This letter is about common sense. Most people agree that a condition of government anarchy, that is, no law, is a bad situation, to be discouraged.
Politics can be somewhat compared to an athletic competition. High school football players compete strongly, but try to operate within the rules, and generally aren’t trying to wound or kill the opposing players. They are mostly working to honorably defeat the other team. The football rules are commonly agreed upon by all players and constitute “common sense” in their game.
If all of the players begin fist fighting, this is an example of anarchy. My mother used to say “use common sense.” Today, we are seeing a political world in which people who consider themselves “progressives,” mostly Democratic voters, and people who consider themselves “conservatives,” mostly Republican voters, have cultural beliefs that they don’t hold in common. We are divided in our beliefs like never before.
We do, however, have many beliefs that we do hold in common, and these common beliefs are our strength and can be practiced to the mutual betterment of our situation.
Most parents love their children and wish for a good life for them. Most people wish to live in safety, safe against thieves, killers and home destroyers. Most people wish to deal with observable reality, though sometimes disagreeing about what it is.
A large number of people believe in God the creator, or some form of a supreme designer of our world. Most of us wish to live in a predictable world where there are rules of behavior and reasonable laws that are mostly observed by us most of the time. Finally, most people wish to have freedom.
All Americans have many things in common. Perhaps this partial list of our common beliefs and desires can increase our optimism and help us realize that we are in this thing together, and we should respect one another and we should work together for a better world.
Mike Kimbrel
Oakville
