.
No perfection here.
(I also, in a fit of irritation that letters to the editor tend to cause, used an uncouth word.)
By Julie, at
16/11/06 23:48
Also worth noting, if it is a revolution, it is an extraordinarly anemic one.
The 30 changed seats in the House is nothing compared to the historical norm. Some 19th Century races saw well over 100 change.
Indeed, what is disturbing is that so few change. Ever.
But then, two political parties that fall to the left and right of dead center, and then run to the middle while in power, can't be expected to really engage in that much change at anyone time. No wonder the seats change so little. The parties do not act on their core beliefs while in, and only salute them while out. So that way they never satisfy their true adherants, and they never really anger their natural opponents.
By Yeoman, at
17/11/06 12:48
Julie:
Amen to your last paragraph.
I think if members of the House and Senate were required to take a couple of weekends a year at a homeless shelter, ministering at a prison or working at a mental institution, I bet no one except the true of heart and conviction would run for Congress then.
By 
, at
20/11/06 11:59
I raised my eyebrow reading the uncouth word!
By , at
22/11/06 16:01
