Bucks
Topics: Lack of Civility, Milford Historical Society
Dear Friends,
Good morning. Civility. As Americans displayed their lack of civility last week, I thought of one of my rowing friends who presides over a public foundation whose mission is to promote civility. Rob Fleming is the chairman of the Wallace House Foundation. “Building better communities through civil dialogue” is its sole mission.
Fleming has his hands full.
Civility in America has been deteriorating since Richard Nixon occupied the White House. Political rudeness spiked during the Bill Clinton years and accelerated through George W. Bush’s two terms. It’s hard to imagine that it’s worse today…but it is.
The Republican Congressman from South Carolina, Joe Wilson summed up what is wrong with today’s politics with his now-famous shout at President Obama during the President’s health care speech last week. “You lie,” Wilson screamed.
The far right of the Republican party not only failed to condemn Wilson’s lack of civility, but endorsed it at the conservative’s march in Washington D.C. last weekend. Encouraged by conservative radio talk show hosts, tens of thousands protested the Obama presidency.
This rabble was following the lead of the Rush Limbaugh’s, Bill O’ Reilly’s, Sean Sanity's, and Glenn Beck's who quite conveniently fail to mention that the 2008 Great Recession, government bailouts, and the colossal federal debt occurred during George W. Bush’s watch.
Can you imagine that instead of the public condemning Joe Wilson, it increased his political coffers to the tune of $700,000?
We all need to remember that there are nearly 15,000 talk radio hosts in America, the vast majority of whom are on the far right of the political spectrum. I don’t understand why there are no recognizable liberal or moderate talk shows. But I can’t name a single one.
And speaking of civility, were you surprised that the Central Bucks school district decided not to allow school children to listen to President Obama’s work hard, do well in school, pep talk last week?
I wasn’t.
In the Lehigh Valley, 37 percent of a Morning Call poll said that they would prohibit their children from watching President Obama’s speech at school. The Lehigh Valley is not some redneck region, like the hills of West Virginia or Tennessee. The Lehigh Valley is a very sophisticated area…has modern industry, 10 colleges and is 90 minutes from the Big Apple.
But 37 percent of that Lehigh Valley poll opposed Obama’s public school talk. I’m a Republican and I was astounded!
I think that the lack of civility is driven by the Democratic and Republican Party’s goal of destroying their opposition. Radio talk show hosts are no more civil than their television counterparts. Most won’t allow a caller to make a point counter to their own.
“Conservative” talk show hosts blame the “Main Street media” for anything that the right wing disapproves. I say “Conservative” talk show hosts because that is what they call themselves. In my opinion, they are merely entertainers who make millions convincing less educated listeners that America is going to Hell in a hand basket.
What absolute nonsense!
We are in the final arguments about health care. Personally for me, it all comes down to whom do I trust? Do I trust President Obama or my Republican party? In my opinion, my party left the country down. So desperate for a win in 2010, the GOP will do anything it can to convince the American people that it should have another chance to take command of the government.
George W.’s terrible eight-year record should set that story straight.
Is the Republican Party going the way of the Whig Party in 1856? Maybe. Stay tuned.
Sincerely,
Charles Meredith
P.S. The Milford Historical Society will soon celebrate three anniversaries on the same day. The public is invited to the festivities on Saturday, October 3 at 11 a.m. at Scheetz’ (Lutheran) Church, Spinnerstown. It’s the 25th anniversary of the society; it’s the 60th anniversary of the 1949 eighth grade’s graduation; and it’s the 100th anniversary of the school building, which is across the street from the church.
This eighth grade class became the Quakertown High School class of 1953…my class. Shirley Helm Rupert was its valedictorian. She’ll present the speech that she gave in 1949. Her brother, Richard Helm, is the Master of Ceremonies.
Dr. Robert Leight will give a talk about one-room schools in Bucks County before the state legislature consolidated the 54 Bucks County municipal schools into 13. Leight is a former President of the Quakertown School board; a remarkable area historian; and columnist for the Herald.
Can you imagine? In 1949, each of the 2,600 (plus) municipalities in Pennsylvania had its own school board? The legislature found the courage to consolidate them into 501 school systems in the early 1950’s. But it only got half of the job done. It should have merged the 2,600 municipalities into 501 at the same time. There are six municipalities in the Quakertown School District (Palisades has six and Pennridge eight).
You can thank the state legislature for the lack of cooperation between municipalities…where jealousy, envy and suspicion reign. But, then again, the legislature has always been a mess, and it still is.
If I had my way, there’d be 13 municipalities in Bucks County, not 54. But that’s an old story that my municipal elected official friends despise.