“HONESTY IS THE FIRST CHAPTER IN THE BOOK OF WISDOM.”
Thomas Jefferson
Yes the truth can be ugly, but the denial of truth is even uglier. There are things that we do not want to admit about ourselves and yet many are so fast to seek out their version of truth when it comes to others.
It seems that opinion has supplanted the cold hard facts about almost everything. Yet it is written that “war and threat of war will always be with us.” Yet we are exhorted to work and pray for peace. Does it not take a bit of wisdom to realize the truth and yet still strive for the ideal?
It is a responsibility of the citizen to be educated on the facts and yet there is so much that try to re-arrange what is fact, fiction, a lie, and a damned lie. The facts are that there has been nothing like the United States of America on the face of the earth throughout all of history. It is fact that other forms of government from Socialist, to Communist, Fascist, and Dictatorship has caused more deaths and suffering on the earth.
Religion is blamed for much more than it should because of the perversion of faith into ideological political forums under the guise of religion. In fact there have been more martyrs for Christianity in the 20th and 21st Centuries than the whole of history combined.
The pronouncements from religious leaders are there to hopefully set an example for the faithful to strive for a just world. The problem is that truth of those who do not follow these principles do not pay attention to them and have to be dealt with in reality.
So do we as citizens try to only pick and choose what is truth? We can not. Truth is a reality. We can try to effect change but it has to be a cooperative effort. Can the government do anything to affect change? It seems that getting everyone to set and talk issues is an impossibility. Nothing can be done easily when one side refuses to cooperate and the ground rules are set down for an impossible standard.
I have never known an argument that was stopped other than when both sides are talking and listening to each other. When leading members make speeches that only say “impeach 45” there is no room for truth and common ground. Common ground does not mean ‘you agree with me’. Common ground means that each can have their say and the other listens and offers counter-points and an agreement can be worked out.
‘They look but do not see, listen but do not hear, witness but do not believe.’ This is not an exact quote of a passage but it is in scripture and is a reality of what today’s politics has become.
The passage of the tax bill is not the panacea that most hoped for, but it is a start. But how can anyone dismiss the Fair Tax? Cutting spending seems to be a foreign language. Cutting out foreign aid to enemies is only a start. Funding countries who have the resources to take care of themselves is ludicrous. I have never seen a friend that could be bought and have true loyalty.
How can money be poured into places like Puerto Rico who have had billions poured in before the hurricane and still need billions more? Then relief supplies are found in the dumpsters full behind relief centers?
People are mad at the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, yet the original Palestinian flag had the Star of David on it. If you look in the Bible the area in Palestine including Jerusalem was given to the Jewish people by God. Five presidents and the Congress recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. This president had the guts to actual recognize it. What controversy?
Truth is a hard task master, it cannot be changed or ignored because you have a differing political view. I don’t recall any country, other than England, that had any problems with Washington being declared the capital of our country.
Truth is that Washington D.C. was originally built on a swamp. It was separated into it’s own district because they did not want any one state to claim ownership of it (like any would want to). Good thing regulations are being done away with. There could be an EPA rule violated for draining a swamp.
As I see it the swamp that was built over has just reclaimed itself.
