Steve Frey
President John F. Kennedy inspired a nation with these words from his inaugural address: “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” Somewhere along the line, some Americans have forgotten that second part.
With partisan passion, both Republicans and Democrats sometimes disregard what they can do for the country and vote strictly along party lines. Everything has become win or lose at all costs for your side. Open-minded debate and compromise—what’s that?
Fortunately, some legislators do recall the importance of doing what is best for the people. A good example is I-81. Winding its way through the New River Valley, it sometimes leaves vehicles barely moving for hours. When they do get going, they are often prone to accidents because of the extreme volume of traffic, especially trucks.
The solution, raising a couple of billion dollars in funding, went nowhere in the legislature. However, when sent back with amendments by the governor, enough legislators voted for a tax hike to finally find a fix for the roadway. Both Democrats and Republicans voted in favor of the increase, putting the needs of the people ahead of vows not to raise taxes or fears that their votes will be used to bludgeon them in the next election.
In 2017, the residents of Pulaski County put “the people” ahead of party politics to approve a new middle school, with 65 percent of the residents voting affirmatively. Of course, many are conservative and are concerned about raising taxes, but they voted to approve a referendum that would eventually mean a 13-cent real estate tax increase. They put the needs of the children and community ahead of ideology.
On the national level, several Republicans opposed abolishing the Affordable Care Act because of the 20 million people who would lose health care; many were their constituents.
For a lot of politicians, however, being reelected is more important than doing what is best for the country. Often, they are gerrymandered into a position where the only way they can lose is through a primary, so they rigidly vote the party line. This is true for both Democrats and Republicans, and it leads to legislators doing what’s best for themselves and not what is best for the people they represent.
Many issues will be coming up at the local level regarding, for example, supporting school, county and city budgets. At the state level, items like broadband internet expansion or school renovations are being discussed. Nationally, things like health care, immigration and climate change will be issues to tackle, to name just a few.
Hopefully, politicians can stop demonizing peers with whom they disagree politically and look at issues with an open mind. Currently, that is in short supply.
However, locally, there are good role models. The last Radford City Council meeting discussion concerning the approval of the metal, electronics and wire recycling center in Radford was measured and focused. Not everyone agreed in the end, but all respected the positions and decisions of others. Determinations were made in good conscience.
Members of city councils and school boards are small, deliberative bodies making significant decisions for the community; there is no time for posturing.
Much has been discussed about the disintegration of civility in America, and many are often carried away by harsh partisan rhetoric designed to denigrate and dismiss the members of the opposing political party. If more politicians on the national level could learn to respect and work with others in the way some of our local legislators do, much more could be accomplished.
Then-senator Kennedy wrote a book called “Profiles in Courage,” which was a 1957 Pulitzer Prize-winning volume of short biographies depicting acts of bravery and integrity by eight U.S. Senators who endangered their political lives to do the right thing for the country.
There are many other times Americans risked political reputations. Lawyer Joseph Welch stood up to Senator Joseph McCarthy and his political inquisition. FDR boldly proposed social security and other programs to lift Americans out of the Great Depression. Civil Rights legislation addressed discrimination; unjust labor practices were fought; the minimum wage was established; women won the right to vote—these are just a few of the many times when good men and women stood up to correct a wrong, often with intense opposition.
Legislators need to stop voting in a strictly partisan manner without considering what is right or best for the people they represent. They need to think more about what they can do for their country (and country includes city, county and state, but most of all, the people), regardless of the consequences to their political futures.
It’s the right thing to do, but it takes courage.
Steve Frey is a writer and CEO of Ascendant Educational Services based in Radford.
