No Victories, Just Wounds

I am amazed this week that Republican Senators banned together to block a Democratically supported set of tax breaks.  They did so in protest of the way Democrats are running the Senate.  Once more, political perspective has resulted in revenge, retaliation, and competition.  I wonder if Democratic Senators are feeling a sense of victory this week for their ability to alter the historic senatorial traditions of filibuster and proposed bill amendments that led to the Republican backlash?  I doubt it.  I wonder if the Republicans are feeling any sort of victory for stopping legislation that they have traditionally and philosophically supported forever?  I doubt it.  I suspect both sides are feeling a sense of frustration and revenge and retaliation and righteous indignation.  And I know that once again competition has brought us to a point where everyone loses.  Neither political party won this week.  The American people surely did not win.  The legislative branch of our government has been ground to halt for years now due to bipartisan competition.  We are all losers.

Let us make it official:  There is no longer any chivalry, any gallantry, any code of gentlemanly or gentlewomanly conduct.  There are no more political statesmen and stateswomen, at least not in the Legislative branch.  Politics is war.  Politics is competition.  Politics is a spectator sport whereby those in the bleachers are the ones who get injured.  And at this point the only organization capable of making the rules of engagement and the rules of play are the very people who are on the field playing.  We do not have an NCAA or an NFL for Congress.  We did.  We had a noble tradition of respecting the honorable opposition.  But the wounds inflicted by the competition have abolished those rules and the game continues with no outcome in sight, nothing but minor victories for each team, each victory wounding the country as a whole, and each minor victory contributing to the sum of a greater loss. 

I want to scream “grow up!”  Act as men and women in a civilized state.  This is not the little leagues where fathers explode on sidelines if they perceive their child was wronged.  This is the major leagues.  We must demand better behavior.  There should be penalties for excessive celebrations and unsportsmanlike conduct and personal fouls.  There should be rewards for fair play, good sportsmanship, and at least effective and polite listening to the alternative view.  Though each elected representative reflects the majority view of those who voted in his or her district or state, they must be able to work together for the good of the nation.  They must be able to rise above competitive notions, personal wounds, and righteous indignation.  They must operate as a body politic, a body of distinguished gentlemen and gentlewomen all of whom are dedicated to improving the life of all Americans. 

Some bills must pass.  Others will fail.  One party or another will hold the majority in each house.  And that majority must practice alignment with a basic American tenet:  power must be limited, power must be checked, and power must not be abused.  Power must not result in trick plays to temporarily defeat the other side.

It is time to forgive the other side.  It is time to heal the wounds and get on with improving America.  It is time for Americans to know that their government will operate in ways that we can all be proud of rather than ways that generate temporary sound bytes on the 6:00 news.  As fewer and fewer Americans actually vote, and more and more see themselves as “Independents” we must make it clear what the basic differences are in the philosophy of each party and encourage our people to know and understand those differences before going to the polls.  And when they do so, it must be time for the American voter to know that progress is not based on religious or political fundamentalism and zealotry.  It is based on compromise and team work.  We do not have to always agree.  But we must agree to work together.  Without teamwork, without goals of the common good and a willingness to work together, we will continue to experience the homegrown political war where all of us become wounded warriors in a losing campaign.