An Overbearing Majority

Suddenly the Presi-dent says he’s will-ing to be-gin work-ing with Republi-cans. At least that’s what he says. We’ll see.

Maybe the public outrage finally became clear enough and loud enough that he decided to begin accepting input from all Americans, as well as all their elected representatives.

Though I may not be as well educated as our President, I thought that listening to all sides was the way it was supposed to be. I find it surprising that a man could rise to the highest elected office in the land and not be privy to that cherished and time-honored principle of fair play.

In America our system of government permits those in the minority to be heard. We are willing to listen to and consider what they have to say. Even the beliefs and views of Republicans must be taken into account when shaping public policy.

But our President was unwilling to do that until the public demanded it. What does that say about the man who currently resides in the White House?

Anytime an effort is made to limit the number of voices that may be heard in a society despotism is being advanced and democracy is being thwarted.

Do we really want a chief executive who has displayed a willingness to stifle open debate, a bedrock principle of democracy? Do we want men and women like that serving in the U.S. Congress?

I don’t think so. We’re Americans, not Russians or Chinese. Here in America, we the people like to be consulted when major changes are being contemplated. And we want our representatives in Congress to be permitted to represent us--fully and openly. Should not the voice of any and every duly elected representative be heard, including Republicans? Do they not, after all, represent American citizens?

Barack Obama and his cohorts in Congress were trying to rush health care reform into law before any significant objections could be made. That was wrong. It is not the way we Americans conduct our political business.

Hopefully the recent and despicable activities of Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi have once again reminded Americans that what James Madison called an “overbearing majority” can be every bit as dangerous as an overbearing king.

And I hope too that we have been shaken back into the firm knowledge that we are the ultimate watchdogs of our government, and that we must remain ever on the job.