Best of the Welcome Columns


Best of the Welcome Columns

Author: Campbell, Bruce
Very Little Bluegrass Content

As I write this, I don’t know who won the national elections. By the time you read this, we’ll have a pretty good idea of who won which races, and this time, let’s not use the results as a sign that America, or democracy, is doomed. I’ve been voting since 1976, and I have been sorely disappointed, even alarmed at the way some of the elections turned out. And I have been disappointed, and alarmed at the way some of the people in charge have led. But you know what? Our system is so chockablock with checks and balances that no one candidate, no one administration, and no one party, can ruin the country. The decisions these people make, and the laws they make, affect us in many ways, most of which are pretty subtle. And if one of those decisions leads to a major changein your quality of life, you’d be mad – of course you’d be mad. And you, and others similarly affected, or sympathetic to your plight, will begin working to reverse the decisions that affected you so poorly. But regardless, whether your wallet is full or empty, or your plate is full or bare, certain things will remain. The grass is green, and sky is blue. The sun feels good on your face, a child’s laughter is sweet and so is the hug of a loved one. The winning party will claim a mandate. The losing party will begin investigations into the election, and after that, delve into investigations of everything the winning candidate’s administration does. That’s all fine. The administration will have its struggles meeting its goals, and some promises will not be fulfilled. The investigations will reveal some indiscretions, maybe even crimes. There may be repercussions, or maybe not. The administration will be tested by events it could not have foreseen. These events can topple an otherwise great leader, or make a mediocre one great. But remember this – whoever wins does NOT want to destroy the country, even if you vehemently disagree with that leader’s tactics, plans or core beliefs. Nobody would endure the multi-year, crushing grind of a presidential election in order to destroy America. It can’t be done. It can be chipped away, on purpose or by accident, but someone always applying patches to the chipped away areas – that’s the glory of our system. And because of this, we can revel in the green grass, the blue sky, the sun feeling good on our face, a child’s sweet laughter, the hug of a loved one, and yes, bluegrass music. Let’s all work together!

Posted: 11/7/2012