Wednesday, May 4, 2011

An Opportunity for Our Nation to Seize the Moment

It’s something most, if not all, Americans can agree on: the demise of Osama bin Laden was welcome news.
 
We give thanks to our nation’s leaders, and especially to the Navy SEAL heroes and all who serve in defense of our blessed country.

Maybe now, we can find ways to agree on more.

Maybe now, we don’t have to dwell on our political differences, our dislike of the President, the Republicans, or whomever.

Maybe now, we can feed on the spirit of unity generated by this remarkable story, and seize the moment.

We don’t want to get too “political” in this space, but let’s take a minute to pause and reflect on how this notion of “unity” could play out, theoretically at least.

• Our elected representatives in Washington resolve to engage in serious, bipartisan discussions of the daunting fiscal issues facing the government and the nation. Let’s get real…we’re not going to begin to fix the woeful deficit situation without serious reductions in spending AND revenue initiatives (the dreaded “T” word).

(It would be nice to believe in the Tea Party concept of unjust taxation trampling on our rights, and fancy ourselves as latter-day Paul Reveres, Tom Paines or Samuel Adamses. Sorry, but this isn’t Lexington and Concord.  Let’s ask ourselves and our friends in this “movement”…can we pay for the kind of military defense we need to combat terrorism and other would-be bin Ladens with lower revenues [translation, that T word again].)

• Our elected representatives in the state capital address their own fiscal woes with austerity measures and “meaningful” dialog with union-represented state employees about pensions and other costs that have spiraled out of control, without all the inflammatory “union-busting” rhetoric.

(Save all the trash talking about abolishing “collective bargaining” for the election, please. And the pension abuses aren’t restricted to the rank and file [see Bell, Calif.].)

• The EPA bashers chill out on the machismo about emasculating the EPA and scrapping greenhouse-gas regulations.

(Funny, but this particular news bureau has yet to see where the American public has suddenly decided that environmental protection is a bad idea.)

It’s just the start of a wish list, and granted, not terribly realistic. But if our nation is going to build on this extraordinary moment of exhilaration, this celebration of the concept that justice indeed can be served, then let’s grow up a little and quit acting like spoiled children. This country has rallied in the cause of national interest above the individual’s own narrow self interest so many times in the past. Why can’t we again embrace this spirit of community and purpose, and start acting like Americans!

Let’s march forward, propelled by the sound of those shouts of “USA! USA!” on the streets of New York and Washington, and remember we are ONE Nation, under God, and for ALL!