Just a little more

It was so good that Ronald Olson pointed out another current divide in our country in his excellent letter on the Opinion page, Feb. 23, titled, “Country Before Party.”

“How much money is enough (for you)?” someone asked one of the big Montana mine owners at the beginning of the 19th century. “Just a little more,” was the copper baron’s reply.

And so it goes: Money+Power+Ego = Corruption, which is what I see happening in our country today. There is a wide inequality — a wide division — between rich and poor, the “haves” and “havenots,” made even worse by religion, skin color, age and sexual labels.

History has told us over and over again that when there are these kinds of divisions between what are decent human behaviors, values and laws versus the self-interests of its leader or leaders that society will begin to fail, and eventually fall. M+P+E = C has happened before. It could happen again, even in the 21st century.

The current party policies in this country today have created a social divide while, at the same time, lessened the divide between moneyed lobbyists, wealthy donors, an identity with a particular party “base” and those elected senators and representatives who are failing their constitutional job to serve us all, ALL Americans, by opting instead to put their own interests and their party’s interests before their country’s best and highest interests.

Donald Trump has put his loyal minions around him in the White House. He has a majority of compliant Republicans in Congress, and he has chosen billionaires for his cabinet — all of whom will, at one time or another in their tenure, struggle with their sworn pledge to serve their country or to serve their own lust for money and power, which is the very same tendency their “boss” has: M+P+E = C.

In just the last 50 days, President Trump and his administration have not only fabricated additional fears within the public’s consciousness, but they have chipped away at America’s core principle — the power of the many as one.

“We, the people” MUST VOTE to elect men and women who will begin closing these major manmade divisions, starting in 2018, by sending the right people to Washington, D.C., and sooner at state levels. Otherwise, the United States, the oldest (230 years) democracy in the world, will continue to slide further down a steep, slippery and very shady slope.

Please, God, help us. Please help the U.S.

Jo Higginbotham

Bella Vista