30 Nov 07 What happened to Common Sense in the Democratic Party?

I was teaching a Citizenship in the Community merit badge for the local Boy Scouts, and had a student make a statement in a presentation that really got me thinking.  When addressing the question What do you like about your community, he responded, “the people in our community live by the words that Kennedy said, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country’”.  As I contemplated the challenges our country has faced, how could this attitude have influenced the situation.  When Katrina hit, would it have been different if the people looked for ways to help rather than sitting and waiting for the government to step in?  Would the Education system be different if rather than complaining about the failed system, we volunteered our time to help make our schools better?  Would our National Dept be any lower, if our legislators didn’t feel that the only way to win elections is by promising handouts.

As I look at the slate of Democratic Presidential candidates I can not see any link between there promises, and these powerful words be President Kennedy.  They are simply creating a huge list of unsustainable programs without asking the people demanding the services to step up and take some responsibility.  In reality it is far more than the Democratic Party, the Republican Party to has gotten into the habit of carelessly throwing money at problems.  Thus under Republican control we have run up the National Dept to record levels.   Maybe it is time to quit asking what our goverment can do for us.  The more the government gives, the worse our lives will become.