A Voice from the Wilderness

Howdy, folks. My name's Gene O. Morris. I'm an old bird, having just turned 75. For all my born days, I've been hanging out in small towns. I started out in a rented house in Nevada, Missouri, where my mother, Mary Anna, gave birth to me at home.

I'm kinda proud of that, since most of the other folks I know were born in hospitals.

Well, I guess I better quit rambling and get down to the point I'm trying to make in this, my first "Voice from the Wilderness" column. Not quite sure why I picked that title, but I guess it's because I wanted folks to know I wasn't a big city boy, nor was I one of those folks who are passing themselves off as politicians.

What I want those folks to know is that we average, every day Americans are sick and tired of the way they've been carrying on. The way they're doing things is ridiculous.

When I hear those folks who profess to be liberals ... or conservatives ... or democrats ... or republicans spoutin' off in extremist ways, I find my blood beginning to boil.

These aren't nice people. They're extremists. They're mean. They don't talk nice to each other. And, for the good of what I think is the greatest nation this world has never known, they need to change there ways.

What I'm trying to say is that there's nothing wrong with having different ideas. Gosh, that's what's great about this country: freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom to bear arms, freedom to live, freedom to love, freedom to grow, freedom to give, freedom to serve.

But, damned it, we don't have to be so mean about it. There was a time, I've been told, when Americans were Ladies and Gentlemen. Yes, some of the books I've read came right out and talked about the virtues of being nice and the villainy of being rude and disrespectful.

So, Mr. and Mrs. Conservative, and Mr. and Mrs. Liberal, take heed: It's time to change your ways. Instead of cussing and arguing and name-calling, I'm pleading with you to give respect to those who hold different viewpoints. I know you find this hard to believe, but those folks are just as convinced as you are that they're right.

My belief is that only God Almighty knows what's best. We humans are not infallible. We may be right. We may be wrong.

Remember that, please.

Be Ladies and Gentlemen. This nation needs you to be kind; to be thoughtful; to be caring; and not to be rude; not to be mean; not to be disrespectful.

Where I live--in Small Town, America--that's the way it is most of the time. Oh, we do have our spats from time-to-time, but for the most part, people of different faiths and parties get along quite well with their friends and neighbors.

Try it, please. Too many big-wigs, representing both of America's major political parties, are making us common folks ashamed. If they lived around here, we'd call them jerks.

Do you hear me? Tell us your ideas. We want to hear them. But please, don't try to get your way by running down the other guy.

It's not nice. And it's making our nation look like a bunch of nincompoops to the rest of the world.