Common Sense and a New Speaker

To the editor:

Recently confirmed Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is refocusing a Congress lost in corruption and infighting on religiously inspired leadership. The challenge before him may not require parting a sea. However, just chumming enough interest in setting the legislative nets needed to constrain policies Johnson and a majority of Americans believe are going in the wrong direction may take a lot more in his tackle box than calming grace and prayer.

After 20 days wandering in different directions, Republicans must have had a premonition of legions of donkey drawn chariots rushing to destroy their visions of a parade of pachyderms crushing the 2024 elections -- and putting them center ring in the DC political circus. Such motives aside, the new Speaker, in an unequivocally direct voice, is reminding the entire Congress, and we their constituents, that a free society collapses into tyranny without palpable cultural conformity, specifically as to the guardrails of personal freedoms and justice. Relying on a corrupt government to police itself is as likely as an effete electorate — believing all truth, beauty and love are achieved through social media — has of maintaining control of that government through elections.

In a recent poll more than 70 percent of the country, including a majority of Democrats, believe or suspect that the 2020 presidential election was unfairly rigged. As cover, the DC bureaucracy, both red and blue, patronizes a contrived “insurrection,” sends dozens to prisons for political crimes and levels a volley of biased and unwarranted litigation against the man whose election was corruptly denied.

Will the historical precedent of collapse take yet one more great nation and standard bearer for self government and personal freedom? Or will the viability of a single catalytic idea that personal freedom and responsible self government are key to it all be sufficient to overcome the trend? How can we learn to respect the dangers of success, and in this defend the lessons of failure? Truth, beauty and love exist only within a culture capable of honoring and preserving wisdom. Call it religion, or call it common sense, honor it or revile it, but be aware that we have a responsibility to pass that wisdom down through the never ending medium which can be reached at www.family. com.

Don Carpenter Schulenburg