TIMELY GUEST COLUMN

I have reposted one of Beth's columns before. (Guidelines to Help Congress) Beth is a country pastor in the mountains of Virginia who happens to have been an attorney before going into the ministry. I love the richness of her poetry and folksy articles. From time to time she touches on items that have been of real concern to me as well. She always helps me get myself back in touch with personal integrity, and what it means to be a believer. She's very astute when she expresses her feelings on the political scene, both nationally and worldwide. This one hit me hard.

I told Beth that I had just mailed my voter's ballot for the November elections and was feeling pretty smug with myself. Then, this morning I read the following on her blog. The statement "...getting busy is not limited to electing our favorites" pretty much knocked the smugness out of me! I've got to work on "humility", and stop myself when I feel I am becoming a "front porch whiner, complainer, or kvetcher. (Her words.) And you know what, Beth? Not one poll has asked for my opinion!

I Agreed with Rush (and the sun did not fall from the sky)

"The opinion poll as news, Rush Limbaugh pronounced yesterday on his radio program, is nonsensical. I happen to agree.

Of course, that’s probably the point at which Mr. Limbaugh and I part company, being poles apart on most things political.

But his point is an important one, I think: the news media does no one a service by soliciting our opinions and then reporting them back to us as if it were news to tell me what I think.

Of course, this tendency is not limited to media outlets. The, in my view, by-far worse example is governance by opinion poll.

What does it matter, as asked yesterday, whether I think ebola or the enterovirus is the more dangerous. There actually is a way to factually ascertain which is the more dangerous. Asking me is not the way. And my opinion will not change the facts.

This is but one problem in governing by opinion poll: I, the voter, am not the best expert from whom to solicit advice for any topic with the sole exception of one: what I think.

But what I think, as a voter and a citizen, while relevant to political discussion, discourse and decision, is not determinative. It is merely one of many factors and, I would posit, perhaps the least important of all.

For the simple fact is that I might be wrong.

And we are a representative republic, N. O. T. a democracy.

It is an important distinction and we the people seem to have forgotten it.

A representative republic has built into it the recognition that majority rule is not always best.

A representative republic presupposes statesmanship as a craft that is learned, practiced and perfected.

A representative republic presupposes that our representatives will actually listen to each other.

A representative republic presupposes that our collective wisdom is actually superior to our individual wisdom.

Of course, that presupposes that wisdom is actually something desired by the nation as a whole.

So how about this.

How about WE, THE PEOPLE, who hold the truth that we don’t always or even often know best to be self-evident, IMMEDIATELY STOP – cease, desist, refrain, from answering all these confounded opinion polls.

Let’s stop worrying so much about what we think and about being heard and worry more about doing the hard work of governance – by making informed choices in our voting, by taking the time to learn what the big questions of government actually are, by listening to our opponents, who just might have something to teach us (yes, for me, that includes Rush Limbaugh, even when or perhaps especially when I do not agree with him), by rolling up our sleeves and getting to work.

Make no mistake about it. Good governance requires work. Effort. Commitment.

And the work, commitment and effort are ours.

There is no amorphous ‘they’.

There is only us.

We have the government we’ve worked to have.

So if we do not like it, it is up to us to get busy.

And getting busy is not limited to electing our favorites.

Getting busy includes getting behind those with whom we disagree in common cause for our collective good.

It presupposes that those who disagree with me love their country as much as I do.

It presupposes that the work of being a citizen matters.

It presupposes the basic and fundamental understanding that bitching about something is not doing something about it.

We cannot afford to be front porch whiners, complainers, kvetchers.

And hey, this governing thing also requires, I suspect, stepping back in appreciation for all our many blessings, recognizing them for the gifts they are.

That is the pathway of humility.

A little dose goes a long way."   If Beth had a blog

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Three important men in my life are currently suffering some health challenges. My 96-year old dad fell this morning at 4 am, and the nursing home called me. After a trip to the E.R., x-rays and C-T scan, he's back in his room. A few stitches and monitoring him for a few days was all that was necessary. (He's going to make it to 100!)

My older son, Craig, is still recovering from a ruptured appendix and surgery a few weeks back. They have been giving him large doses of antibiotics to fight off a possible infection that would require more surgery. His next checkup will decide. He's back at work, but still having discomfort and fatigue.

And then there is Matthew, my youngest child. He didn't tell me until this morning when I called to tell him about his grandfather that he was going in for a biopsy on his throat. (I assume his esophagus.) Back in the summer, Matt came down with "walking" pneumonia that required antibiotics for quite awhile. His cough stayed with him, and he developed a serious case of laryngitis which lasted too long as well. On top of that, he was having acid reflux. All must have a big hand in his doctor's decision to conduct the biopsy. His wife Amy just sent me a message that he is in recovery, all went well, and they will have the results in a week. I took that as a good sign. If the tissue looked suspicious, surely they would have done a test on it while he was still there! 

Needless to say, this has not been the best of times for this mom. I am so fortunate to have such wonderful children as these two sons, and a daughter as well. When any of them shows any sign of illness, the fear that washes over me can only be imagined by another loving parent experiencing sickness or injury of their beloved children. No matter how old, big, or distant, they are always our "babies". I can remember each of them as infants like it was yesterday. And wonder what I could have done differently in their upbringing to influence their health as adults. It's easy to feel like you've had a good influence on them when they are flourishing in their lives. It's also easy to take responsibility when things are not going so well. And, I cannot imagine a life without them.

I have lots of prayers going into the Universe for all of these family members. Sometimes, though, it's hard to "let go and let God"..

Peace, love, and good health,

Marilyn