Folks, it’s a historic time in our country, for sure. Hard to believe: Only three times in the history of our country have we impeached a president, yet it’s happened twice in the last 20 or so years. What’s different this time from back in the ’90s, with President Clinton? I would dare say much.
President Clinton admitted, after some delay, to making false statements, and admitted to his failures. Although not right, they certainly didn’t put our freedoms in jeopardy. In the case we have before us today, we have a president who not only denies anything factual, but embellishes one ridiculous statement after another.
I ask myself sometimes how we got to this place. My dad was Republican and my mom a Democrat. Now, Dad claimed for years that Mom canceled his vote out every year, but I never heard anything derogatory out of either one of them about the political leader at the time. How did we come to such a divide in our country, and when?
In the ’60s we had a severe disconnect, with the civil rights movement, and yes, it was an ugly time in our country. Men like Martin Luther King Jr. stood for peace and righteousness, and equality became more the norm, although some would argue we still have a long way to go.
But today, as I sit here and scribble, I ponder about where we are headed. Do we live in a time where neighbors can’t associate because of politics? Do we not talk about issues of the day because we don’t want to listen to another’s opinion? I fear that’s where we seem to be.
High crimes and misdemeanors not only sound serious, but I’m sure they are! When I was a kid growing up, the high crime at my house was maybe not keeping your bed made before you went out the door, and the misdemeanor was probably the pocket full of cookies you had in your coat pocket. But we aren’t talking about childhood dalliances. We’re talking about our democracy – life as we know it. Our freedoms that our fathers and forefathers sacrificed for.
I ask, who is there in this country that, as a leader, we can look up to? We don’t have a JFK or a Dr. King today, one who speaks with clarity and wholeness that we all understand. A person who brings hope to the less privileged and poor. A person who has a clear vision for our future.
We have listened for the last three years about how our trade agreements with China were too one-sided and tariffs were the answer when, in fact, the tariffs were paid by companies here in America and had a big impact on slowing trade and commerce down in the trucking business. And who really wins in a trade war anyway? Not the little guy – just ask a farmer in the Midwest how he’s doing, watching his soybean price wither away to nothing.
I know I get a little emotional here when I think of all the malarkey going on in Washington, but once again it will be the workingman who pays the price for all the shenanigans going on down there. I hope that the words integrity and moral compass mean something to those we have elected to oversee our government, because if they don’t, we are in serious trouble, and our democracy as we know it today is on its way out the door, with no cookies either!
I want to say a few words about our concert series we are having for LCTV. “The Last Waltz,” which was our first in a series of four, was a great success. Many thanks to all who came and enjoyed the show and supported us. Again, thank you to the Renys organization for its sponsorship. Our TV station, which is channel 1301 on Spectrum and channel 7 on Tidewater, is slowly rebounding and making strides toward the future. Keep an eye out for our featured show each week in The Lincoln County News. Don’t forget the shows that present the happenings at the selectmen’s meetings and, of course, don’t forget “Wuzzup” every Thursday at 7, with yours truly and my co-host, Bobby Whear! Till next time, see ya down the road and play that funky music!
Larry Sidelinger
Yankee Pride Transport
Damariscotta
