The Record
December 26, 2007
By Paul Aronsohn
THESE ARE challenging times. We work longer hours. We pay higher taxes. Yet, we seem to have less to show for it all.
And if you stop for a moment, take a step back and look around, you will notice even more disturbing things -- National debt. Personal debt. Foreclosures. Iraq. Katrina. Poverty. The uninsured. Britney Spears. Larry Craig. Michael Vick. Partisanship. Corruption. Voting irregularities. Global warming. Torture. Diabetes. Heart disease. My Space. Pedophilia. Stress....
Increasingly, it seems that somewhere along the road of greatness we -- as a nation -- got distracted and sidetracked and started to veer off course. In fact, it seems that somewhere on the way to that "more perfect union" we have started to lose our perspective, and with it, we have started to lose our way.
America – long a nation guided by core values of community, opportunity and responsibility – is under assault by a pop and political culture that seems to celebrate excess, encourage deception and reward bad behavior.
Pop icons demean the institutions of marriage and family. Political figures demean our tradition of public service. And the rest of us – too busy with our own lives – often sit back in varying states of complacency and do nothing about it.
Needless to say, this is bad – very bad -- and this must change. We not only owe it to our children; we owe it to ourselves to strive for a better America and to be better Americans. And with a presidential election just around the corner, we have an opportunity -- and an obligation -- to start bringing about this much-needed change.
Granted, presidents can do only so much. On the surface, they can affect everything from the type of health care we receive to the security we enjoy to the quality of air we breathe. But they must rely on a willing and able Congress to get most things done.
On a deeper, more fundamental level, however, presidents can do something far more compelling: They can help set the national tone.
In other words, presidents can help create a climate that promotes our core American values, while it discourages the types of behavior that divide and degrade us. Through word and deed, presidents can lift the nation up to new heights of spirit and compassion and purpose. They can give voice to our hopes and dreams, and they can help elevate the level of popular and political discourse.
They can, in essence, help put us back on track.
It is for that reason that next year's election is so very important.
In fact, the 2008 election should be less about any one set of issues and more about revitalizing the soul of our great nation. It should be about character. It should be about purpose. And it should be about making America whole again.
Simply stated, it should be about electing the 21st century version of Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
To that end, rather than apply an issue-related litmus test, we should judge the candidates by three key personal factors:
- Moral compass
Our next president should be driven by a genuine desire to "do the right thing" and to use her or his position as a means for actually serving the American people, particularly those less fortunate. - Leadership
Our next president should embody the highest ethical standards and lead by example on issues great and small, personal as well as professional. - Inspiration
Our next president should be willing and able to tap into the greatness that is America and move us to seek lofty goals and to embrace an optimistic view of our future.
Granted, many of us have partisan preferences and strongly-held views on issues ranging from stem cell research to fiscal responsibility to the Iraq war, but all of us have a stake in making our country whole again – spiritually and morally.
So, as we approach next year's election, we should all stop for a moment... take a step back... look around and then take the time to vote for the candidate who can help us find our way again.
