Common sense

Editor,

French philosopher Voltaire is credited with the quote, “Common sense is not so common”. Were he alive today in America, he would no doubt have ample credence for his truism. It has only been a few weeks since the election and nothing has changed. In fact, the election itself changed nothing.

But it was a revelation for those with a common sense perception. Essentially, the election taught us that today more than ever; the United States is a nation of takers. The producing classes (commonly called the upper and middle class) were out voted by the non-producing class (commonly called the lower class). These citizens find their livelihood in seeing wealth taken from the producers through government taxation which is eventually redistributed to their favor. In plain language, those riding in the wagon now have more voting power than those of us pulling the wagon.

To this end, we have become their slaves. How could such a thing happen here in America? I believe it is best explained by another Frenchman, Alexis de Tocqueville, who wrote concerning our way of government, “The American Republic will endure until the politicians realize they can bribe the people with their own money”. November sixth was the testament to that truth. Barak Obama and the Democrat party made promises of every kind to the non-producing class to entice their vote. Free citizenship, free housing, free food, free money, free education, free healthcare … and on and on it goes. The promise of opportunity which once struck a chord of hope in the hearts of all people has been replaced with the promise of a fair share for all regardless of effort.

The lust for power from the Democrats married to the greed for more from the non-producers has created an illegitimate offspring of American who is void of any virtue. Sadly, the producers’ children of this age have no hope but to prepare for a life with less.

Why would I declare such a dire prophecy upon my own heirs? Trust me I don’t want it to be such. But, wishing it otherwise will not change reality. The very laws of our universe speak against the course our country is on. Every discipline known to exist cries out against us. The laws of physics, mathematics, biology and reason itself demonstrate the impossibility of success for the attempt to create more from less. You simply cannot create more for all yet at the same time require less from the majority.

There comes a point when those carrying the burden cannot carry another brick. At that point everything stops and anarchy ensues. What are we to do? There is little we can do at this point. The pattern is set, the players are fixed. The non-producers have an equal vote value to the producers. The non-producers will continue to vote for whoever promises to give them the most free stuff and the Democrats have shown that they will shamelessly do it, so long as they get voted back into power. The rest of us simply have to try and keep our heads above water long enough to get our own house in order and hopefully help our children understand what it will take for them to survive in the inevitable socialist economy that will soon arrive on our shores.

It certainly isn’t what I’d hoped to be teaching my children! In closing, let me share these quotes worthy of consideration; Winston Churchill said, “We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.” Or as Rush Limbaugh put it, “You can’t fill the shallow end of the pool by taking water from the deep end!” No one, not even Democrats, can create more from less!

Gary Lee Corns

Logan

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Teamwork

Editor,

More than 600,000 West Virginians cast their ballot in the 2012 General Election. Almost all of them went into the polling place thinking about which candidate would get their vote – not that they may need to say thank you to those who made it possible for them to vote that day.

There are many problems that could possibly arise for election officials as they prepare for Election Day: a machine could break down and need replaced, poll workers could get sick and not be able to come in, or there could be problems with the heat at a particular precinct. All of these problems are routine; election officials are able to solve these problems quickly.

But this Election Day, election officials around West Virginia were faced with a challenge none of them had ever faced before: How to administer Early Voting as the remnants of a hurricane dumped several feet of snow on top of them. They also had to think about Election Day and what precincts would be impossible to open and how to make sure the citizens of our state have access to open, free, and honest elections.

The job done by local election officials was nothing short of superhuman. They made bold contingency plans with the best interest of the voters in mind

The effort of the National Guard was simply awe inspiring. These men and women were there when their state needed them. They provided tents that would serve as temporary polling places, provided heat and electricity to those tents, and were standing by to make sure poll workers would be able to get to their assigned precinct.

Emergency crews and Department of Highways crews worked around the clock plowing snow and clearing roads of fallen trees.

Power company crews worked tirelessly restoring power to our homes and to the buildings that served as polling places.

It was a team effort of which everyone in West Virginia should be proud. I know I certainly am.

There are days when we all feel uniquely and proudly American: Veterans Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and that’s just to name a few. There are other things about being American that makes us all proud: neighbor helping neighbor and a determination to make things happen in the face of adversity.

This Election Day, another day when we all feel uniquely and proudly American, showed the best of us all. From local election officials and the National Guard to emergency crews and power company workers, we all came together knowing that our democracy faced a threat from this weather system. Would people be able to vote? Would our polling places open?

These citizens, who do what they do because it must be done and not for attention, made it possible for the rest of us to make our voice heard on Election Day.

And for that I sincerely say, “Thank you.”

Natalie E. Tennant

W.Va. Secretary of State