Are you in turmoil?

By Jim Thompson
HCP columnist

I have relatives and friends in turmoil over the turn in political events in Washington this year.  And, I’ll admit, some of the things going on may be disturbing. As a country, we need to hang on to what we have and ride it out simply because there is no other choice.

I see it as the doctor gives one some medicine and medicine sometimes makes us sicker before it makes us better.

What does not register with me, however, is sympathy for those upset. They seem to think I should be sympathetic to their feelings. I am not. They were not sympathetic to my feelings from Jan. 20, 1961 until Jan. 20, 2025, the first date being the day John F. Kennedy took office.

I have watched for 64 years while this country turned into a socialist nation. In the early years, I was a child or youth, but I was upset. In later years, as an adult, my sorrow at the loss of our country and its principles distressed me even further. None of these folks distressed today expressed any sympathy for my view in those 64 years.

Now they are saying, to the effect, “It has only been two months since Trump took office, I don’t think I can make it another 46 months.”

Give me a break. I have put up with liberal foolishness for 768 months – less Trump’s first term (which was not nearly as active as this one has been so far).

This week, some congressional leaders have come out with the idea that Congress should take some authority away from the Administrative branch. Really? As it is the individual citizen of this country only has four votes in the entire system – the president, a Congress person and two senators. Your idea is to let our votes count even less?

Other than the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, I can’t think of anything Congress has passed, and a president has signed, in the last 64 years that I agree with.

I thought it was nuts when Nixon went to China, and in the process threw Taiwan under the bus. That is coming home to roost now.

The government has so messed up the health care system with Medicare, Medicaid and addendums to these programs that healthcare is unsalvageable. Social Security is another socialist financial nightmare.
Other departments of the federal government are equally disastrous.

The founding fathers saw the purpose of the federal government solely to defend the borders and promote free trade between the states. In the ensuing 250 years, it has become an unrecognizable monster. And because many things are now determined at the federal level, our individual vote has become almost worthless when it comes to having a say as to what goes on in our lives, as I pointed out above.

Jim Thompson, formerly of Marshall, is a graduate of Hillsboro High School and the University of Cincinnati. He resides in Duluth, Ga. and is a columnist for The Highland County Press.