Democratic Party Ninth District Jim Fitzgerald

Halfway around the world in Eastern Europe, the small province of Kosovo seceded from its mother country, Serbia, after decades of ethnic hatreds and infighting. In an angry statement to the world, Serbian President Boris Tadic said: "Who guarantees that parts of your countries will not declare independence in the same way?" It's an interesting question. We were a united country when we declared our independence from Great Britain in 1776 but then a century later we went on to experience a civil war that tore us asunder as a people and pitted family against family. The question raised by these situations, one old, one new, is how do we, as a nation, deal with our differences?

Since 1992, we have been experiencing one of the most toxic and poisonous political atmospheres in modern times. The divisive rhetoric, becoming ever more rigid and dogmatic, seems to deny the fact that most every Presidential election is decided by a narrow 51/49 split of the popular vote. Even though we might not be headed for another civil war, the emotional damage of this toxic political environment will linger for generations to come. Already, Congressman are retiring in droves; citing the hostile environment in Washington.

Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, said: "Today to be successful, one must be able to reach agreements. The ability to compromise is not a diplomatic politeness but rather taking into account and respecting your partner's legitimate interests." Neither Democrat nor Republican can legitimately expect their ideas to exclusively govern this country unless they are prepared to disenfranchise almost half the population. Can you image what would happen if half of our citizens felt like they lost a stake in this country? As a nation, we are, and have been, a melting pot, a melting pot of people, of ideas, of dreams, and of hope. In many ways, our strength as a nation has been based on our ability to meld disparate positions into workable solutions that we can all live with, even though those positions might not reflect our purest hopes. Our strength has derived from our willingness to compromise with our fellow citizens so that we may live in peace and harmony together. Give a little, get a little. Divisiveness occurs when one side or the other disregards the legitimate concerns of the other. The best ideas almost always come from a fresh look at a problem and a fresh look usually comes from dialogue between the dissenting parties. This can be the recipe for how we deal with our differences and lead us to new solutions.

It is important that we elect someone from the Ninth District that represents change, a breath of fresh air, a willingness to represent all of us. We need someone willing to reach across the aisle and seek to find common ground between the parties. Unfortunately, Congressman Deal has been in Washington during its worse in-fighting and most sordid days. (Don't forget, he went to DC as a Democrat from this district and switched parties eight years later). Let's elect a Representative from this district that reflects our desire to get on with the business of this nation.

Dr. Jim Fitzgerald, a clinical psychologist and Vietnam era veteran, lives in Blairsville where he retired after maintaining a therapeutic practice in Smyrna for 25 years. He teaches part-time as an Associate Professor of Psychology and Counseling at Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont. Currently, he is a volunteer for the Union County recycling program, loves the mountains, and anxiously awaits springs arrival. He has a 28 year old son in the military who spent a year in Iraq.