Sometime during the second term of Ronald Regan, an ever increasing mind-set of intolerance began gripping the nation’s way of doing business. At a time when MTV proclaimed that video had killed the radio star, a trickle of individuals who claimed to be moral and in the majority began to push back against what they deemed as the freewheeling life style attributed to the 1970’s. After twelve years of Regan and George Bush the first, momentum as in nature when an object reaches an arc began to swing in the opposite direction with the Clinton Administration acting as the catalyst. Momentum moved in the opposite direction again during eight years of George Bush the second and further reversed itself when a Junior Senator from Illinois took the Democratic nomination from Hilary Clinton and then the Whitehouse avoiding a potential double oligarchy in America. As the Republican Primary races drag on with potential presidential aspirants sniping and tearing at each other’s character instead at that of the present administration, it appears as if the Democratic Party may hold the Whitehouse yet again. During each successive move to and fro, the tolerance of the victorious administration and their subsequent power brokers has appeared to become less forbearing towards their vanquished foes and thus their constituents. This less than magnanimous attitude which both parties have exhibited has manifested itself in wasteful government spending, budget gridlock, and unwillingness for small business to invest due to inability of our elected officials to reach civil agreements.
A few hundred yards from the largest Naval Master Jet Base on the East Coast is a diminutive stretch of Potters road where there exists and example that would inspire and motivate both houses of the Senate. Nestled around the corner from machine shops, ceramic lawn ornaments, automotive repair and separated only by boat storage subsists what could not be possibly two more divergent neighbors. St. Mark’s AME and Mermaids Gentleman’s Club co-exist on a small plot of land at this end of the city without a disruption of city council meetings, traffic gridlock, and as any resident of the south end of the resort area can tell you, air traffic at Oceana runways still occur around the clock without fail. It with great earnestness that I invite President Obama, Harry Reid, John Boehner, and the seemingly obstinate Eric Kantor to round out the field for what would be the President’s second, “Beer Summit”. One could only imagine as the quartet of learned gentlemen from up north swill suds and take shots near the tramp walk during amateur night forging a job stimulus package or come to a debt reduction plan during a wet t-shirt contest balancing the nation’s budget for all time. As I am sure that other souls have done this illustrious band of elected officials, these temporary employees could then set the bottle down and stroll a few hundred yards across the parking lot to confer with the Right Reverend Vernon L Ricks. As the wizard from the mythical land of OZ, perhaps the Reverend could bestow such gifts on our weary travelers from the North such as courage, a brain, a heart, and a desire for compromise. Avoiding the obvious comedic analogies that could arise from such a visit; we should all raise a glass to civility.
