[Campaigns-l] Help a good cause and get a look at awikidrivenletter writing campaign.

[Jonathan Trenn]

We're going off track here again.  We also seem to be minimizing issues that 'others' are very concerned with.
   
  Jennifer, as a supporter in principle of the concept of the Unity ticket, I'd like to point out that none of the issues that our country faces - be it health care, budget policies, abortion, homeland security, retirement security - will be solved 'any time soon'.
   
  Each issue has its own interest groups, each issue has its own demogogues.  That's politics.
   
  Social/cultural issues such as abortion involve more that abortion itself.  It inolves government subsidizing, health care, parental involvement, etc.  Regardless of where one stands on it, it is a huge evolving issue.  
   
  Gay marriage involves extending a legal priviledge to a certain class of people (who want that priviledge and have no other recourse and see that it doesn't harm others) or maintaining the institution in its traditional form that has been inexistence for thousands of years (at least in the cultures that have had the greatest effect on the United States).
   
  I wouldn't equate them with flag burning.
   
  I share your frustration on the concentration on issues like these, but they are still very pertiant to the political process.  
   
  That's why people like Rev. King come back and say 'hold on, abortion is a major issue'.  And he rightfully points out how important the makeup of the Supreme Court is to both sides on that debate.

"Jennifer M." <jenniferforunity at gmail.com> wrote:
  On 10/20/06, James White <white.james.l at gmail.com> wrote:    Rev. King, you have to admit that, no matter what your stance on abortion is, it will continue to be a highly divisive subject for several if not many years to come. Constitutional amendments are unlikely to pass in the near future, and I don't believe that a case that could completely reverse Roe v. Wade will be entering the Supreme Court soon (though I may be mistaken).  I think this is the reason the Unity Movement wishes to take the focus of abortion and other issues that show little possibility to change soon. Jennifer, please correct this if I am wrong in this assumption. 


That gets at the issue pretty well.  It's not that the issues are *really* important to a *lot* of people... it's that the issue is a conflict that's not going to be solved any time soon but that can be used by pols (especially when politics happens on TV instead of online) to rally voters when their governing decisions are just *bad* by other, noncontroversial, measures. 

"You took money from the public coffers... we want better accounting!!"
"Yes, but I will defend women's right to choose from 'the scary conservatives'... *scary*, *evil* conservatives..."

"The tragedy of the commons is leading to collapsing fish stocks... we want marine resources sustainably managed!"
"That won't sell on TV... but I *will* defend your right to carry concealed weapons from 'the scary liberals'... *scary*, *evil* liberals..." 

And so on through gay marriage and flag burning and the death penalty and a host of other issues that push peoples "incommensurable moral issue" buttons.  In the meantime our government is failing to balance budgets, promote the general welfare, or *effectively govern* on the concrete everyday issues of the nation. 

The only solution I've heard that connects "the net" and "actual voting" to deal with this problem is the Unity Movement... which is why I'm involved :-)
http://unitysupporters.com/wiki/

-Jennifer
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