Remembering the Greater Good in the face of Political Extremes

After I attended and listened to eight of the congressional candidates debate last night divide themselves on several key issues, I feel compelled when facing political extremes, it is necessary sometimes on divisive issues to remain focused on the greater good.  For example, one of the topics was related to offshore oil production. 

Naturally on a given issue there are those that take extreme positions like the Obama administration opposing the Keystone Pipeline, despite Obama assurances jobs in America are allegedly one of his priorities.  From  my perspective, Obama forgot the greater good.  Even Bill and Hillary Clinton are divided on the Keystone Pipleline project along the dividing lines of enviromental issues.


Which takes me back to rememembering the greater good.  One of the candidates discussed there are disasters, but having negative events such as the BP disaster should not mean we stop all off-shore oil and gas production because of the greater good-less reliance on oil and gas imports. I cannot imagine any congressional candidate stating our country should not want to develop offshore oil and gas merely because of one disaster.

Along the same lines related to the greater good, should we ban a drug manufacterer because one person had an adverse drug reaction; while a drug saves many?  Or in transportation, should we stop all airline flights because of one horrific crash?  Of course not.  We as a nation built on production focus, react and improve proactively to some event that have caused some tragic outcome to bring about positive and pro-active reaction. In plain terms, by focusing on the greater good means we have to employ a fair amount of common sense.

 We do not as a nation focused on the greater good, merely force some business to cease production based on an isolated and tragic event that impacted one or more persons.  Instead when there is an unintended consequence caused, we as a civil nation give our judicial system the opportunity to compensate others for any harm and injury caused by another. In plain and simple terms, we as people of htis nation have to apply a fair amount of common sense remaining focused on the greater good.

The conclusion on this post is there are many issues that are divisive leading to political extremes.  We remain as a nation focused on the greater good instead of resorting to the far left or far right.  To further this argument, we have in this nation idealists vs. reality.  We must deal with negative consequences as they occur, but remain focused as a united nation and people on the greater good that benefits many. If we resort to idealism, there would no production of any resource at all.  And that would negatively impact the greater good.

So, this is how I will resolve competing extreme political positions.  I will add the greater good to my analytical decision making framework in my goal to make our nation a better place as your best candidate for United States Congress.