The Virus Infecting Political Discourse

In the aftermath of the national elections, rancor continues to rise in a crescendo of ill-will.  It’s happening on a daily basis, hour-by-hour. The civility and mutual courtesy which once existed between and within the Congressional and Executive branches seem to have melted away in the last three decades.

Lately, I’ve recused myself from publicly sharing my views and commentaries on this blog, refusing to wade into the muck.  Yet the Public Square will not go away, and there are no rocks to hide under.

But don’t expect my blog to justify one side of the political argument or the other during your reading of this essay.  Very few people are listening these days except to the sound of their own voices, insisting that they are correct and, therefore, that all others are wrong.  I hope you are different.

Good for Jack!

In one of today’s newspapers, New Jersey State Assemblyman, Jack Ciattarelli said, “I have heard that there’s conversations about linking staff salary increases to the legal ads bill.  It’s disturbing and the legislative leadership should be doing everything possible to get that genie back in the bottle . . .. It’s the worst kind of horse trading, and I want nothing of it.”

How refreshing it is that this man has remained true to the same solid ethics that he had when I first came across him years ago when he was a Somerset County Freeholder.

How About an Adult Time Out?

If you still read print newspapers as I do, you would do well to skip the editorials in The Star-Ledger and the Courier News today.  The latter was marginally better than the former, but still too off-key for my taste on this, the day of America’s celebration of Thanksgiving. 

 

Since when did America’s ability to give thanks and praise for its hard-won abundance become hostage to the results of a national presidential election?

This morning, both editorial writers missed the mark by a superabundant margin!

Samples:  The Star-Ledger writes that “We still believe much of the American creed, but that doesn’t mean it won’t get spiky around the dinner table today.” The writer bemoans that “Some of us just spent 18 months living in a perpetual state of xenophobic paranoia”

Never in all of my born days . . .

. . . and there are plenty of those behind me, have I experienced such a divisive national election.  Is there any doubt about the corrosiveness of this situation? 

It’s been bubbling up for decades and seems to have come to a tipping point with this plebiscite as we, the electorate, head to the polls to register our choice for the next occupant of the Oval Office.

It seems to me that there are large cult-like followings for each of the presidential candidates – logic and respect for civil discussion flew out the window months ago.

Frustrated by the National Election Scene?

. . . Then perhaps it’s time to take a look at candidates running for local office.  In particular, three people who may not be getting much attention are those on the ballot for appointment to the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education.

Jeffrey Brookner & Jill Gladstone at a 6/12/2012 Board Event.

All three are incumbents, and all are running unopposed.  To a certain degree, that frustrates me, because this large school district is one of the most important resources to these two communities, and it commands the largest share of the real estate tax burden.

There was a time in this district when BR-BOE School Board seats were hotly contested and when attendance and participation by the public at School Board meetings was high.

Those days are gone.

Although I would like to see more diversity on this School Board and the infusion of fresh blood, that does not necessarily lead to better outcomes.