- — The need of a third option
Most people would agree Albert Einstein was an intelligent man. One of the most used quotes attributed to Einstein is this one. “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” The United States of America’s two-party political system is the insanity plaguing this country. For those perpetuating this craziness, Henry Louis Mencken said it best, “Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.”
Numerous amounts of people hated the Republican Party under President Bush, and now scores of people hate the Democratic Party under Obama. More than likely, within the next four years, people will return the Republican Party to power until people tire of them and reinstall the Democratic Party. This is a tedious pattern.
Anyone classified as human with at least the intelligence of a 7-year-old should notice the pattern of insanity emerging. The United States is a pendulum; one oscillating from left to right, respectively with the political parties in synch.
If something is destroying this great country, it is the Democratic and Republican parties, who are ruled by elites with agendas. Both parties continually blame the other, only to obtain control and make the similar mistakes. When asked who is to blame, they point at each other. Newsflash! If everyone in the room points at each other, they are probably all correct.
Even more, both parties vilify the other. Driving people to anger — and it does not take much. Both parties are doing a great job of driving their members towards seditious acts.
Our government is not too smart. You never anger the people you are supposed to govern. With every moment a government angers the people, a government puts itself more at risk for mobs rebelling. Great is the country that wins all its battles, but nations with no enemies to fight are filled with allies and countrymen who have nothing to do but fight each other. Perhaps, this is the case with United States, being the world’s distinct superpower.
While no system can exist without political parties who have their positive and negative aspects — more the latter — people in this country take sides and rarely notice the need for a third option. Anyone believing only your party has the correct answers is thinking with half a brain, and that is not the good half.
Once, a colleague professed we did not need another national political party because the Republican and Democratic parties were enough choices for American citizens. This person was serious, yet Afghanistan and Iraq have more options than we do within their parliaments. That colleague, like many Democratic and Republican devotees, fails to see the need for other political parties in Congress and in state governments because they are psychological ingrained to only think Option A (Democratic) or Option B (Republican).
Soon, one comes to realize people like this do not change, and only fools argue in a burning house. The rest of us are outside trying to avoid the burns of the inferno.
Adann-Kennn J. Alexxandar is a resident of Valdosta
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Perren does not deserve ‘thumbs down’
In Saturday’s Thumbs up, Thumbs down a VDT editor had the audacity to give Dr. Ray Perren a “thumbs down” for the way he handled the protest at the Gathering of Eagles.
According to this editor, calling security and “threatening” to have the protesters arrested was not the best thing to do because these protesters have rights! Now let me get this straight … a group of students come marching into an organized seminar that we all paid for, interrupts the program, is rude to the speaker and they have this right because of free speech?
How about our rights to listen to the speaker without the turmoil? The writer made the point that because Val Tech is a public college, they should have been given time to say what they had to say. Absurd! They should have taken their protest to the public sidewalk. I think it is a sad day when the rights of many are taken by the rights of a few because they “can.” I give The Valdosta Times a “Thumbs Down” on this one.
Jan Brice
Valdosta
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Miracle Man: Our city manager
I met this wonderful man years ago. He is a super intelligent person for his young age! He was very kind, professional with the job he had at that time. He worked with me on the monuments of the unknown slaves.
Several other cities have erected monuments after they were built here. We are recognized nationally.
I received a letter of recognition from our President Obama. I knew if he ever came in power with his leadership he would lead us on a path of prosperity.
He has made Valdosta one of the best loved cities in Georgia. This man is the power behind the engine. He has touched many lives and has given so many people a better living. God has blessed him in so many ways. Larry Hanson is a wise man to manage our affairs on an everyday basis. He has made our city a city of beautiful things.
I always believed Larry was for the people. I always believed in my heart when he came in power, he would do miracles for our city which has happened.
I believe he is working with a miracle team on the field of prosperity for us. I also believe he had sleepless nights, joyful days and disappointed moments but he kept fighting on for the betterment of our city, which we all love.
Valdosta Wildcats led that foundation, never quit for our city! He has given so much to Valdosta and their families. Others have valued his opinion.
Meeting Larry Hanson’s kind face you’ll never forgot he is fighting on the side which he thinks is right. He is a force to deal with.
I found Larry to be a fair and just person. A good man, thanking him highly for what he’s done for our city.
The late Mayor Rainwater spoke to me before his passing saying “Rev. Wade, it’s people like that who has to keep Valdosta rolling.”
Larry Hanson and his staff, please keep Valdosta rolling with prosperity.
Rev. Willie Wade
Valdosta
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Cuts will reduce quality of education
The governor has asked for a $300 million budget cuts for higher education this fiscal year. Reductions of this magnitude are unprecedented and cannot help but reduce the quality of education in Georgia.
Once upon a time, our taxes paid for the best education system in the world, the best health care, the best transportation system, even sending us to the moon. Lowering taxes has meant the crumbling of those systems to the point of crisis. Lowering taxes has reduced us to a third world status, borrowing more than we earn and shrinking the middle class to an alarming size, while enriching the few. Cutting funds for education will just plunge us deeper into the well.
When I was teaching, students had to take two American history classes and one world civilization. Now they just take one history class. The solution to our problems does not consist in condensing classes, reducing the number of classes students take, or cutting the number of teachers. There is more to learn and students must be given the opportunity to learn it in a meaningful way. Warehouse classes of 2009 or more result in memorization for the test only.
Reducing funding will create a population capable of rote service jobs or physical labor only. Try getting out of a recession with those skills.
The time has come to bite the bullet. I grant that this Congress and state legislature have no ‘profiles in courage’ in them, but they do respond to public pressure. Please contact your legislator and the governor to protest this slash in educational funding.
Dr. Jane Elza
Valdosta
