A time for thanks for the blessing of freedom
Washington,
Nov 19 -
There is seemingly no off-season from political campaigning in the modern reality of 24-hour news cycles, the Internet, and endless political punditry. America just completed a midterm election cycle that spent vast amounts of money, attracted widespread media coverage, and sent many folks to the ballot box to exercise their right to vote.
Elections matter. And as a citizenry we do well to keep up on the issues and inform ourselves about where our leaders stand. But with the Thanksgiving holiday upon us, we have the opportunity to take a brief timeout from the incessant political chatter and remember the countless things we all have to be thankful for as Americans.
Without a doubt, free elections and the right to self-rule sit high on the list. While the inundation of campaign phone calls, yard signs, literature, and commercials can be exasperating, they also point to the open, free, and robust political process we enjoy in America. Though the outcome of any given election will always please some and dismay others, ours is a system that truly places the power in voters’ hands.
If there’s any doubt about the value of free elections, just look at countries whose citizens are given the right to vote after years of totalitarian rule. Iraq, for example, has experienced tremendous turnout in its post-Saddam elections, despite the violence that has threatened potential voters there. These people, proudly displaying their ink-stained finger, understand that open and fair elections are not free.
Another thing we can all be thankful for is America’s deep and abiding belief in individual freedom and our willingness to promote and defend it wherever it is under attack. Despite all of its critics, including some within our own borders, our American democracy is a standard-bearer for individual liberty around the world.
One of my top priorities as a Member of Congress is to promote individual liberties and personal responsibility. While I feel that over the last two years our government moved away from these cornerstones of independence we hold dear, I do feel that the voters clamored for a return to personal liberty – and made their voices heard at the ballot box.
The nationwide call for fiscal responsibility and smaller government as a result of the unbridled expansion of government and bailout fatigue motivates me for the positive changes I hope to see in the 112th Congress. This boomerang between such vastly different ideals reminds me of how exceptional the American system of freedom and democracy is and how voters can truly send a signal of approval or rejection of their own government in just a matter of months – true luxuries. Our Founding Fathers would be proud.
This Thanksgiving, every American can also be thankful for the skill, dedication, and courage of our United States military, and their willingness to defend our nation and our interests in every corner of the globe. We give great thanks for our freedoms, but without our soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen to defend those freedoms, they would quickly be lost.
While we gather with friends and family to celebrate the holidays, there will be thousands of young men and women in uniform standing guard in some of the most far reaching posts on earth. Others are recovering from the physical and mental wounds of war. We owe each of them a debt of gratitude.
Would you please consider sending a Christmas card to a wounded warrior at Walter Reed or Bethesda Naval Hospital? Send cards to Holiday Mail for Heroes, PO Box 5456, Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456. Cards must be postmarked by December 10th. Learn more about the Holiday Mail for Heroes program run by the Red Cross at http://www.redcross.org/holidaymail.
In the coming two years, there will be no shortage of time for politicians to debate their competing ideas in the political arena. But, this Thanksgiving, I’m hopeful all Americans can pause to remember those things for which we can all give thanks. The list is long.
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