By Syd Gross, Community Voices 

I wonder why politicians are so antagonistic toward members of the opposite party -- or even to those in their own party, who deviate from the norm?

Syd Gross

Rep. Pete Stark speaks his feelings, and immediately the media play up the supposed conflicts created by the inappropriateness of his remarks and the Republicans act as though the world is coming to an end. Instead of listening to the message being conveyed, we only concentrate on his words. Rep. Stark has long been an advocate for adequate healthcare for everyone. The President vetoes a bill that would cover most poor children and those without adequate coverage. Understandably, Rep. Stark is very upset and in the strongest language he can muster, he expresses his feelings. Right away the media and many others jump on him and castigate him for speaking his feelings. Many of us would not choose the strong language that he did, but we got his message. I think we should all lighten up a little bit and relax, knowing that, at least in the United States, even a representative can express his feelings in strong language, without the world coming to an end. If our politicians would spend more time debating the message and less time debating words, we might accomplish something in our congress.

Our politicians could learn a lot from our marriage. Joyce and I have enjoyed 55 years of married life. She has learned to tolerate my eccentricities, and I have enjoyed knowing that I am married to the finest wife any man could have. Sometimes we argue. Sometimes we even raise our voices, but we always respect each other and we are the best of friends. If politicians could accept the fact that they can disagree but remain friends and still respect each other, maybe we would see democracy really work.

I cannot understand the arguments that lower taxes are good for our country. I agree it is good for our economy -- in some ways. There is no doubt the rich get richer and the poor remain so. We in the middle class keep losing and losing.

Witness the debacle over the Interstate 35W bridge. I suspect because of the desire to hold down taxes, there was some cost-cutting in the highway department. The more we read of the history of the bridge, the more convinced I am that steps could have been taken to prevent its collapse. Our lieutenant governor has long been an advocate of no new taxes and, even more so, an adherent to the theory that to raise money all we have to do is reduce the budget, because there is too much fat in it. Under Gov. Tim Pawlenty, we have increased property taxes, added more school levies, suffered falling and failing bridges, deteriorating roads and infrastructure, increasing unemployment and, to top it off, our education system is deteriorating. Why hasn’t the lieutenant governor come up with additional money from the fat that supposedly exists in the department budget so we can repair our roads and fix our bridges? Is it possible there is no fat?

One of the early lessons we learned in our marriage was to buy the best, not the cheapest. In the long run, it is the cheapest.

Have you been reading about the Portland, Maine, school board proposal to provide condoms and birth control pills to 12-year -olds? That blew my mind. My first reaction was “how ridiculous,” but the more I thought about the issue, the more uncertain I was that we should toss it off as being ridiculous. One must ask, “What was the problem that created the perceived need for such action?” If indeed, there is a problem in need of a solution, how best can we solve that problem? The more I read, the more apparent the problem became. Then the question arose in my mind “Who is best equipped to solve the problem?” The fact that a problem exists rules out the parents. The fact that our religious institutions have established in the past, as well as the present, an inherent inability to solve problems relating to sexual matters, rules out their intervention. Besides, I think religion should stay out of our public school system. The federal government’s “abstinence” program reflects the inability of our religious institutions to solve sexual-related problems without a comprehensive approach, so what is left, but the school system. They knew the problem, and they have come up with a solution, so let it be.

During our 55 years of marriage, we have perceived many serious problems, most, of which, never occurred.

Well, I am finally finished shaving. Love you, Joyce, and thanks for making the past 55 years heaven on earth!

(Syd Gross is one of about 10 people who regularly contribute to Community Voices, which is one of several opinion and commentary pieces appearing in this newspaper.)