We believe that our country’s democracy is in grave danger unless a few good elected officials stand up and band together in a nonpartisan way to correct the course of current events.
What we are seeing is a system of political parties gone astray in which party now means more than country. George Washington warned Americans about the danger of political parties more than 200 years ago in his Farewell Speech at the end of his two terms as president. After warning citizens about parties within states, Washington said, “Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.” Washington admits that this “spirit” is human nature, but it can lead to the “domination of one faction over another, sharpen the spirit of revenge, …which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities.” He goes on to warn against “a more formal and permanent despotism” that can lead men “to seek security and repose in the abosolute power of an individual” who may at some point turn “this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.”
Washington further warns that the “common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party” may distract the public so that eventually a door is opened to “foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions.” These are George Washington’s Farewell warnings in 1796, speaking long before social media, Google, Facebook trolls, fake news spreading like wildfire, paid hacking gigs, and the many other anomalies that entered into the 2016 general election.
The citizens of this country, whether they are to the right or left of center, deserve to know the truth about the foreign meddling into the 2016 election. Even though the Senate Intelligence Committee seems to be making progress, we cannot leave this important investigation to elected officials, regardless of party. We need the truth as found to the best of the ability of an unbiased, nonpartisan group of investigators. To this end, we strongly urge our elected officials to support an independent commission, headed by a special procecutor, made up of nonpartisan members who value country and democracy first over political party and have the knowledge and ability to find the truth and go where the evidence leads them.
Bob and Judy Andree,
Juneau