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By Ray Barmore
Pinyon Pines

When Conor [O’Farrell] asked me to write briefly about my thoughts on the bimonthly discussion group, I was a little stumped as to what to say, unusual for me. So, I guess I’ll just tell why I got involved.

I saw a poster that said there was going to be a showing of the Ken Burns “Jefferson” documentary followed by a discussion on the state of our democracy. I was intrigued.

One of the things that has been bothering me for quite a while is the degeneration of the political discourse in this country. Being a student of history, I marvel at the wisdom of our founders. When you read the records of the proceedings of the Constitutional Convention, it was a contentious gathering, to say the least. Nevertheless, our founders managed to write one the most marvelous political documents, which formed the greatest nation so far on this planet.

We are their legacy. If our founders were able to see their way through and around their differences to form this country, why is it we cannot today do the same to deal with our current problems? Why must we substitute personal attacks for honest discussion?

This group has been a fun “gathering of the minds.” Are we solving anything? Heck, I don’t know. But it is refreshing to have a group of folks, with diverse opinions, all discussing and listening with respect and humor. I’m enjoying the time and I invite all to join in.

For more information about the political discussion group, email mark@neighbor2neighbor.net or conor113@gmail.com.

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