HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER.
So says the scripture. It is not a suggestion but a commandment. In today’s Cancel Culture, it is more often ignored than followed, like so many other so–called commandments. The BIBLICAL TEN are far more often ignored than observed.
In time’s past, we the children were ordered to respect our elders, and especially our parents. That included doctors, lawyers and above all ministers and pastors. And, for the most part, that respect was also required for our political leaders whether or not we agreed with their political philosophy. It was presumed that the older they got, the better they were, wiser, more mature, deeper in experience, experts in so many things, WISDOM AT WORK. But today, as our culture changes, and so–called millennials take root and now GEN Z, whoever they are, respect for age and the elderly seems to wane if it exists at all.
It was always assumed that politicians of all stripes, no matter their politics, were loyal Americans, loving our Country, believing in and taking the oath of allegiance to the greatest Country in the history of mankind, our beloved America. They our leaders were men and women who never shied away from our problems, did their very best to solve them but never with any thought of radical change (the end of democracy and our republic and the institution of socialism or worse) and would work together for good with all others, always with the goal of making America better. But today, that seems to have changed and radically so. There are those who would radically change our Country from its present status of republic with democracy to socialism or even worse. There are elected officials in House and Senate who are a valid socialist (i.e., Bernie Sanders) or perhaps even deep at heart communist sympathizers. There are those in the pulpit who would water down Christianity, prune the Gospel and even eliminate fundamental, basic Christian tenants.
There are today those lawyers and judges who have little or no respect for the law, the Constitution, for objectivity and justice. A certain chaos, uncertainty, even fear exists in our Country today because of these subversive forces at work. Respect for our revolution and revolutionaries, our Declaration of Independence, the war of independence and of course our beloved Constitution decreases every day. The younger generation seems to have little respect for American institutions, traditions, and especially history which, with things at work like the 1619 Project, Critical Race Theory and more seek to change or eliminate so much of what was once the backbone, the fundamentals of our beloved America. Age and the maturity and wisdom it supposedly brings not only is not respected, but age seems more so to generate disrespect.
That is especially true in Washington D.C. It is so very interesting how so many of our leaders, our elected officials are aging. The New York Post quoted the following:
“WASHINGTON’S LEADERS ARE OLD AND VOTERS ARE BEGINNING TO NOTICE.”
Begin with President Joe Biden who evidences a growing “apparent cognitive decline”. Hear the quote of the New York Post. Biden:
“SHUFFLES ALONG, STRUGGLES TO READ TELEPROMPTERS AND
REGULARLY MAKES GAFFES OR UTTERS INCOHERENT SENTENCES, HAS DRAWN SCRUTINY TO WASHINGTON’S CADRE OF AGING LAWMAKERS.”
This is the man who, amongst so many other one–man–powers can decide to unleash nuclear warfare and with any such guaranteed reaction, destroy the world. President Joseph Biden will be 80 YEARS OLD IN NOVEMBER. Joe Biden is the oldest person ever elected to the White House and even a growing number of his own Democratic Party do not want him to even consider running for reelection in 2024.
More of our federal leaders are even older than Joe Biden. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is 82 years old. Pelosi has emphatically stated that she intends to run for Congress again in 2022. Nancy Pelosi, who is serving her fourth term as Speaker of the House, pledged privately to her caucus four years ago that she would not run for Democratic Leader (Speaker of the House) again after this year, even though she will seek reelection for a 19th term as congress person from San Francisco. We would assume that Pelosi, with all those years of political experience, and the wisdom of the age of 82 would be a formidable and respectable political leader. In fact in most quarters, and including many in her own Democratic Party, she garners little respect, age notwithstanding.
Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnel of Kentucky is 80 years old. Many republicans, with perhaps little respect for McConnel hopes he does not run for reelection for another term.
Patrick Leahy, the Democrat Senator from Vermont is 82 years old. By the way, Leahy is third in line for the presidency in the event succession to Biden is required.
Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama, the top republican on the powerful Appropriations Community and a key negotiator on all major spending deals is 88 years old. One can only wonder whether or not Shelby, with all those years of experience can be considered wise and right for America.
Democrat Senator from California, Diane Feinstein is 89 years old. She has a certain cognitive decline and many in her own party hope she does not seek reelection. If she did and if she were, she would be 95 years old when her reelected term expired.
Then there is Senator Charles E. Grassley, republican from Iowa who is running for his 8th senate term at age 88 years old. If he wins, Mr. Grassley would be 95 at the end of his 9th term. Iowa voters seem unconcerned about Grassley’s age. He visits all 99 Iowa counties every year and is known for his 4:00am jogs six days a week!
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was elected president for four consecutive terms. That prompted the American people and the necessary majority of our states to pass the Constitutional amendment which limited the presidency to two terms, eight years. There is no such term limit for members of the House of Representatives or United States Senators. They can be elected ‘til death do us part over and over again. But all such reelections come with the citizen assumption that these men and women are loyal Americans, avid believers in and supporters of the Constitution and the rule of law, and with their AGE and political experience, bring wisdom to office and the mature leadership America needs so desperately in this day and age. Unfortunately, in so many cases, that is not happening. Ever–growing age is no guarantee that it brings to public life the wisdom, experience and maturity which every leader of our great Country must possess. How We the People need true Americans in office, as leaders who are moral, right–thinking patriotic individuals, determined to make decisions and do what is right for us, THE ELECTORS, and view office and the power it brings as a privilege, not a career and, as our Founding Fathers intended, “return home” when the time is right.
Look at the age, my fellow Americans, of candidates for office, federal, state and local and consider that as an important factor as you determine how to vote. Age does not disqualify by any means and in fact can be positive. But age can also bring cognitive and physical decline which can be harmful to America, and the wise and mature functioning and decision–making of our federal and state governments. We the People are charged with the duty as citizens to determine who should be our leaders, and it is incumbent upon us to make the right decisions. The leaders we elect affect not only America, but the world at large. America has been the world’s leading nation, the Country most people the world over would love to inhabit. The leadership, the decision–making of our politicians done right, morally and politically, greatly influences the entire world. Think of that awesome responsibility, my fellow Americans, when you vote. That is why it is so critical that the vote of every citizen be well–informed, objective, and right for the election of the right leader and the creation of a better America going forward. If in fact age brings wisdom and maturity, then age is a desirable even necessary component for the right political leadership. Honor, says the scripture, the elderly, honor the wise and mature. The right American leaders and decisionmakers are more critical and important today than ever before. What America is and what it becomes is up to YOU AND ME.
America is no better than our right vote. Think of that awesome responsibility, my fellow Americans, when in November, you head for that vitally important voting booth!