The Gazette-Enterprise

It is time that a lot of things should take place. We too often don’t recognize what should be done. Instead, we fixate on what is most obvious and fail to recognize what we should be doing.
It is time that the president quit talking and begins pushing harder on Congress to get things done. The President needs to clearly specify what he wants, agrees with, or that to which he is opposed. He must work with a reluctant group of people; there is no doubt about that. If he wants to be a true leader he is going to have to do more than what he has done. Campaign promises are often just that but if he expects his supporters in the past to continue, it is time that he began spending some political capital in Washington.
It is time that the Republicans become something other than a group that only knows “no.” Governing is not an act of being negative. It is a process of offering something other than what is not wanted. The Republican Party has become a Party of nothing but negatives. No new taxes, no government regulation, no government involvement except to help make money has been shown a failure. They have voted to even take away successful programs or have advocated such action. It is time that the Republicans, if they are conservatives, to return to the Party that tried to conserve, not destroy.
It is time we Americans return to the practices and attitudes that made this country great. There was a time when Americans were as aware of opposing views as they were of their own. That is no longer true. First of all, we have quit reading and instead rely on the spoken word to make our decisions. Not only do we rely on the spoken word, we rely on only those with whom we agree or depend on for our information. It is time that we turned off Fox News and MSNBC, especially for our political news and begin listening to N.P.R., not most Clear Channel stations; watch P.B.S. and even the B.B.C. We hear very often that many younger people get their news from late night comedy programs. The sooner we learn that intelligent attitudes do not come from sound bites, the better this country will function. We need to read more. We must make the time and effort to understand the world around us.
It is time that we accept the fact that the world is changing rapidly, not the slow pace that happened in years gone by. News of the world’s events, both good and bad, are now becoming known in seconds, not hours or days. We have to be willing to change, not for the sake of change, but for the logical reasons that must be thought out. No longer can we forsake change out of hand. No longer is it acceptable to use the old excuses. We must be a nation of learners and capable of adapting.
It is also time for new ideas and new ways of saying things. It has been my pleasure for the past 8 ½ years to write this column and have the privilege of having it published in this newspaper. Not everyone has the opportunity to express one’s view in such a format and I am honored to have been given that opportunity. In many ways, it has been an humbling experience.
Knowing that there are people who are reading my words and perhaps thinking about them is humbling.
Thinking that perhaps, just maybe you have changed someone’s mind about something is even more humbling. It is also scary. As I have said in this writing, it is time. It is time I step aside and let someone with other views have the same opportunity.
I thank all of you who have read this column over the years. I hope that I have not offended, but know that perhaps I have. Thank those of you who have taken the time to write your own view. We may not have agreed but at least we were able to express our views.
Thank all of you who have made this column possible. And for everyone, keep reading.

Jack Linden is a retired history professor and this is his final column for the Gazette Enterprise.

Share | Save | Mail | Print | Comment

Bringing Life To Your Doorstep Since 1888

A Southern Newspapers publication.