Calling for Common Sense Conversation!

This week has been very eventful on the political front in what is normally a really dull few weeks in August.  Dominating the headlines?  Rep. Todd Akin and his hateful, ignorant comments about rape.  With a few incredulous sentences, he blew a Senate race in Missouri wide-open, and shined a serious spotlight on the issues of abortion and women's rights----right before the Republicans meet for their pep rally in Tampa next week.  Curse? Coincidence? Calamity? Or just another week in Washington's endless campaign season?

With the myriad of problems facing the country---jobs, the deficit, immigration, energy policy, the Middle East, gas prices, education, balancing the budget, cyber security----we have been treated to endless negative ads, a hyper focus on Medicare, a skinny-dipping scandal into the Sea of Galilee, and now, a U.S. Representative, who sits on the House committee on Science- mouthing off about a woman's amazing ability to isolate hostile sperm after a "forcible" rape. It's enough to leave any sane, concerned citizen disgusted and depressed about our ability to fix our nation's problems.

So, if the do-nothing Congress won't act, and the presidential candidates are content to battle it out in the sandbox supported on all sides by their "Super PAC henchmen", I propose that ordinary citizens step in and calmly and civilly start conversing---person to person-- about what needs to be done to solve our nation's problems.  If one by one, we talk politely over our fences, in the carpool lines, in the grocery store, around the kitchen table and on-line, I think we can begin discussing ideas that can move America forward. (Don't miss No Labels ideas on what needs to be done. Visit www.nolabels.org---brilliant!) For me, I will offer just a few suggestions to start:

VOTE HYPER PARTISANS OUT. First and foremost, it's time to vote out the extremists of both parties that think compromise is a dirty word. Nearly every idea or position has some merit-no matter how small- and deserves polite consideration and respect.  These obstructionists need to be shown the door, and leave seats for those willing to actually compromise and enact common sense legislation that serves the majority of the people.

ENACT TERM LIMITS.  Money---and the loyalty it buys--- pollutes the system designed by the Founding Fathers.  While it may be naive to believe that money can ever be removed from the political arena, term limits can help mitigate the effect.  No Senator or Representative should get to serve more than 6 terms. In fact, let's be bold and set all terms---including the President's -to 6-year terms.  One per politician.  The obscene amounts of money spent every 2 or 4 years would go down, as well as the endless time campaigning.  More governing, fewer elections.

FOCUS ON THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES FACING THE NATION.  Time to get a clue.  It's not gun control, gay marriage, abortion, contraception, voter fraud, illegal immigrant identification, or even strapping your dog to the top of the car in a carrier.  It's jobs, it's unemployment, it's underemployment. It's coming up with a balanced budget that provides for what are the nation's priorities. While the other issues are important---and extremely polarizing---- they should not suck the lion's share of air from the room.  Focus is important, and demanding solutions and work from our elected representatives on what is really critical---is pivotal.

So, to encourage us to move toward practicality and away from the name-calling and defeatist politics of partisanship, I have designed this little poster above.  Perhaps if I will look at it every day, I will curb my own spicy rhetoric and really walk the walk.

We are all one.  Our differences are just details.