By Ron Sinclair

MARION, N.C. – I consider myself a patriot.  I served in the military, though it tested my conscience to do so. I love the intricate systems of checks and balances designed by a group of enlightened founders who believed that ordinary people should have a say in the workings of our government and the laws that become part of our structured lives. I love the give and take and even the heated discussions over those laws and policies when new ideas are considered. And I respect the compromises necessary to make our government function. 

I contend that greed has become the single biggest moral flaw in our country. … unbridled capitalism is a danger to the well-being of all but the handful of folks who hold great wealth.  When they become the loudest voices in our society we operate under a top down form of government instead of a bottom-up one. Democracy demands bottom up. Top down easily steps into an authoritarian rule that is the antithesis of democracy.

I love what we stand for at our best.  We can be the shining light on the hill, a true example of how to live together in relative peace with those who are different than us. I love that our land is populated by indigenous people and “incomers” from all over the world. Each new influx of people adds to the rich tapestry of life in this great “land of the free, home of the brave.”  I love that our Constitution and Bill of Rights allow us to worship or not worship as we please. I love how we value education enough to see it as a priority investment for the future of the world. I love the beauty within our borders and how we have set aside tracts of that beauty to preserve for future generations. I love that we have recognized that not everyone starts out on equal footing, and have tried to establish programs to help everyone reach their full potential regardless of where they start their life. I love that we have established a safety net for seniors through the Social Security Administration and Medicare with Medicaid for the poorest among us. I love how we have established laws to protect the environment. I love how we have invested in research to rid the world of disease. I love how we have used financial resources to decrease malnutrition and disease in some of the poorest communities in the world. I love how we have tried to show the world that a government “of the people, by the people and for the people” is superior to any other form of government, while recognizing that it can be cumbersome in getting things done. 

All of these things I love are under attack by our current leadership, and I vacillate between anger and tears over the dismantling of those things that I believe make America great and uniquely compassionate in a world of violence and war.  Yet, here we are.

Democracy requires a bottom up approach to governing. The PEOPLE living in a democracy must make an informed investment in establishing the priorities that govern us. We need to study and understand how the system is supposed to work. We need to make our voices heard at every level regarding those priorities we hold dear. We need to hold our elected officials at every level accountable to us. To accomplish this, we need to have trusted sources of information that can tell us what is really happening with the machinations of our governing bodies. 

Here in McDowell County, N.C., I have attended public meetings for school board, county commission and city council. Each seems held to tell us what they want us to know, and none are designed to gain more than minimal input and comments from citizens. And when comments are made, public discussion doesn’t occur.  All decisions are made behind closed doors, and seemingly influenced by those in our community with access to those officials in unofficial settings.  And guess who benefits?

David Korten wrote that “Capitalism has defeated communism, and is well on its way to defeating democracy.”  I contend that greed has become the single biggest moral flaw in our country. It’s not just the Citizens United decision, it’s the basic operating principle of our society. Don’t get me wrong. Capitalism is a good thing. It brings innovation and a healthy lifestyle as we work within its structure. But unbridled capitalism is a danger to the well-being of all but the handful of folks who hold great wealth.  When they become the loudest voices in our society we operate under a top down form of government instead of a bottom-up one.  Democracy demands bottom up. Top down easily steps into an authoritarian rule that is the antithesis of democracy. 

A third of our nation seems firmly resolved to take the path we are currently on. Another third wants to do a 180 degree change. That means another third either wants to find common ground or doesn’t care at all. 

Our nation is at a crossroads, guided by “leaders” who encourage our division for political gain. Perhaps they didn’t start their political careers with that in mind, but once involved with the winner take all pursuit of power for power’s sake, and the financial rewards that come with it, they forget that their job is to serve “we the people.” The amount of money involved in politics is more than staggering. It is obscene. At every level of our government, those with the most money retain the greatest access. I see it in our own county, in our state, and in our nation.  And we the people are losing. 

How do we make our voices heard in a time when gerrymandering is so severe that election results are preordained? How do we overcome the fact that a single donor controls the direction of our nation more than the two thirds of the people who care enough to vote? How can we take it back? Can we return to being a compassionate nation instead of one at war with ourselves? Can we once again become a trusted ally if we can’t even find common ground within our own borders? How can we be firm advocates for democratic rule when gerrymandering strips us of our voice in the electoral system, and laws are passed that restrict voting access?  Can we reclaim the values that truly have made us a shining light on the hill instead of what we have already become and are becoming?

The only way out of this mess is for us to find a way to truly listen to one another. Stop eagerly participating in a winner take all kind of politics where in the end, the people’s voice is lost and we hand our future to those with money enough to get the attention of our “leadership.”  We need to stop treating our politics as a football game where we not only have to win, but to run up the score on our opponent so they suffer the greatest humiliation possible.  We need to seek and find common ground for our future, or it will be bleak for ourselves and especially for our children.

Our divisions are played for political gain. And with that gain comes financial reward for those with the most access. Don’t feed the monster. Realize that we are on the verge of losing our voice, and with it, our democratic republic. Become informed. Talk with your neighbor, really talk instead of arguing. Seek common ground in your everyday dealings with one another. Demand that our elected officials do the same.  Realize that the old admonition that “all politics is local” is true.  Cast an informed vote in the mid-terms and in every election held. Insist that local officials be more open in their work. Hold them accountable, even if it means digging into what is going on behind the scenes. And until we take back our government, always follow the money to understand why decisions are made.

© Ron Sinclair, 2026. Sinclair is a retired church musician and solo performer. Sinclair writes about aging, retirement, ‘the church,’ his farm, family and anything else he considers of interest.