October 20, l996


THE POLITICAL ARENA -
WHERE TRUTH, JUSTICE, AND THE AMERICAN
WAY HAVE BEEN DISALLOWED.

Or, of such little importance one rarely recognizes their existence.

Ed Lewis, l996


The writer set out on a quest in January, l996, the year of the presidential election preceeding the millenium. It was a quest to gain in knowledge of our political system with a primary focus on the presidential election campaigns.

It has been a year of long hours spent in front of a television, reading articles in newspapers that weren't necessarily interesting, and additional hours in front of a computer attempting to express thoughts publishers would gladly publish.

It has also been a year of gigantic disappointments. The disappointment of not being published is only outweighed by the disappointment of finding out too much about leading politicians, television newscasts, society in general, and the realization that equality and truth are not likely to ever be the political norm in this country, unless we begin forcing necessary changes.

Have you ever considered everytime a politician misleads the public or lies outright he is indicating his depth of disrespect for the people he has promised to serve?

Have you considered as a politician attacks another, he usually has actions or a record, if scrutinized, would be as shabby as the person he is attacking? And, that his actions also indicate once again his lack of respect for the American public?

Have you considered politicians seem to be concerned about our welfare only when in the pursuit of winnning enough votes to get or keep him in office or when keeping his own party in power? And, once again, his disrespect for the common man has reared its head.

Have you ever considered that anytime a network newscast or show has misleading statements or statements that are meant to influence your vote, that you are unwillingly being manipulated to bow to their will?

Have you ever considered it is quite possible major news media are affiliated with one party or the other; that they are tools of the politicians they serve? Is it possible that political reporting is not impartial as most of us have believed?

Have you considered that we, the public, may never know the truth concerning any issue? In this campaign, we have heard false information from politician after politician, information that has been too often echoed by the media without any verification of its accuracy. Every faithless statement or report obscures the truth.

Have you considered that every debate between politicians led to further obscurity of the truth, that each makes statements that easily confuses the listener or reader to the degree that one is led to believe that all politicians lie, that it is the norm, rather than the exception?

And, furthermore, that the resulting obscurity could very well be in direct proportion to the degree of disrespect the politician has for his constituency and the American public.

We are a people that is supposed to believe in truth, justice, and the American Way. But, what is the American Way and what is justice? The truth, as indicated by the thoughts, actions, and methods of politicians cannot possibly be defined as we assume it to be.

Is the American Way to forget the truth in order to get elected to a political office? Is the American Way to destroy another through innuendo in order to get into office? Is the American Way to serve a few instead of the masses?

Is the American Way the right of a few, either through money or political power, to force their will on all others? Is it the American Way to allow political power and the power of money to become so intertwined that the two are hard to recognize as separate entities?

Is the justice that is so revered actually applicable to only those who need no defense against inequities because of their money and power?

Is justice and the pursuit of justice no more than a political ploy for politicians seeking or retaining offices?

Is justice allowing the victim to suffer while the offender celebrates inadequacies and/or questionable interpretations of the intent of laws?

Is justice, in reality, blind to the facts after seeming to suffer a lobotomy by manipulative attorneys?

Do politicians seeking office serve truth, justice, and the American Way?

Unless truth, justice, and the American Way have been redefined to suit our political participants' needs while ignoring the voters' needs, this concept is nothing more than wishful thinking by the remnants of an idealistic populace.

And, because we accept the actions and statements we have seen prevail during the last few months, we are in serious trouble as a nation trying to earn or keep the respect of other peoples on this earth. Think about it: Would you trust a nation whose leaders openly lie or misrepresent facts to their own people?

Thus, this writer is shamed and saddened by politicians who rely on ignoring the truth and creating mistrust; shamed and saddened that the American public does not demand integrity and positive action from our politicians, the people entrusted to guide us to am improved society; shamed and saddened that the wealth politicians create for themselves is at the price of majoral representation of the people of this nation who struggle just to get by.

It is time, Ladies and Gentlemen, that truth and justice be established through the real American Way, standing together in a united front demanding that our governing be truly of the people, by the people, and for the people.