Is it always just a matter of picking who you believe based on party loyalty and hoping they steer you right? No it isn’t. Because there are deeper sources of expertise than the media reports and news anchors.

The writers who have the leisure to think about issues and propose what should be done about them are mostly congregated in Washington, and are mostly focused on national government. The more specialized the experts get, more likely they become to overlook state and local initiatives.

Where public expressions are concerned, the first principle ought to be a broad toleration for differences. Nobody should condemn or proscribe something just because it isn’t to their tastes. So nobody who plans to force their ideas on the rest of the country should be allowed to do that.

Yes, there was a big cry for Freedom and Liberty at the time of the revolution, but that only meant freedom from the rule of the British king. The country was founded on a citizen-led society with plenty of rules.

When people come around to believing that change for the better is possible, most changes will be easy to accomplish. The work of today for hopeful citizens, it to convince as many people in their circle of acquaintance to see the possibilities.

We shouldn’t just guess. When information is readily available, we should seek it and learn some facts before we speak.

The Hawley proposal provides us with several important points. It shows how politicians are skilled at talking about legislation to make it seem like a good deal even when it isn’t. And it shows that news sources are often pretty slack about analyzing what politicians are really up to.

Unfortunately, the parties don’t stop at, “We’ll keep the lights on, gas cheap, and the schools adequately funded.” Increasingly, it is the business of both political parties to tell people who to hate and who to shun.

Writing a new constitution for 21st Century America would not be easy. The new one is not out there waiting to be found. It would have to be written. It would demand time and effort and coordination. It would especially require good behavior from all citizens. It would require them to set their hats and flags and shouts slogans aside and attend to facts and details.

The Congenial Iconoclast believes that bestowing good will on others is the citizens’ most urgent duty. The top priority for elected officials and public servants is regaining trust in themselves as individuals and in the nation’s public institutions and processes.