Dear Readers: One of my most fulfilling projects is writing op-eds with a Christian perspective for my local community newspapers and introducing the public to Christian thoughts and themes of the Bible. You can notice in this op-ed below; I mention the importance of telling the truth in a Democracy. The truth is a huge theme in the Bible, but this is not true in today’s political environment. The power of love is another theme in the Bible that I also include in the op-ed, which is the most powerful force in the universe.
Are greed, lies, and power killing our Democracy?
The winds of change are briskly blowing across our country, and our way of government is slowly being eroded, along with our democratic values. The world sees Americans fighting with each other in the political arena and asks themselves why would anyone want to become a Democratic nation, and our adversaries are now making this case on the world stage.
Our main adversaries, such as Russia and China, are governed by the ideology of bending the truth; this is how they control their people.
Our problem is governing a strong democracy does not work without a solid moral foundation with truth built into our system of government. A democracy will fail when politicians or news organizations find lying can be a good strategy to get higher television ratings or fundraising dollars. Unfortunately, some news stations also use our adversaries’ talking points on their evening news to attack America.
Our American political system is a mess; our first amendment rights should not be used to help shield people who are intentionally telling lies. The right to bear arms also does not give people the right to have weapons of war. These assault weapons are being used to murder innocent Americans, but nothing gets done. This country is now on a downward spiral, but the love for your fellow Americans can be stronger than the division being preached in the political arena. We need to turn off the news that divides Americans, along with these partisan politicians that preach hate and only vote for good political candidates with a powerful message of unity. When Americans work together to accomplish things, no one can beat us, but we cannot win if we are a divided nation.
Melvin Douglas Wilson
