Lifelong Republican from Clovis: Nunes, McCarthy must help restore ideals of US democracy
One of the often unspoken challenges of being a 95-year-old World War II Marine Corps veteran and a lifelong Republican is to continue to help insure that the ultimate sacrifices made by these veterans were not made in vain.
We are now at that critical point in our democracy when we have citizenship responsibility to reaffirm the effectiveness of those elected to serve us in our state and national offices.
In addition to installing a newly elected president and vice president, it is appropriate that we evaluate those who have been re-elected for another congressional term in office. Two such individuals reside in our San Joaquin Valley. They have been loyal supporters of soon to be ex-President Donald Trump throughout his turbulent four years in office.
The halls of our Congress show that congressmen Devin Nunes and Kevin McCarthy have both been key contributors to the major schism currently existing within our cherished system of government. Extremists within both political parties have replaced dignity, validity and outreach with rancor, ridicule and scorn as the qualifiers for resolving differing political viewpoints.
Our country needs to recover its heritage. Our democracy is not based upon exclusions, but inclusions. Our democracy must be led by CEO-type stewards. Out of this fundamental culture will emerge a vibrant, revitalized democracy. Our public servants must discontinue using their positions to devise political strategies merely to attack those with whom they may disagree.
During the recent political campaigns, onlookers and voters could only have been embarrassed by the negativity directed at opponents, rather than the positiveness of a preferred candidate.
The time has arrived for those seeking to attain or retain public office to demonstrate during their campaigns a standard of conduct at a moral level reflecting the value of our cherished nation.
For the past four years our country had been led by a president with minimal qualifications. Despite the valiant efforts by some of his staunch supporters within the Republican party to justify his actions, he has tapped a reservoir of deep anger and fear among members of both parties.
Those who yearn for the restoration of dignity, knowledge and respect within the political arena need to step forward and accept full responsibility to place this immorality in the garbage can where it rightfully belongs.
Despite their philosophical and political differences, may Republicans and Democrats, led by the two individuals named above, pledge to work together to once again create governmental policies administered by respected leaders serving all Americans.