What does "evil" mean
in terms of politics? This is a question that we seem to rarely ask in 21 st
Century America. At this point in our history, I think it is high time to pose
this question because we seem to be at risk of losing our way as a people. We
need to examine our core values". and quickly find our way back to the American
Dream again.
"Evil"
comes in many forms. It is justified with many excuses. It must constantly be
fought.
Intentionally doing harm to your most
vulnerable fellow American citizens is "evil." In my opinion, this kind of "evil" is in the
deepest sense an "un-American" betrayal of core American values. It is a
betrayal of the American Dream. It is an assault on the idea that we are, or at
least should be, reaching for a better world, a better society with opportunity
for all and a common purpose in order to make life better for every single
American. We should be reaching for these goals by working together as a nation
and a people.
When officeholders and politicians seek
to intentionally spread misery among the most unfortunate and powerless among
us, they are engaging in "evil" acts. Refusing to help the sick, the hungry,
the homeless, the poor and the unemployed are essentially "evil" acts. Choosing
to behave this way, just so the wealthiest and most powerful few among us can
increase their already excessive wealth and power, is even more "evil."
Asking the wealthiest and most powerful among us to pay their fair share of
taxes is perfectly reasonable. They are the ones who have and will continue to
benefit the most from this great nation that we all built together. They get
the most out of the American nation as their massive wealth and power indicate
and they have the financial ability to contribute more back to our common goals
without enduring significant hardship.
Our elected representatives need to be compassionate and caring people because
the American people are compassionate and caring people. This is the American
way. This common sense of purpose helps define us as a people and is at the
core of the American Dream. We are a common people. We are in this great
American national experience together. Those officeholders whose public acts do
not demonstrate these values deserve to
be thrown out of office by the American people.
Denying your fellow American citizens a
voice in the democratic processes of the American nation just to increase your
personal power or that of your particular group is truly "evil" and
"un-American." In my opinion, this kind of "evil" is in the deepest sense
an "un-American" betrayal of core American values. It is a betrayal of the
American Dream. It is an assault on the political ideas that define us as a
nation and a people.
From the founding of the American
Republic, we have been reaching more or less continually for more political
equality and slowly achieving it. The great experiment that is the United
States of America is based on a growing sense of political democracy. We have
constantly struggled to give all our citizens a voice in our democratic
government that is equal to every other American citizen.
We were never meant to be ruled by an
aristocracy of inherited wealth or political power. The American people
since the founding of our nation have struggled against some people or groups
of people who have wealth and power and want to rule over the rest of us. They
have tried to rig the political processes and economy in order to benefit
themselves. In recent years, they have had increasing success and the nation is
suffering as a result,
Elected officeholders and public officials are meant to represent us instead of
rule over us. They are not meant to be our rulers acting on behalf of the
economic and power elite. Officeholders,
as representatives, instead of rulers, should remain the political core value
of our American nation.
When politicians and
officeholders construct barriers to voting for large segments of American
citizens in order to increase their political power, they are acting in an
"evil" manner. They should be condemned by all Americans, including members of
their own political party, and thrown out of office. They cannot be trusted.
They are trying to be rulers instead of representatives.
As a nation, the United States of America is bound together by a set of ideas
and core values. They should be reflected in our government institutions, our
political processes and our laws. We are not defined by a single race,
religion, language or ethnic group. Instead, our nation is defined by a set of
ideas and values which at their core are about political democracy, community
of purpose and equal opportunity.
We should never surrender the core
values of American political democracy, community of purpose and equal
opportunity for all Americans to the dark sides of our own human nature nor to
the greed and power lust of those with excessive wealth and power. To do so,
would be to surrender the American Dream to "evil" and end the great democratic
experiment which is the American nation.
Written by Stephen
Crockett (President of College Marketing.com http://www.CollegeMarketing.com , host & founder of Democratic Talk
Radio http://www.DemocraticTalkRadio.com , Editor, Mid-Atlantic Labor.com http://www.Mid-AtlanticLabor.com )
Email: Email address removed . Phone: 443-907-2367.
