How About This Democracy Experiment!
What an irony that Trump visited Churchill's office while on his recent Europe Alienation Tour. Yes, the same Winston Churchill who noted, "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others." We're certainly testing that theorem, with our President Exhibit "A." Oh well, England sent us Ozzy Osborne. I guess Trump is a reasonable equivalent trade. At least Ozzy had some hit records. But, I digress.
Fond Memories of Good Government and "Jake" Pickle
My photo of Congressman J. J. "Jake" Pickle at a Tarrytown Austin July 4th Parade...
My friend "Jake" Pickle was a great example of an honorable public servant. A loyal Democrat, but the consummate bipartisan negotiator and constituent advocate. He was just everything good and decent about committed public service. He's gone now, but lives strong in our memories as we experience too many lesser political lights who posture without a clue. Some emerging political aspirants ( like Beto ) give us hope that public service might once again mean character, compassion, class and communication skills. "We The People" hold the key to that possibility. Read on.
The Wisdom of Coach Darrell Royal Re: Trump
I was blessed to be in Austin during the Darrell Royal era for the Texas Longhorns. Amazing football! His recruiting and teams were so good that he often had to put in the second or third teams to keep from running up the score. On occasion, I'd tell my guests that when we were ahead by 30+ points, we'd leave early to go capture a table for imbibification at Scholz's.
Darrell had coaching wisdom and colorful witticisms. You could count on him to season his press conferences and presentations with same. For example, I'll take mild liberties with one of my favorite Coach Royal observations that perfectly describes Trump's impact. "(Trump) is like a bunch of cockroaches. It's not what they eat and tote off, it's what they fall into and mess up that hurts." And that's the problem with his disruptive impact on government. He addresses legitimate issues, such as immigration, trade, tax reform, etc., but he and his ragtag Cabinet are incapable of fixing them. Like Darrell's "cockroaches," they just make things worse.
It's OUR Democracy and We The People Have to Fix It
We let down our guard, a BIPARTISAN Congress let us down over several administrations, and a justifiably angry electorate got us the governance we deserve. The problem with extremes is what we're now experiencing. In our quest for change, we were too easily swayed by rhetoric and ideology, and didn't properly consider the abilities of our candidates. And now we've got elected officials at many levels of government who are incapable of governing. Ooops!
But hearkening back to Churchill, it's OUR democracy and well worth salvaging. Dems, R's and I's know we can and must do better. Mueller may give us a boost, but we know what must be done, and primaries across the Country evidence that the natives are restless and eager for responsible change. Moderate/Progressive Republicans have to wrest their party from the right-wing incompetents, and D's and I's have got to present some serious primetime candidates if they want our consideration.
There is lots of grassroots energy throughout the Country, and teens, women and minorities will doubtless play an increasing role in November. This energy will hopefully be infectious, with all of us who know we must reclaim our Country with values hard won by immigrants and citizens of every background. Our beacon is tarnished, but still shines with American pride, compassion, fairness and hope. Let's make sure our friend in the mirror will be playing a role in this reclamation. We owe it to our children, our neighbors and ourselves. This is our occasion. Let's rise to it!