Politics today seems to be a yelling match of opposing opinions! Originally in this country, politicians were elected (IE: hired) to represent their constituents. It was considered that the common people were not competent to represent themselves in a pure democracy so a “representative democracy” was formed by electing the rich, the famous, the prominent and others of such standing who were the brightest and best to understand issues and make decisions. Today we are no longer a nation of illiterate, uneducated, and isolated folk. We elect them and send THEM to congress! They are called Republicans and Democrats!

When I was in school in political science classes, I was taught that in Congress there were Conservatives, Moderates, and Liberals. The titles of Republican and Democrat made no difference. The Conservatives and Liberals would seek out there own kind from amongst the elected representatives and senators to support their causes and bills. It mattered not whether it was a Republican or Democrat who was approached it only mattered if it was a conservative or liberal. Moderates were the ones who could be swayed one way or another and help make up a majority of support one way or another. As I was taught, a Liberal was one who wanted change in the way the government was being handled and a Conservative was one who wanted things to stay the way they were. Today a Conservative is a Republican and a Liberal is going to Hell and taking the country with them, otherwise known as a Democrat.

What we have in this country now is a yelling match and a war between Conservative Republicans and Democrats who are labeled as “The Liberals.” I, for one, am a Moderate AND a Democrat by Registration. Our good Utah Representative in the House, Jim Matheson, seems to be a Conservative Democrat. He is so Conservative that I don’t know how he calls himself a Democrat at all! I liked the way he talked and spoke and saw him as the best of the candidates and voted for him. I get his emails these days and he seems to follow Republican leadership in the house and not Democratic. I am very disappointed in him. As a Moderate, I support and vote for whomever attracts me and sounds the most like the way I think. Sometimes that is a Democrat and sometimes that is a Republican, or even a Libertarian, etc. I vote on the issues, not on the party.

The polarization in this country is spurred on by the “religious right” which, admittedly is losing influence, but the monsters they created are going strong, still muckraking and blowing things out of proportion. Stalin and his thugs worked the Russian revolution by pretending to represent the common people and called themselves the Bolsheviks meaning “The Majority” while calling the rest of the people Mensheviks, meaning “The Minority.” In reality the Conservatives and Moderates in the country were a much larger percent of the population. The Bolsheviks succeeded because they shouted so loudly and were so violent that the name they made for themselves clouded out the truth of issues and independent opinion. When they were done, the common people came to realize the mistake they had made and were imprisoned behind an iron curtain of tyranny and despotism. Now, Conservatives are doing pretty much the same thing in shouting so loudly and pretending to represent the majority opinion on every issue with big money and prestige being wielded in their defense. We need more civility and calm discussion in this country. I don’t know how we will do that as long as we have Republicans trying to undermine the bi-partisan climate which was proposed by President Obama.

What can we do to get this country back on track and off of the shouting match?