Yesterday I wrote much about taking responsibility for the
fiscal cliff issue. Today I just want to
offer a few pithy quotes from others that we need to remember as the fiscal
cliff is approached and hopefully avoided.
First, Tony Benn suggests:
“If
you can find money to kill people, you can find money to help people.”
Second, former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis offered
this opinion:
“We can either have democracy in
this country or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few,
but we can’t have both.”
Third, Andy Borowitz demands the following:
“If we’re looking for ways to cut
the deficit, maybe stop invading countries for absolutely no reason.”
Fourth, from www.PeacefulMindPeacefulLife.org
provides this guide:
“The
three R’s:
-Respect
for self;
-Respect
for others;
-Responsibility
for all my actions.”
Fifth, John McCain claims to know if someone is capable and
worthy of being named as Secretary of State. Yet he claims Sarah Palin was
worthy to serve as Vice President. What does this say about John McCain’s
powers of discernment?
Sixth, if four American deaths in Benghazi
deserve more answers, what answers do the 5000 American military dead in Iraq and the 2000 American military service
personnel dead in Afghanistan
deserve?
Seventh, if we Americans believe in balance and fairness,
then we also should believe that each of us has a purpose in life, a value to
add to the nation. Each of us deserves respect – rich and poor, brilliant and
dim, healthy and unhealthy, young and old. Each of us has a responsibility to
serve others and the common good. If a person doesn't do that, then they reap
the bitter fruit of loneliness, poverty of spirit and probably poverty of
purse!
Eighth, much work is done for our benefit whether we realize
it or not. This is true for the rich as well as the poor. It is more obvious
for the poor, certainly. But the rich benefit from our education system, money
and banking system, justice system, transportation and highway system – all of
these benefit all citizens. The rich rely on these systems, however, to support
their enterprises that fuels their wealth. And we all paid for it one way or
another.
I was at a family gathering recently – it’s the season,
don’t you know? I was labeled by one
person that I was a liberal. This from a self avowed conservative. I demurred
and claimed a centrist position. She scoffed at that. I told her plainly that
from her position I was clearly not as conservative as she, or was more liberal
than she; however, that does not make me a liberal. Besides, I get to label
myself, not anyone else. If she really cares to understand why that is, open
and honest discussions have to take place between the two of us. She needs to
understand my position. I need to understand hers. In such discussions much
will be discovered to be similar if not alike! Not doing this work is lazy.
Our nation deserves all of our attention. It is not a conservative
issue, a centrist issue or a liberal one. It is an American issue. We have lots
of work to do. If we don’t recognize that, then how can we expect our elected
representatives to know what to do? No wonder they are confused!
December 5, 2012
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