A second Independence Day?

The shooting at the Republican legislative baseball team practice June 14 shocked the nation. The team was practicing for their fund-raising game against the Democratic legislators the next night.

Immediately, Democrats came to the support of the Republicans. The violence made members of both parties realize how important each was to the other. It was called a wakeup call. Despite political differences, these were all colleagues charged with running the country. They had a common purpose. Countless declarations proclaimed that the rife between the parties was finally broken.

That reconciliation lasted a very short time.

Now, after secret meetings by the Republicans to fashion a plan for the repeal and replacement of Obamacare, that temporary truce has ended. It is back to politics as normal.

The Democrats have been excluded from shaping the senate Republican’s new health care plan. If the new plan is passed in the senate, it will be exclusively a Republican effort. When the Affordable Care Act was originally passed, it was passed without any Republican involvement. Both are wrong.

As the birthday of our nation approaches, we must question just what our leaders are thinking. Patriotism for the country has taken a back seat to loyalty to party.

The probe into Russian involvement and interference into our electoral process should be treated with absolute seriousness and gravity, but it has become bogged in politics.

This is just one of the many serious issues awaiting attention. Instead attention is focused on partisan one-upmanship.

The only path for achieving and preserving our greatness and leadership in the world is for those leaders of the country to realize that there are more important things than party loyalty.

The country is the most important. National leaders must realize that they are in Washington for the good of the country, not for bragging rights for a political party.

The Fourth of July marks the beginning of this country’s grand history. The country has changed and grown and evolved. Much of the progress and most of the successes have come because leaders and citizens have put the country above politics.

It has gotten so bad that now we must fight for our freedom again. We must gain our independence from petty politics and partisanship to confront those problems facing us.

This could be our second Independence Day if only we are stout and open minded enough to demand it.

Gordon Forgey

Publisher