OPINION:
American citizens ought to be more encouraging and less critical of local and national leaders. Increasingly, the majority of criticisms directed at those in positions of leadership have not been constructive, but destructive. Most are rooted in ignorance, jealousy, envy, hatred, phobias, and many types of isms. To the proud originators of destructive criticism, the words of President Theodore Roosevelt are most applicable.
In a speech titled, “Citizenship in a Republic,” Roosevelt said, “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; whose strives valiantly; who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid who neither know victory nor defeat.”
We cannot form a more perfect union by tearing down our elected and appointed leaders. The preamble of the U.S. Constitution begins with we the people, not us versus them.
KEVIN PALMER
Martinez, Ga.
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