Greetings to the residents of Westfield, and especially Ward 3. First of all I want to share my sentiments regarding the death of Former President George H.W. Bush. For those who have listened to the tributes given to him and the discussions of his contributions to American Society, as well, the changes in the attitudes in governance that came thereafter it can be said that he was much admired and respected.
While I had my objections, and disagreements with some of his policies; I have to say he was a man of integrity, honesty, and a true public service provider. The note that he left Pres. Clinton in their transition speaks volumes of his positive character. His ability to appreciate the contributions of past presidents; his humility and sincerity made his a Politician I could respect, and did respect. Someone who served in the military, and was shot down, and having to face facts, thus alienating himself from a changing Republican Party, by having to break his promise of no new taxes. His services as head of the CIA, U.N. ambassador, ambassador to China gave him actual credentials and experience as President.
I call upon those real Americans to not allow this legacy of decency, civility, and responsibility to be lost in the negativity currently in vogue. No one is perfect, and he recognized that in himself, and adjusted to it. He did not allow his business interest or even Party interests from doing his best to set policies that were good for America. Oh, and by the way, he was as so many Republicans that I knew in my many years of involvement in civic affairs. While it could be said that they were Existentialist in many of their beliefs, they were far from the Nihilists currently in governance. They were people of courage, and while loyal to their principles, they were more loyal to what was in the best interest of their communities, states, and their nation and its people.
America thrived on divided government, despite the thinking of Senate President McConnell. It forced us to think, negotiate, cooperate, and to compromise so as to thrive. This is and was is a most important component of our American Exceptionalism. My goodness, the Constitution was referred to as the Great Compromise; whereby no one interest group could impose themselves upon the rest. It was a rejection of Old World one party/faction rule. A major reason for a lot of our serious internal conflicts is due to our deviating from those fundamentals. While our nation was one of diverse interpretations of what is America, thus having states with diverse political principles and practices; our overall principles and practices, and those especially kept by the Northern half of our nation are what enabled us to survive in a predatorial world dominated by Old World class based social order, where kill and loot was the norm, along with “small government” which meant just the king and his barons, then added in the Wealthiest of Mercantilists.
Please read the Preamble to the Constitution, starting with: “We. The people…,” which is basically our statement of purpose.
Your former Ward 3 City Councilor, Brian Hoose…[email protected].
