Cathy Actually Did The Compromising…….

Democrats and Republicans are strange birds. Elect one to high office and they can often reach heights of unbelievable ineptitude. I’m talking the Washington delegation here. And I’m not excluding, singling out, condemning or protecting any particular one this morning. The group, as a whole, could mess up a kindergarten birthday party.                      

Congress can meet, argue, co agitate, yield to a colleague, “advise and consent”, dip into the pork barrel, vote strict party lines…….then rush back to their home districts and blame it on the president. Or the Supreme Court. Or the senate majority whip. Or Blue Cross and Blue Shield. The President, naturally, blames it on the first congressman he sees who doesn’t agree with him. And each party faults the other for every economic downturn, war, pestilence, illegal alien, forest fire, hurricane, bank failure and Toyota recall that has ever befallen our great nation.

Let’s be careful not to throw in with them! We hear the rhetoric but we don’t have to pick a side or get drawn into every wrangle. Surely, we’re not taking as gospel everything that is said on talk radio! I understand that we are trying with all our mite to believe and have faith in the boys in Washington……but we’ve got to keep our thinking caps on.       

The buzz word today is compromise. “Let’s go to the bargaining table”. The two sides must meet in the middle. “No one can always get their way”. We even have committees made up of the same number of carefully selected Democrats and Republicans to study through a problem and suggest a proper solution based on conciliation from both parties.

 We hear the media talk about compromise and it sounds ok. Let’s get moving. At least, if the two sides get together maybe we can get the stock market moving again. Maybe we can get gasoline prices down. Maybe we can find jobs for everyone. Maybe we can fix it so our children can afford their own home.

Baloney!

I don’t want the future of my grandchildren decided by a compromise! Why do we need to settle for that? Let’s figure out the most correct, best plan of action….and get with it! No games. No bargaining. No finger pointing. No shuffling for airtime on “Meet the Press”.

Doing right can’t be that complicated!

What if me and Earl are sitting around on the porch and he thinks we ought to arm ourselves and shoot two people. I lobby for riding out to the Dairy Queen for a milkshake. Should we compromise by robbing the First National Bank? Absurd you say! Have you watched “Meet the Press” lately?

I took a job at a swimming pool in Trenton, Tennessee, in 1966. Cathy Cotham was the pettiest girl in the whole town. By far! It took about half a conversation with her to realize she also was the smartest girl in town. And before the sun went down that first day I realized she was without a doubt the sweetest girl in all of West Tennessee. It took another day or so to learn that her granddaddy had money running out both ears. People, I didn’t compromise by riding down to Samburg or over to Kenton to look at prospects! I didn’t waste time lollygagging with any selection committee. I didn’t hire an intermediary. I sucked up my physique as tall and trim as I could, put on my best smile and let Cathy and her little brother swim free for the whole summer. If you asked our two sons today, they would tell you in a heartbeat how grateful they are that I didn’t compromise…..

What if history had been settled by compromising! Can you imagine Jefferson, Franklin and Washington saying, “O.K., King George, we’ll take New York and Vermont. You can have Jersey, Delaware and half of Georgia.” Think of the bloodshed we could have avoided during the Civil War if some of those progressive leaders would have been willing to compromise. Lincoln could have galloped down to Richmond and said, “Jeff, you southern boys have got to give up your slaves and cotton farms in Virginia, Tennessee and South Carolina. You can keep Mississippi and half of Georgia. We’ll let the people vote in the rest of the states.”  

We did “compromise” with the American Indians as the country moved west in the mid 1800’s. We told them we would take their best lands and build trails, telegraphs and rail roads through them. We would shoot their buffalos for hides and sport. We would introduce them to small pox and diphtheria. And they got to live on restricted reservations of mostly sagebrush and prickly pear. We encouraged them to cut their hair and take up farming. And then we got mad as a wet setting hen when they had the audacity to balk at such a wonderfully thought out negotiation……

I know what you are thinking. Running the world’s greatest nation is a far cry from Earl sitting on the porch and me finding the right girl. Is it? Life is about choices. It’s about consequences. I’m not asking for a miracle, but shouldn’t government be in tune with us……and not the other way around?

The day I left for college my third grade educated Father came into the room, stammered for the right words and said, “Son, be good” he paused, perhaps realizing the importance of the moment, “and do right.” It is to this day the single best piece of advice I have ever heard anyone utter.

I wish the boys in Washington had half the integrity and backbone of my Dad; and I hope and pray they understand the importance of the moment.

Respectfully,

Kes