Stifling Regulation

I accept, I even believe, that conservatives really do love our country and that they want to be patriotic. But it seems to me that they don't always strive for logical consistency in their positions.

In a number of states in the past year, GOP controlled legislatures have passed and/or are trying to pass a range of restrictions on and regulations of voting and voter registration.

On the one hand, conservatives argue that business regulations stifle business. They argue that we should decrease or even eliminate such regulations.

At the same time, they actively promote increased regulation of voting in our country.

Since voting is at the core of democracy, by their own logic, they are stifling democracy.

It seems to me that stifling democracy is directly opposed to their intent and desire to be patriotic.

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It CAN Happen Here - And Is Right Now

As an American, I believe that

"that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

During our history as a nation, periodically at times of unrestrained fear, some people in power have lost sight of those ideals and values.

Sadly, we are entering another periodic paroxysm of fright.

At the start of these Muslim Witch Trials, "Rep." Peter King, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee pronounced:

“to back down would be a craven surrender to political correctness.”

No Mr King,* to back down now would be to regain your American ideals and values.

My experience is that it is all too easy to get swept up in turmoil and to lose sight of my core values. We are, after all, human.

Mr King: we are a strong nation - we are at our best when we don't let our fears get control of our actions, individually and collectively.

I pray you will pause for a moment, and take a deep psychic breath, so you can recapture your vision of and appreciation for the greatness of the American people and of our institutions.

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* In this blog entry I have spurned the honorific "Representative" in addressing you because right now you do not represent the Americans or the America I admire and love as a patriot.

I hope that you, Mr. King, might regroup and regain your representation of what is best in America, and repent your representation of the dark, regrettable episodes of fearful behavior.