The choice in the upcoming election

Regarding the upcoming election, if you find the concepts of freedom and personal responsibility and accountability to be offensive, then by all means you should vote a straight Democrat ticket. If you think the government (meaning taxpayers other than yourself) should provide cradle-to-grave coverage for your wants and needs, then again you should vote a straight Democrat ticket even though this equates to full-blown socialism and those empty promises will forever be pushed down the road. But understand, this is not what Democrats of generations past expected. That “D” on the ballot no longer represents what it once did. (Democrat) President Kennedy’s famous quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,” now sounds like extreme nationalism and radical conservatism that is to be criticized and condemned.

So what has happened in the past several decades to shift sentiments toward selfishness and against those who have sacrificed their lives and fortunes to establish America, imperfect though she has been at times? (And what country has ever been perfect?)

Leftist educators, leftist colleges, leftist politicians, and a leftist media provide the answer. In the early 1960s when I read George Orwell’s classic “1984” the growing tendencies toward a dystopian society where the state was supreme were already emerging. As high school students most of us could see that although the promises of a socialist system may sound appealing in theory, we realized that when implemented such a system proves disastrous as freedom is traded for an imagined government-provided security. As history has repeatedly shown, giving up freedom to live under a governmental nanny state is a recipe for family and societal collapse and for the loss of freedom. Once the overall shift is completed from personal responsibility to strict governmental oversight and rule, the downward slide always accelerates.

What we are now facing with the upcoming presidential election comes down to this: Democrat and Republican politicians are like two bitterly divorced parents who have a child. We are that child. One parent promises special treatment for the child so as to earn his or her loyalty and love in the competition with the other parent. Discipline is rarely applied, and acceptance of responsibility is never pressed. The other parent expects the child to do his or her chores before receiving an allowance. Inappropriate behavior is addressed when necessary, and personal responsibility is impressed upon the child. One path leads to dependence, immaturity, and dysfunction. The other path leads to independence, maturity, and the opportunity to succeed. Let the reader decide which path to choose.

LARRY WHITED

Bonners Ferry