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Jan. 6 has come and gone again, and the country has continued to be fractured by power-hungry individuals who desire to remain bitter. Our 2020 presidential election has been contested by Republicans who lack the civility and ability to govern their own. Conservatism is now associated with nihilism, instead of the true meaning. I fear that those same misfit individuals who created the environment for the Jan. 6 mess now lead our Congress. This power for its own sake is dangerous. The idea that they are supposed to represent all of us, work for the good of the country, is lost on their striving for possession of authority and control. History tells us that is a real concern in remaining a democratic institution.
This is not the Republican Party that once took pride in seeking dignity and respect from their activity. Decency was once a requirement for holding office at any level. It is what most of us seek from our leaders, or at least should be top of the list when evaluating who is to make important decisions for us. It is a testament to our society today that we don’t seek the truth and values we once accepted as standard practice.
We can and should expect our leaders to be fiscally responsible, fair in their judgments, seek facts and truth in decisions, and wisdom from the learned. Guidance comes from successes of those before them, and learning from mistakes of the past. Looking at the behavior and witnessing the recent antics of Republicans in Washington should bring apprehension to all of us, Republicans, Democrats and independents. We live in a great country with opportunity and possibility. We will compromise so much of this without a change in direction, attitude and honest look at the state of our union.
Alan R. Kane
Gouldsboro
