Monday, February 3, 2014

Political Parties

In 1796 George Washington gave his now famous farewell address to the nation.
Part of his address was about political parties, Washington was the only President
who had no party affiliation and thought political parties should not be encouraged
and spoke-out against them in the strongest of terms.
From 1774 to 1789 fifty five men of the Continental Congress wrote three major
documents, The Declaration of Independence, The Articles of Confederation and
The U.S. Constitution, all done without a political party in site, their wasn't a
elephant or donkey anywhere in the room. That's not to say the members didn't
argued with each other, but it seems they did it with class. Some will say they used
the art of compromise. I tend to think they used the power of ideas, taking parts of
many ideas from many members and putting them together to come up with a
consensus, for they new their was more then one right answer.
Unlike today, where Democrats and Republicans rarely talk to each other
and rarely have any ideas worth talking about. Today its all about money, how much
money a member can raise for themselves and their party, those who raise the most for
their party get to serve on major Congressional Committee's as a reward, for many its
has become a career. And we the people keep helping them out by reelecting them over
and over again.
Unlike those in the Continental Congress who served for patriotism, who "Pledge to each
other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor".


Bruce Knipp