DICK HUGHES

An open letter to all: ‘We have failed you’

This column has been updated to include pro and con responses from readers. They have been added at the bottom of the column.

Dick Hughes
Statesman Journal

Fellow Americans,

We have failed you.

From the Capitol to the classroom, from the boardroom to the newsroom, we have failed you.

Some of us are baby boomers who came of age in the 1960s and ’70s, who demanded that government listen to our grievances, and who did not do the same for other generations.

Some of us are politicians, who mistook our political careers for good governance.

Some of us are executives, journalists, government workers, philanthropists ...

But we share two things in common: We assumed we knew more than you. We talked when we should have listened.

As Salem City Council candidate Sally Cook said recently, listening is the greatest form of respect.

You felt isolated from your government. But we had dodged or dismissed your entreaties before, so we did so this time.

Because we did not listen, we treated Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders as caricatures instead of contenders. Yet Trump wowed a crowd in Eugene on Friday night and Sanders will lead a Salem rally on Tuesday.

Now some of us are feeling hopeless. If you feel that turnabout is fair play, we don’t blame you. For the seven-plus years of the Barack Obama administration, you may have felt a similar hopelessness.

We implore you. Learn from our mistakes, our misjudgments, our inability to walk miles in your shoes.

Don’t tell people what they need. Ask how you can serve them. Listen to their answers. Then give them the power — the authority, the encouragement, the tools — to succeed.

You may believe, “It’s time for government to answer with ‘yes’ instead of ‘no.’”

That sounds good. But remember: That concept cuts both ways. Does saying yes mean that an industrial operation should be allowed next to prime vineyards? If saying yes means giving teachers more freedom with curriculum, does that free them to preach whatever moral standards they believe in?

Or should “yes” refer to prudent public dialogue? So all sides get a fair hearing to discuss that industrial operation. So teachers have more time for teaching and less worry about bureaucracy.

Remember that government, by itself, is neither good nor bad. It is merely a useful framework for organizing society and maintaining civility. A totally free society is anarchy. A completely equal society is totalitarianism.

Democracy, if it is healthy, strives for a balance. In an ideal republic, people’s voices are heard. Because they get their say, they respect and honor the outcome even if they do not get their way.

Be better than we. Build that ideal republic. Don’t let your and our and others’ divisions tear apart our republic.

Believe in “WE THE PEOPLE” — ALL the people, not just those with whom you agree.

Sincerely,

The Establishment

Dick Hughes, who will vote in Oregon’sMay 17 election regardless of whether he is satisfied with the candidates,is editorial page editor and a content coach for the Statesman Journal. Contact him at dhughes@StatesmanJournal.com; P.O. Box 13009, Salem, OR 97309; or (503) 399-6727.

ON THE OTHER HAND: What readers said

Here are comments that readers sent Dick Hughes in response to this column.

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Pretty good mea culpa but lacked specifics....

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The Establishment - you certainly described yourself very well - liberal in every possible sense of the word!

Salem just can't get an honest break with SJ being the only newspaper in the land - Gannett news - pure monopoly!

"content coach", yeah right -  self elevated, annointed and appointed to that lofty position

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I read Dick Hughes open letter to all twice.  Two things amazed me; that I actually for once agreed with Mr. Hughes and the incredible irony of the letter itself.  Mr. Hughes is correct in that he and politicians of both parties have for years assumed they are smarter and know more than the average person.  They irony comes in that Dick Hughes is probably much more guilty of this than the average elitist.

Mr. Hughes has used the Statesman Journal as his personal bully pulpit for the last year to bash Donald Trump and all of his supporters.  At the same time he has completely ignored Hillary Clinton and her numerous scandals, Bernie Sanders and his failed personal life and the rest of the Republicans altogether.   The only part of the Statesman Journal that actually has anything to do with news anymore is the USA insert.  Other than that, it just appears to be Mr. Hughes spewing his opinion and telling the rest of us how stupid we are and how smart he is.  Once again, I applaud Mr. Hughes for at least acknowledging that in his letter.

