Pin It
EditorialEditorialWith the government suspended in Pakistan, three protesters killed, media restrictions, and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto under house arrest I'd say we have a lot to be thankful for here in the United States.  Our government works as well as governments can be expected to work, and here in Lansing leaders and their opposition are actually quite cordial. 

When it became clear that Steve Farkas could lose his position as Town Supervisor he didn't declare martial law and have challenger Scott Pinney placed under house arrest.  To the contrary, he let the system work and graciously conceded, welcoming the new supervisor at the Town Board meeting Wednesday.

That contrast comes just in time for Thanksgiving.  We have a lot to be thankful for.  We live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country with vistas and views just about everywhere you look.  It is a caring community in which people look out for each other, and where opponents usually agree to disagree.  It is an active family oriented community with a wealth of local programs to keep kids and adults busy, beautiful parks, 14 miles of lakefront, and a really terrific school district.  And a good system of government.

I went to the Board of Elections last week to watch absentee ballots being counted.  It was quite civilized, though dull.  In fact it made watching paint dry seem as exciting as a car chase by comparison!  But it was a unique look at our system working the way it should.  The candidates sat around the table with their attorneys, and all followed a protocol to see who would lead Lansing for the next four years.

That is the strength of the United States, including our little piece of it.  We all buy into the system so much that it would be unthinkable to suspend it.  The only martial law you see in this country is during national disasters, and that suspension of normal daily life is for safety, not for suspending the system or taking power.  Pervez Musharraf doesn't have the benefit of that universal buy-in, nor does he always seem to believe in the Pakistani system himself.  We should be thankful that we and our leaders do.

----
v3i44
Pin It