December 19, 2003

"Peace on earth, goodwill to men." So said the angels on that first Christmas Eve over 2,000 years ago. And while the promise of Christmas has brought peace and goodwill to the hearts of believers, both of these traits seem to be missing from much of our political scene.

We appear to be becoming more divided. Divergence has replaced convergence as a national attribute. It is becoming more and more difficult to find political TV shows featuring calm discussions. Instead, most seem to feature speakers from the extreme ends of the political spectrum, shouting and calling each other names once reserved for the dregs of society. Traitor! Slanderer! Liar! Thief!

On the right, the calm reasoning of Bill Buckley has been replaced with the rants of Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly. On the left, the reasoned analysis of Bill Moyers is drowned out by the ravings of James Carville, Michael Moore and Paul Begala.

Some say they listen to these hucksters simply for entertainment.

But just as constant exposure to foul language ultimately numbs our sensibility, constant exposure to these hate-filled haranguers numbs our tolerance. If we follow their examples, we will decide that the way to support our beliefs is to degrade and destroy those who disagree with us.

A major feature of the freedom that we hold dear is the freedom to dissent and to hold and express unpopular beliefs. Lincoln spoke of "government of the people, by the people, for the people." He did not speak of "government of the powerful, by those in control this year and for those who agree."

I think he meant that our government and our politicians should represent all the people. That requires understanding, patience and compromise -- traits that are in diminishing supply.

While we should certainly stand firm for our basic beliefs, we must respect others who are standing firm for their different beliefs.

This philosophy has been followed by great American statesmen over the centuries. But it often seems that statesmen, like balanced commentators, are becoming an endangered species. Increasing numbers of politicians in both parties practice castigation instead of compromise.

We Texans have certainly had our share of bellicose politicians. But we have also been blessed by some true statesmen, though their numbers are declining.

We lost former Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock a few years ago, and Sen. Bill Ratliff and Rep. Steve Wolens have both unfortunately announced their retirement from the Legislature. Their loss will be felt by all Texans.

Fortunately, we still have several area politicians who seem to be more interested in working for all of Collin County than working just for their party -- politicians like Sen. Florence Shapiro, Rep. Jodie Laubenberg and County Commissioner Joe Jaynes. (I would like to give equal time to some Democrats, but this is, after all, Collin County.)

Democracy almost by definition requires that we develop policies and programs in an atmosphere that respects the beliefs of all citizens. We should always strive to develop solutions that are fair for all -- rural and urban, black and white, rich and poor, liberal and conservative. But that means we must listen to others and eliminate the "my way or the highway" attitude.

Of course, one person can't change attitudes with one column. But what if several of us vowed to be less extreme in our political views during the remainder of the holidays? What if a handful of us vowed to actually listen to the next person who disagrees with us? What if a few of us vowed to be more receptive to the ideas of others?

Maybe we would not have peace on earth, but we could have a little more peace in our neighborhood. Maybe we could create a little more goodwill in Collin County.

And maybe if a few dozen of us did this, we could start something. It's worth a try. The angels would be proud.

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Jim Foy is a resident of Farmersville and a Voices of Collin County columnist.