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Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Texas Faith: Is the 2012 election serving the common good?


As a way of introducing this week's question, I want to announce that our next Texas Faith public forum will be held on Thursday, September 27. Bill Lawrence and the Perkins School of Theology will be hosting the event at SMU's Prothro Hall. The session will start at 7 p.m. and run until 8:30 p.m. I will send out a reminder later this month, but hope you can put the date on your calendar. And, as I have mentioned before, everyone will get a chance to participate on a panel as we roll these out. For this session, Bill, Katie Sherrod, Dwight McKissic, Mike Ghouse, Gordon Wright and George Mason will lead the discussion, which will focus on whether the election is furthering the common good, and how it can do so better. I will moderate. If Wayne is able, he will make it up from Austin.

With that in mind, I would like each of you to provide your thoughts about:

1. Is this election furthering the national common good? If so, how?
2. How do you think it could better serve the good of America?


MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

This particular election is highlighting the perverse things about politics as well as the common good that can be had through the process. It is time to seriously think about the purpose of the elected; to serve the people or those who put them up to serve their specific interests?

The national common good is here to stay, and no one can shake the foundation of our nation. Our systems are firmly rooted in our constitution and neither the right nor the left will dare touch it, although they mess with it from time to time... However, the Majority of the Americans will get back at the rascals on November 6, 2012, as they have done in eliminating the ones who did not represent the common good of the populace.

The loosening of campaign finance is like a leash-less dog hounding people to mend. Whoever throws the most money can create false or truthful impressions to gain support. Neither Obama nor Romney are scoring points on their own merits, but rather on what the other guy does not have, at the end both will be stripped from whatever good they have.

The rich are investing in a marketable commodity called President, hoping to reap the rewards later. The oil companies and Wall Streeters can throw millions of dollars into the race, it is a paltry sum to them, and they expect their man to make things easy for them. Obama had his day, and now the bones are thrown at Romney. Superpacs need to go.

To protect the common good of our nation, we need to investigate each bill passed, and why it passed - did it serve common good or can the passing be traced to money’s showered on the Senators and Congresspersons? Should we keep them? 

 There is a petition out there, which I have signed; in fact someone beat me to it. If Obama or Romney shoots his mouth off in the debates, let the giant screen show it to them that they do not have their facts. Here is an opportunity to bring common goodness to the election process.

The strength of our democracy is based on people voting their conscience, rather than bullied, induced or influenced into party loyalties.

Texas faith is a weekly column, where panelists from different traditions respond to the issues of the day - for all the responses, please visit Dallas Morning News at  

Mike Ghouse is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is a professional speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, civic affairs, Islam, India, Israel, peace and justice. Mike is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News and regularly at Huffington post, and several other periodicals across the world. The blog www.TheGhousediary.comis updated daily. 

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