I am sick of being told it is OK for men to use the women’s public restrooms if they feel like a woman.  I am sick of being told that a baker must provide a wedding cake that is counter to his religious beliefs.  I am sick of being told if I disagree with the President I am a racist.  I am sick of listening to college whine about needing safe zones where they are not offended by free speech.  I am sick of being told that black lives matter and mine doesn’t.  I am sick of Oregon state government corruption being glossed over as no big deal by what is supposed to be a newspaper.

Please rest assured that we have indeed learned from your mistakes as Mr. Hughes implores us to do in his letter.  That is why Donald Trump is where he is now.  I am probably about the same age as Mr. Hughes, but I bet our lives have been vastly different.  I served my country as a U.S. Marine in the sixties and I have worked hard and paid taxes my entire life.  I am sick to my stomach over seeing what the country I love has become.

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I heard that you went off on some crying jag worrying regardin how you failed those you evidently think care about your opinion? If so, it makes no sense, i.e., you simply do not reflect the community values in your area...have you, or anyone at that paper, ever done "just one thing" for American security? You certainly are a failure, and my guess it goes back to those early grammar school days. People bleed, sacrifice and die so clowns like you can live under the Bill of Rights that no doubt you have no real concept of what it took by our Founders, and the generations of patriots that followed to secure those rights. ... Yeah, you are a loser...but no one gives a rip about your fn opinion.

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I enjoyed your heartfelt May 8th letter, page 4A, titled "An open letter to all: We have failed you", but by page 9A, "Oregon lays out guidelines for transgender students" any compassion or understanding I might have been trying hard to summon received another rude 'slap' in the face. Yet again, our masters have spoken, and by God we the People must shut up sit down and except it.

You say "In an ideal republic, people's voices are heard. Because they get their say, they respect and honor the outcome even if they do not get their way." Sorry, but this idealistic phrase couldn't be further from the truth here and seems more par for the course on way to many other issues these days. Clearly demonstrated once again our government masters, the so called wizards of smart and the guru's of compassion and justice have spoken. "We assumed we knew more than you. We talked when we should have listened."

To say "You feel isolated from your government" would be a big understatement. But to say " we had dodged or dismissed  your entreaties before, so we did so this time." Is frankly, spot on. The current make up of far to many running our nation's business, including public education is not one of tolerance or social justice, is not learning from their mistakes, misjudgments and/or shows no ability to "walk a mile in (y)our shoes." Things are completely out of whack and need a total makeover, starting at the top. I do believe, "It's time for government to answer with 'yes' instead of 'no.'''

You say "government, by itself, is neither good nor bad. It is merely a useful framework for organizing society and maintaining civility" is largely true. But  what you don't address is what happens if those running it are corrupt and self absord/serving. Not interested "We the people" - All the people not just those with whom you agree."

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"Be better than we" won't happen without some fundamental change in who is running our government. I believe, it is time the pendulum to swings the other direction.

Just read the letter to the editor that says a few not so nice things about you. I thoroughly enjoy reading what you write as it makes me think. Sometimes I don't agree with you, but I appreciate that your view expands mine and makes me justify my position.

Right now I am struggling with what I consider majority rights. When does a society have to give up their rights as a majority? Majority standards are what keep us from becoming an amoral society which disregards the law. ...

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Is that political differences keep us from being a true republic by sticking together correct?  but certainly over time we have seen not everyone agreed.   When we became a nation, not all States came aboard.  The civil war was started because one disagreed with the other taking office basically.

Certainly we have become the most ineffective Congress in history where reaching the goal of $18,000.00 in donated money per member of Congress is more important than doing their job.

I'm not sure it's difference of opinion than greed that destroys us. for example we know that we need to fix our lower education system with more school  days and instead of one huge summer break - smaller breaks through the year.. and what prevents that?  The greed of the unions of employees that like what they have, not what needs to be done to preserve something for the future.

Same with government - this instead of working to fix things like wealth inequality.. We go ahead and say - I will take everything I can and let the rest just deal with it. Thus.. Standard of living begins to fall.

It's not so much the difference of opinion, it's the fact that we forgot about community.

