Blind loyalty to party cuts both ways - except for Dopes

What follows is a response to what I consider a simple-minded, why can't we all get along and enjoy the Utopia, view of the world history that appeared in today's JG. 

What I find hard to believe is that the writer twice claims to have studied history.  Yet she doesn't understand how we could have "still warred".  I guess we should have just knuckled under to Hitler, ignored N Korea's invasion of the south, gone along the Soviet Union's quest for world dominance and ignored an attack on the United States that left over 3,000 of our citizens dead.

Then there’s the whole “Christian” angle where somehow if you do not agree with Lefty Libs’ insistence that the government - through poorly run and bloated programs - should be the primary/only caretaker of the poor and dispossessed you are an unchristian hypocrite. 

Let me address that notion with this insightful well-thought-out response: Government sucks.   

Today’s JG rant

Re Claudia M. Ringswald’s letter “Blind loyalty to party excuses appalling acts” of Aug 7, 2018

Knowing from personal experience that the JG has a problem placing accurate headlines over letters printed on this page, I was not surprised by the misleading headline placed over Ringswald’s letter.

The headline - “Blind loyalty to party excuses appalling acts” - might lead a reader to believe that what would follow would be some evenhanded, a pox on both your houses assessment of today’s raw political discourse and divide egged on by both parties.  But then I thought of things that don’t together, water – oil; texting – driving; Lefty Libs – common sense; evenhanded – JG and I was disabused of that notion.

Sadly and ironically what followed made it obvious that Ringswald’s own “blind loyalty to party” allows her “to see only what she wants to see.”  Her blind loyalty to party would not allow her to offer even the most tepid criticism of her own side for its culpability for the arc of today’s toxic political atmosphere. 

Next, it is not unchristian to have a healthy mistrust of government’s ability to care for the nation’s dispossessed through bloated, wasteful, duplicative, uncaring, and often counterproductive programs. 

For the record, an accurate headline for Ringswald’s one sided tirade would be: Blind loyalty to Republican Party excuses appalling acts.  But what do I know?  I don’t make my living with words. 

Blind loyalty to party excuses appalling acts

When I was in school studying the First World War, I became appalled and overwhelmed by the unforgivable stupidity and tragedy of it all. In college (some 50 years ago) as I studied more history, I was truly embarrassed to be a member of the human race. Over millennia, we had learned nothing. We still warred, we treated our brothers and sisters horribly because we held different beliefs, had different color skin, different cultures or different abilities.

But then I realized the people I knew were good. Over my career as a social worker/counselor, I met many wonderful people. I also met many who would be considered the dregs of society. While not always easy, I was able to find the good in each individual.

That said, I still only know good people, many of whom consider themselves good Christians, Yet I continue to be puzzled by their political and social beliefs and how those can fit with their Christian beliefs. 

Many people have embraced our president because he says he is pro-life. I am, too, all life, including those struggling to survive after they are born and even those on death row. Yet these Christians support a government that is trying to take away health insurance, reducing subsidized housing, and offering little support for mental health and addiction services and other supports for those in need. They disregard the dismantling of environmental programs that will affect everyone's health and future.

Many of these individuals support a government that is making reasonable immigration almost impossible. It amazes me sometimes how vitriolic the voices are demanding that the wall be built and immigrants kept out, regardless of the legitimate need they have for a safe place to live, work and raise a family. I should not be surprised. Earlier waves of immigrants met similar resistance. Yet they survived, despite many obstacles placed in their paths, and thrived. We never learn. 

The larger issue seems to be how people are able to justify almost anything they think, to see only what they want to see to excuse appalling behavior. Could this possibly be because they have to absolve themselves for a voting mistake? Perhaps, the idea of “my party, do or die” needs some reassessment.

Claudia M. Ringswald

Fort Wayne