Partisan Politics - Part 4

Government needs to be strong & resilient

So what’s to be done about the partisan politics that is destroying the system we depend on—our government? There are some hopeful signs, people. Politicians seem to realize that the American people may be getting tired of negative campaigning and the paralysis and gridlock of their government. People want something to happen. They want things to move in a direction and hopefully they will during the next two years. The American people need to realize that things are difficult enough without us inflicting more harm on ourselves and our government. Honestly holding people accountable for their behavior is a good thing. Lying about and blaming your opponent for all the negative things that are going on in this world is not a good thing.

We need for our government to be strong and resilient. We need for those in charge of our government to practice the skills and the attitudes of resilience with each other.  This means that opponents need to connect with each other and be willing to communicate in a positive fashion and that both sides need to be more flexible than they have been willing to be.

We need to develop realistic plans and carry them out. Communication needs to be constructive. Strong feelings are good and passion a very good thing, but venting them and discharging them in negative and destructive ways should not be tolerated.

The American people need to regain confidence in themselves and in their government. We need to get back to remembering and acting on the values that this country was built upon. We need to realize that what is going on now will pass, that this is temporary, not permanent, and that it does not have to be pervasive and affect all the aspects of our lives. Blaming is not going to be helpful in moving us forward. We need to develop a sense of humor and be able to look at ourselves and how outrageously we may have behaved in the past few years.

All of this should go a long way to reducing the level of stress that we feel and that we have inflicted upon others around us. This change should also allow us to take a broader view of our world and to be more with the needs of others. We are all in this together, and if we destroy the system and infrastructure that holds us together, serves us and protects us, we will all suffer that loss.

Dr. Ron Breazeale