EDITOR:
It is America at its best when we see gathering in groups and demonstrating against detached and abusive government. It was Cleon, the Athenian demagogue who scolded his constituency for treating political decisions as a kind of prize for oratorical excellence, and this was B.C., long before teleprompters told such as our current leader what to say.
Well, these nationwide groups of protesters have loudly stated that enough is enough. Something changes people " unless they were that way to begin with " when they arrive in Washington where political power is the ultimate aim. Those of us who sent them there are put aside as simply a necessary element in remaining there, and the best interests of the nation never enter into the debate, and we are paying the price for our collective bad decisions.
Tea party " that might be an excellent name for a new single party government. A party that reads both the Constitution and these freedom wrenching bills that are passed without reading.
Our first president warned of the inherent failings of a multi-party system. Politics as spewed out by the media is more a product of emotion rather than logic, so perhaps the better solution would be a no party system. Just an election to short terms of citizens whose single interest is what is best for the nation.
What is happening in Washington as of this moment is the creeping destruction of this wonderful plan produced for us by our founders. James Madison, for example, spent six years studying government structures dating back prior to the Athenian Cleon - the ancient historian Thucydides observed "that as a general rule, states are better governed by the man in the street than by intellectuals."
By reciting that I am not implying that our government is composed of intellectuals, much to the contrary.
It may be interesting in the 2010 elections to see if this unrest still exists, and if so, to what extent the voters are motivated. Keep in mind that the entire House of Representatives plus one third of the Senate must stand for re-election next year, and that is where the problems lie. However misguided the current president may be the federal legislature alone is responsible for our declining system.
Vernon M. Latshaw
Gardnerville
