How far apart are the two main political groups in this country? Both parties fear the destruction of our system of democracy. Both view the other party as leading to that destruction. Both need to learn to compromise and take the middle road, which is what democracy is all about.
In the Dec. 9, 2022, Letter to the Editor, “Is Delaware becoming California?” the case was presented for more “individual responsibility and personal accountability” being contrary to “the Dems’” agenda simply because of a willingness to help prevent our poor from freezing and starving to death. Apparently, some think that providing housing for our homeless is a socialist concept.
I would say that Americans are probably the most generous and caring of the world’s populations. We are the first to give to others in need, the first to offer a hand up, the first to come to the aid of our neighbors, friends, people living through disasters. Quite simply, we care, and we give. Is this socialist or humanist? Do we live in a country where the right to own guns at all costs is more valued than the right of all of our citizens to have shelter from the cold and basic food to sustain them?
Those of us who are secure in our homes and our jobs and our ability to provide for ourselves often don’t fully understand how quickly all of those things can be lost, through illness, divorce, job loss, death of a loved one, financial ruin, natural disaster, mental illness and a variety of other causes. Great civilizations are judged by their ability to help those on the fringes, who can’t help themselves. Our society must have safety nets to help those who find themselves in need through no fault of their own. The idea that people would choose to live in poverty on the dole “from cradle to grave” is simply ludicrous. It shows a lack of understanding and empathy. Life in poverty is not a good life. It’s a bare minimum, simply subsisting life. No one would willingly choose such a life. No one is going to get rich and live high off the hog on the government safety net that is meant to keep them alive until they manage to get back on their feet.
In his letter, Col. Frank Daniels goes on to criticize House Bill 198, an act to amend the teaching of Black history. I would ask, why is anyone afraid of having all history taught to our youth? It is only through knowing and understanding the mistakes of our past that we can hope to avoid the same mistakes in the future.
While what has been known as history throughout human time is actually the telling of what men in power have done, the people in America are beginning to understand that our history has been made by all of us, of every gender, sex, race, ethnic background, religion, class, etc., and not just the White men who kept the other groups subjugated. Our children need to learn about the Holocaust and slavery and every other bad thing that humans have done in our past. We shouldn’t “whitewash” it. We can only improve as a society if we learn from our mistakes and correct them.
The letter goes on to criticize electric cars and clean energy, which indicates, in my opinion, a distinct unwillingness to change, even when the change is known to be better for our world and our children’s future. Why would anyone argue to keep using polluting forms of energy, when nature gives us the sun and wind to power everything? The only reason I can fathom is that they are profiting somehow from the industries that ravage our planet for coal and oil. Those industries need to wake up and retool, retrain and shift gears to produce clean energy.
People in this country have had to make changes throughout our history, and those who were moving from horse power to engine power had similar misgivings to those expressed in the letter. When engine power made our cities filthy, we again had to change, to make our factories run more cleanly and prevent the total pollution of our rivers and water supply. Moving to solar-powered electricity and electric cars is simply the next step in cleaning up our act.
Col. Daniels asks, “What type of vehicle might we be forced to buy?” I would say that no one is “forced” to buy an automobile in America. We all have a variety of transportation options available that will not, in time, continue to pollute the Earth. This is where the “individual responsibility and personal accountability” that Col. Daniels mentioned comes in. We all need to act responsibly. We all are accountable to the future. We are free to choose actions that will not only improve life in America but also clean the world’s environment for all living things. Choose wisely.
Ruth Ashby
Ocean View