Maybe Marx was right about Capitalism .. over time it would lead to two societies (rich and poor) eliminating the middle class.. And maybe just maybe.. Kant was right about the value of community through pure reason.. that if the focus is on the community instead of myself.  Not only does the community improve, but myself as well, anything other than pure reason..  you fail over time.

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Another Sunday and another well written (overall) Connecting the Dots.  You are correct in that the media, schools, politicians and boardrooms have failed us.  There is plenty of blame to go around, yes, even the rest of us.   The almighty dollar has control over too many things in this country.  From the CEO with their outrageous salaries, the pro sports teams with their wealthy owners and overpaid players, to billionaires who buy up newspapers as a hobby and finally to politicians who say they are underpaid.  Hogwash!

The schools and colleges have failed us and the students.  Many are graduating who may know how to take tests, but can't balance a checkbook. College students end up with debt that seems to last forever.   The media have failed us.  We, the public are kept in the dark, because wealthy owners, politicians and even advertisers use their power to influence what we see do or don't see.  I know you and others will deny it, but the truth is that it happens, maybe not every paper, TV or radio station, but it happens.   Freedom of the Press, like Freedom of Speech are important rights we have in this county as so defined in the Constitution of The United States.  However, there are instances where either politicians, government entities and others have tried to block those rights.  Just because one has more money than another is his(her) opinion more important?

When I noted (overall) above about your column, the paragraph that starts with ...'Now some of us are feeling hopeless...'.  I got the feeling that you are putting more blame on the Obama administration than you are the Congress and in particular the GOP.  No, I not happy with a lot of the things that Obama, did or didn't do. But I most unhappy with the way our Congress has operated and that goes not only for Republicans but Democrats too.    I feel that the Republicans are clueless about a lot of things, and their only concern is getting re-elected, where they still do nothing.  Pissed off would really be the correct terminology.

Both parties are guilty of manipulating the primary process to their own benefit.  They have assumed too much, especially those in charge of the GOP.   The current primary process is a convoluted, screwed up mess that only benefits a few and not the majority.  I think the political cartoon of Andy Marlette of the Pensacola Fla, News Journal (appeared in USA Today), sums it up correctly.  A guy with a 'sucker' for a head says...'What do you mean the delegates decide?'.   No the party bosses do.

Now we appear to becoming to the point where we may have a choice between Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.  I not excited about either for other for a number of reasons.  However, I give Trump credit for bringing up issues, that others in the GOP preferred to ignore.  I have a number of concerns about either candidate.   Trying to sort through the 'garbage' one reads in the paper and see on television to find the truth, when some information is manipulated.

Yes, we the people are in part to blame.  We are too busy with this, that and the other thing to pay attention what is going on with our government, be it local, state or national.  Some people are more concerned about whether their team will make the playoffs than who is running to be in our various branches of our government.   Be that a city council, mayor, county, state or our congress and president.

At least your column was not in the usual 'opinion' section of the paper.  Fourth page was good, third page would have been better, and first page would have the best.

It's best to end this with the following quote or saying;

"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."

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In your apology to “My fellow Americans” (Sunday, May 6, 2016), you said “For the seven-plus years of the Barack Obama administration, you may have felt a similar hopelessness ...”

I don’t think you reached far-enough back into history: I suggest, further, into George W. Bush’s tenure in office.

During his two terms, the United States lost over six million manufacturing jobs, about one third of the total at the end of the Clinton Administration.

He was handed the presidency in a run for a second term in a decision by the United States Supreme Court in 2000, despite losing the popular vote.

The New Yorker’s George W. Packer, in his 11/29/2010 review of President Bush’s memoir “Decision Points,” writes: “During his years in office, two wars turned into needless disasters, and the freedom agenda created such deep cynicism around the world that the word itself was spoiled. In America, the gap between the rich few and the vast majority widened dramatically, contributing to a historic financial crisis and an ongoing recession; the poisoning of the atmosphere continued unabated; and the Constitution had less and less say over the exercise of executive power. Whatever the judgments of historians, these will remain foregone conclusions.”

I will certainly accept your apology for the complete failure of the United States House and Senate to enact any meaningful legislation, in their unprecedented partisanship.