Helping ourselves at election time

By David Myers

Southwest Kansas Register

God helps those who help themselves. In fact, God yearns for us to help ourselves. Sometimes I can envision God screaming from a heavenly mountaintop, “For goodness sake, it’s not rocket science,” especially after sending his son to teach us to help ourselves. Embrace Christ’s love -- embrace Christ’s teachings -- and the right path is as clear as a mountain stream.

One of our greatest challenges to “helping ourselves” comes at election time. Despite what we think we know, it’s impossible to really and truly know what kind of a person we’re moving into that big white house on the hill. It’s scary. They hold the country in the palm of their hand. After casting my vote and then seeing the final outcome, I have at times known what Dr. Frankenstein felt like.

Which leads to a section I like to call, “A Brief Look at Past Presidents,” or “It’s Not My Fault, I Voted for Humphrey.”

Partially due to his Elvis haircut, Andrew Jackson (1829-1837) was so popular that he was known as the “People’s President.” This was ironic, because Jackson slaughtered multitudes of Native Americans during his military service, many of whom called themselves “The People.” Not wanting to stop killing The People, as president he created the “Indian Removal Act,” which not only removed thousands of The People from the south, but from the face of the earth. That’s not to say he didn’t have a soft heart. One of his adopted sons, in fact, was a Creek Indian that Jackson found lying in the arms of his dead mother after his entire family had been slain. The fact that Jackson led the slaughter was beside the point. Unless you were a Creek Indian.

Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969) did not have an Elvis haircut, but he did have an ego as big as Texas, which, in his line of work, could work for him and against him. For example, in 1964 he signed the Civil Rights Act even though the result would be that many of his constituents, including those having lunch in Bubba’s Drink n’ Grub in Montgomery, Ala. – and a multitude of good ol’ boys everywhere -- would simultaneously swallow their chewing tobacco. Sadly, this fine act is not all our 36th president is remembered for. In 1964, he and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara made the bitter announcement that the North Vietnamese had torpedoed a U.S. destroyer on “routine patrol” in neutral waters. The American people replied with a collective “Grrrrrrr,” as did Congress. The Gulf of Tonkin incident is just what Johnson needed to gain support for war in Vietnam. So, as our story goes, the president was granted full means with which to “repel an armed attack against the forces of the United States,” resulting in the death of 56,000 U.S. soldiers and countless Vietnamese. Does it matter now that they made that whole “Gulf of Tonkin” thing up?

Richard Nixon (1969-1974) was a tad paranoid -- just enough to bug the White House offices with recording equipment. Unfortunately, he wasn’t exactly tech savvy. When he couldn’t figure out how to turn on the recorder, his chief of staff, H.R. Pufnstuf – er, Haldeman -- set it to voice-activation. While the president’s planning of the break-in at the Democratic Party offices at the Watergate Hotel was the most damaging segment, it wasn’t the most embarrassing for the 37th president. That would be him using his pet name for Kissinger: “Bobo.” If only he had learned how to use that “off” button.

George W. Bush (2001-present) wanted to be the “decider.” So, back in 2002 he made clear his desire to declare war. Problem is, presidents can’t declare war. See, in the Constitution there’s this “War Powers Clause” which basically says that the U.S. government doesn’t want to be like those darned European monarchies, where a man in a funny crown and purple robe gets to declare war. Instead, only Congress, acting on behalf of their constituents, can declare war. But being the “decider,” President Bush decided that was a pretty silly idea. Just prior to the 2002 midterm elections, Congress in effect agreed, handing over power to the president. Among those most adamantly against the resolution was Sen. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, who had been duped into voting for the Tonkin Resolution some 40 years earlier. At press time, 3,960 American troops and countless Iraqi citizens had died in the war. And then there’s that $9 trillion national debt. When asked how the war would end, the Decider replied that future presidents would have to decide.

“God helps those who help themselves” is a call to arms of sorts; it’s a demand that we do not sit by passively observing the election process, but instead that we devour information on the candidates like hungry wolves and then vote. Remember: God helps those who help themselves. We should read, watch, and pray! This is the time we MUST help ourselves.