Stalemates And Partisanship Are Holding America Hostage.

By James B. Ewers Jr. Ed.D.

We are now in a political tug of war. Politicians on both sides are arm wrestling with America’s future. We are zigging and zagging with no direction.

Politics are at the center of a battle that is now in its 4^th week. No one has moved. No one has said let us get a compromise so that the people can return to a normal way of living.

Growing up at times, I had some strained friendships. At most, I’d go for a day or so without speaking or playing with a friend. Usually, one of us would apologize or we would just start playing with each other again.

Our friendship was more important than a spat. Being a friend was an important component to my maturation. Having the ability to forgive and to forget is a quality that has remained with me over the years.

Friendship and what’s happening with America’s shutdown have some interesting similarities. First off, a bipartisan group made up of members from both sides must create a strategy to end the shutdown.

Compromise doesn’t mean losing. Decisionmakers use compromise as a tool in helping their organizations. It is for the greater good that compromise is used.

Visionary leaders see it as a way to move along their agendas. With compromise, the win may not be immediate, but it opens the door to it. Being deadlocked for extended periods of time only worsens the situation.

These deadlocks and dead ends are where we are today. The greatest country in the world is at an impasse. We are embarrassed and are viewed negatively by some world leaders.

Instead of the federal government paying our military, the new president received a gift of $130 million dollars to pay them. We will probably never know who provided that gift.

Canada has received another tariff increase by the new president. It happened because the late American president Ronald Reagan’s talk about the negative effects of tariffs was aired on Canadian television.

The late president spoke the truth. Tariffs are harming this country. Prices have risen and the costs have been passed on to us. However, the new president took offense to the telecast and punished Canada.

You can look at this increased tariff two ways according to the critics. First, reports say that both countries were in the middle of some important economic talks. Having President Reagan’s talk was not needed.

On the other hand, those in favor of airing the segment say that our administration was being picky and sensitive. Well, the bottom line is that there is an increased tariff for Canada.

Now as you travel by air, you see travel delays and cancellations. This is because of a shortage of air travel personnel.

We have taken air traffic controllers for granted. This is my opinion. When the airplanes go up and come down, we know that our safety is in their hands.

Well, it is still in their hands, however their morale is like sinking sands. They have become dismayed and distraught by this shutdown. Reports say that they are taking second jobs and calling off sick. This trend will not change if the government shutdown does not end.

The new president is now in Asia. He is in Malaysia and will be traveling to Japan and South Korea. A meeting is scheduled with Chinese President Xi Jinping while he is in South Korea. A possible trade deal will be discussed.

The new president’s travel plans have elicited a response from Senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer. He said, “While Americans are struggling to make ends meet, federal workers are going without pay and millions of families are bracing for soaring healthcare costs, America is shut down, and the president is skipping town.”

Somewhere in the recesses of elected officials’ minds must be ways to reach a compromise and bring a healing to the land.” At this moment, we are in a briar patch with no Band-Aids.