My politics are fairly simple. Facebook Edition

The purpose of government is to provide personal safety to its citizens from threats to their persons from internal and external dangers. This means protecting the quality of our food, water and other items put into commerce as well as providing a standing army to fight for our defense against other militarily inclined potential oppressors. The government must also provide a fair starting point for all of our citizens and thus quality public education for any child who wishes to or by economic circumstances must attend a public school. Additionally the government must provide a fair marketplace in which to engage in the commerce of seeking the things guaranteed in the constitution. This means the marketplace must not be rigged to favor those with more wealth and thus more access and more power to interact with and bend the will of our representatives.
I do believe that our public schools must accommodate the disabled. I do believe we have a civic and governmental obligation to provide care for the weak and the infirm. And finally I believe that the wealthier you are the larger pro rata burden of the cost of these things you should pay. A 30% tax on a $10,000 a year income has a greater impact in overall life quality than a 30% tax on a $10,000,000 a year income. Poverty is not a crime nor is a demonstration poor moral character just as wealth is not a sign of God’s blessing on you or your personal moral fitness.
Maybe you agree with me on these things or maybe you don’t. But if I have met you and we have talked or perhaps worked together or worshipped together or gotten drunk together you know that I can deal with you one on one in a respectful manner. (I mean to say I can do that most of the time, if I am not drunk.)
The next election appears to be shaping up as one that may be a watershed for the political philosophy that will prevail for the next decade or more. A great deal of rhetoric will be splashed across the various sources of media to try and persuade us all, to cajole us all and/or to anger us all into voting a certain way. The tighter the race is the uglier the ad craft purveyed will become.
I will make this promise I will not attack a candidate personally on the basis of race or faith or other similar attributes. Things like Obama = Osama and Mormon = Moron are off the table. I will endeavor to post only limited but positive things about the candidates and party I support. I will not rail on in the comment beneath one of you posts if I think that post is ill advised or downright boneheaded. In other words I will endeavor to be as civil online to you as I would be to you in person despite the overwhelming push of both parties to go negative and polarize us.

We are after all Americans. We are after all charged with being good citizens.

Cynicism is the enemy of a democracy striving to promote life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Ad hominem attacks and caustic rants will take us nowhere but right to the cesspool of cynicism and that march will lead us to an abrogation of duties to be trustees of this rare thing that is American Democracy. Talk and advocate but don’t rant. Remember we owe it to our country.

If you agree with me feel free to post this link wherever you want.  If we act as respectful citizens we can make things better.