The American political scene today reminds one of a roomful of kids on a rainy Saturday afternoon with no adult supervision. The activity is frenzied and pointless at best and destructive and dangerous at worst. In real life one of two things generally happens: the situation is righted when a responsible adult returns and restores order--or a terrible catastrophe occurs and catches everybody's attention. The former solution is of course the better one, but it presupposes the existence of someone who cares and is sufficiently endowed with wisdom and willingness to take the necessary steps to right the situation. If the adult is afraid that he will offend some of the little brats, or his primary motive is to be popular with the majority, his efforts are crippled and ineffective in restoring a semblance of fair and equitable order in the room. He has to be confident of his purpose and secure in the execution of it. To some extent each kid in the room will feel disciplined--and rightly so--because each had a part, even if only as an onlooker. Some will be yanked up by the seat of their pants and told exactly how the cow ate the cabbage. In the end order will be restored in exact proportion to the wisdom, ability, willingness and unselfish desire to serve of the returning adult, and to the honest response of the kids in the room to what they recognize as beneficent leadership. Let's fervently hope that the responsible adult returns before the walls of the room fall down, and irreparable injury is sustained.
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