Trust in government

If I had one wish for our nation in 2019, it would be the restoration of trust in our national government. Not blind trust in those governing, but trust in the framework established by the founding fathers. The ideals expressed in the preamble and the Constitution are under attack. The institutions that establish and ensure the rule of law are being diminished by attacks on their credibility. This is being done in the highest echelons of government and supported by some in the private sector who stand to profit from weaker government.

The problem is that relationships are founded on trust. When trust is gone, relationships wither and die. How long can this nation survive if we no longer have faith in the institutions that are the motor that keeps us running? Congress is under attack, the justice system and law enforcement are under attack, and our security agencies are diminished. Even freedom of the press is in question when facts are cast as fake news and news organizations are accused of being the enemy of the people.

In our partisan divide we must be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We must trust the fabric that holds our country together. Does that mean there will be perfect harmony? No. Most of our elected officials are ego-centered and self-serving and do not put the national interest ahead of their re-election. The founding fathers provided a solution for that also. It is called voting. To restore trust means each American taking responsibility to educate themselves and vote. The failure to do so ensures continuation of distrust and decay of the great experiment in self-government.

ED HUDNALL

Benton